Paypal Fee Avoidance? Your Thoughts Please

[*r3830*]

Two successful purchases in as many days - 100% strike rate that both sellers didn't have paypal accounts - requiring cancellation of the initial transaction and a new 'send money' transfer being made. Is this a way around paypal fees?

[*wheels*]

Loco, was the 'Send Money' request to their bank account or via PayPal?

If they were just asking you to send money to their bank account, then yes, I'd say they are either trying to avoid PayPal fees, avoid PayPal Buyer Protection, or both.

If it was via PayPal they must have PayPal accounts to do a 'Request Money'. The normal PayPal fees apply to the seller if a buyer uses PayPal Send Money and makes a payment under the Purchases tab.

[*wheels*]

I did a PayPal Request Money for a couple of eBay sales last year. The items were listed with free post and the buyer bought 2 items so I offered him a discount. eBay doesn't allow a postage discount greater than the original postage so I did it directly through PayPal.

I've since worked out to offer the buyers a discount for multiple purchases by offering a partial refund after they have paid the full price.

[*r3830*]

Many thanks wheels.

In the two examples, both sellers email addresses were invalid. The only way that the goods could be paid for was by 'payment for goods'. An attempt to use the ebay payment option reverted to the original 'wrong' email address.

Q. So why didn't the seller simply correct their email address? Would it be beneficial to not do so?

[*wheels*]

Exactly. I have a number of email addresses on my PayPal account.

[*wheels*]

Loco, the problem with paying via PayPal 'payment for goods' is the buyer doesn't get the same buyer protection as on eBay, you just get the standard PayPal protection for Item not Received.

[*r3830*]

Wheels, I thought that may be the case. Beginning to notice a growth trend in this activity.

[surf-inside]

Currenly Paypal is charging the same fees regardless if it is a personal money transfer, purchase for ebay goods, or send money for services. This is recent, they didn't use to charge for send-money if it was personal, and I use to pay child support to one ex wife through Paypal. But when they started getting more money than she was, I quit using Paypal and started sending money the old fashioned way - a Horse and Cow.