Oz Round Table
The Oz Round Table boards => The Round Table => Topic started by: frangi on April 23, 2009, 03:23:12 PM
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As we know, we're required to 'join' Paypal if we wish to sell on ebay, these days.
Can only speak for myself, but I don't like being pushed around. People have told me that Paypal's not bad if you're fortunate enough not to have a bad experience. Sort of like a Lucky Dip situation -- it's good until it turns bad, lol.
I'll be honest, I used to enjoy Ebay most of the time, back before Paypal became mandatory. I sold a few things but most of the time I was a buyer. I had a few bad experiences, but most of the time it was good. And that's what gave me the confidence to sell a few things.
Then, ebay demanded that anyone who wanted to sell anything must have a Paypal account and must be prepared to accept payment via Paypal. Along with that emerged the horror stories of buyers making false claim-backs once they'd received the item. In many reported instances, the poor seller lost the item and the payment! Yet they still had to pay ebay fees ! So they made a loss, through no fault of their own.
Well, that's unjust, isn't it ? Imagine if it happened to you. I didn't want it happening to me. I think I'd pop a fuse if it did. So I decided that if risking it was the price I had to pay to sell on ebay, then I'd just not bother trying to sell anything on ebay any more.
At the same time, I also decided to stop buying on ebay too, until ebay stopped dictating payment methods and left those decisions to the sellers and buyers.
So, I do far less ebaying (nothing at all these days in fact) since Paypal became an enforced payment method.
On the other hand, if Paypal were optional .. if ebay respected my right to make my own decisions for a change .. then I think I'd start ebaying again.
How about you ?
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Franji.
I was never a seller but, I used to buy a lot of gear, both for myself & for others.
Since the Ebay/Paypal debacle I have hardly bought a thing & if people ask me to get something for them I tell them that I no longer buy through Ebay.
Probably the main reason I no longer bid/buy is that the sellers of the gear I am interested in have gone, both here & overseas.
There is a lot of cheap chinese gear available but my mates & I look for better quality & are prepared to pay more for that quality.
In the USA a number of the good sellers now have their own online stores & I buy direct from them using a debit card set up for online money transfers. debit card.
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Good on you for finding a way around ebay's enforced Paypal, Ubbrd :t2:
You've given me some ideas there, thank you !
It was the same here. I used to buy stuff for my Mum and other people who can't get out to the shops much. I knew it was fun for her to get frequent little parcels .. brightened her day and gave her something different to wear. These things count for a lot when people are elderly or house-bound.
Since ebay enforced Paypal (it's the enforcing part I strongly object to, not to mention the risks allegedly inherent in Paypal) I've been buying things for her over on Oztion. Works out a lot less expensive, too, incidentally.
Of course, items I used to buy for myself are still mostly on ebay (antique jewellery, for one). But, I've disciplined myself to conquer that little indulgence in my determination not to patronize a dictatorial ebay.
The other side though is, by stringently curtailing my ebay purchases, I'm of necessity hurting ebay sellers, which I wish were avoidable.
I read all the time now about sellers starting their own sites, or switching to other, established sites, such as Etsy or Amazon, etc. And my daughter's started buying her weaving and spinning supplies direct from source in Victoria. Little by little, people are learning to live independently of ebay. It might be a lot harder than ebay imagine, to bring those people back when it's realised the 'innovative changes' aren't acceptable to so many, huh ?
Thanks for your post, Ubbrd .. I'm sure you've given more than a few people some ideas on how to circumvent enforced Paypal :-)
And ebay .. if you're listening ... please consider dropping the mandatory element of Paypal before it's too late. Don't be known as the corporation which shut the barn gate after ALL the horses had bolted
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I stopped selling when PayPal was forced on us. At first, within the guidelines I re-wrote my Terms of Sale and eBay invoices to encourage payment by other methods and with my very good feedback I expected a percentage of buyers would use an alternative payment method but when eBay scared buyers by advertising sellers were out to get them and they needed 'protection' then made it almost impossible to find the bank details, buyers gave up and paid using Paypal.
I just could not work around these obstacles and as I did not want to be perpetually anxious over non receipt claims, the pressure of DSRs, the changed attitude of new buyers, some who saw the slightest mistake as an opportunity to 'get even' with the world for their bad day by leaving me an undeserved negative, nor to give what was left of my profits to Paypal, I gave up selling.
I would defnitely start selling again if Paypal were optional and they stopped telling buyers they need 'protection'.
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I'm in a similar situation to ubbrd. I know many people who ask me to buy things on their behalf. They don't have a PayPal account and don't want one. They don't feel safe buying on eBay for a number of reasons, and some of them still seem to think they MUST have PayPal in order to buy...
I thus do buying on their behalf. I don't limit my buying to eBay by any means. When I first started buying on eBay, it was my first port of call for internet buying. Now, it comes last. I'd rather buy now from Amazon or international shops with their own websites or over the phone with companies. I remember one weird experience with a Germany company - the person who took my order wanted to chat about where my mother had grown up, as it was a Dorf known to her. I kept trying to explain I was in Australia and the phone call was COSTING!!!
I have found the range of stuff on eBay horribly diminished.
I will still buy on eBay, but as I've said... much, much less frequently. If I buy from Amazon or with a company, I can use my card for immediate payment, and I don't have to worry about needing PayPal. I have all the security of my card issuer if there should be any problem with those purchases.
But Frangi... it's not just PayPal that is affecting my buying on eBay. It's the range (so much smaller), the difficulty of finding things even if they are there (the search results are so flawed and slow-loading), and the general cosmetic changes made by eBay which result in a much, much slower site.
I think PayPal is largely responsible for the smaller range of items for sale, so indirectly that is a major reason for buyers finding less they want to buy.
A relative used to sell on eBay, but he stopped as soon as the mandatory PayPal thing came in. He offered mostly pickup items, and he just couldn't continue under the ridiculous conditions imposed by eBay - with Paypal having to be offered.
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If it was optional I would much prefer that, as I paid for the majority of my purchases on ebay via direct debit and not once did I have a problem, and yes I have paid via paypal and that is generally only if the seller prefers that method.
As a seller I had no choice even prior to the enforcement upon all sellers in march last year. As I joined after January 2007 I had to offer Paypal as a payment method. Have had quite a few buyers communicate to me that they don't like using it.
I would definately go back to buying again if it was optional, I miss the enjoyment of bidding and winning an auction and then the thrill of when my win arrives in the post.
I would occasionally do some buying for some family members who didn't have paypal accounts, one now doesn't even bother now with buying on ebay because of forced paypal.
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I think it is possible that there is less to buy at good (very low) prices because sellers have been forced to use PayPal.
I do not sell, and from my point of view I actually like using paypal. However I do think sellers should be given a choice. (For low priced items I pay by DD.)
Compulsory paypal therefore has not stopped me buying, but I have noticed a difference in what is for sale. This is a great pity.
So I admit I am a paypal fan ;D
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I'm happy to admit I'm another PayPal fan ;D
I reckon it's a convenient way to pay. I also use PayPal on non-eBay sites. In fact, I've noticed more and more sites are offering PayPal and I when I'm buying I'll actually search for businesses that accept it.
When I buy low priced things I use DD, but only when I feel absolute trust in the seller. If not, I'll pay with PP and add a bit extra to cover the fees. I occasionally use DD for sellers who prefer it, but only if I've purchased from them before.
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Would You Do More Ebaying if Paypal were Optional ?
No, I couldn't possibly do any more eBaying than what I already am at the moment :)
I thought about not posting my opinion here but everyone keeps telling me to make myself at home and to post so, what the hell... here goes.....
I LOVE paypal! As both a seller and buyer I just love it.
As I buyer I love the protection it offerers me, we buy some pretty $$ items and there is no way in hell I would use bank deposit unless I was very familiar and trusting of the seller. I am also an incredibly unorganised person who leave everything to the last minute, 9/10 times I use BIN, contact the buyer prior to buying to see if I can pay extra for express. So I BIN, pay via paypal and receive it the next day (usually)
I have been buying from a seller in Australia for over 2 years and have been paying via bank deposit for about a year because I thought I could trust her, I placed a large order with her at the start of March, paid via bank deposit and have still not received the items, she has stopped communication so I am now thinking of only paying for everything via paypal.
As a seller I much prefer my buyers paying via paypal. I don't even mind the fee's. I actually think bank deposit cost me more as I actually pay a staff member to chase up payments from buyers who have not left a reference or who have rounded the price up or down.
I also love seller protection with paypal which is something I don't receive when my buyers use bank deposit. We send via eParcel anyway so its not like I have to pay extra for registering each item.
I know paypal isn't for everyone and I know it is horrible for some sellers. BUT for our company its great!
***duck for cover and runs away****
:chair:
Edited: Because I found a cool smiley :-)
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It's great to see that PayPal has its place and might well be chosen by some sellers, and that some buyers prefer it.
That choice - for both buyer and seller - is what I vehemently believe to be the right of the people. Want to use it? Use it. Don't want to? Shouldn't have to.
Healthy differences of opinion are terrific. *monitors Karen's and Tilly's heartbeat and vital signs* Oh no, oh no, their vital signs are destabilising! Fifty cc adrenaline, stat! *wicked grin*
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Couldn't have said it better myself countessa (I forgot to add that bit)! Choice and freedom is something that I vehemently (did you make that word up :-)) believe in too.
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Tilly, I would have made it up if it hadn't already existed. The English language is imbued marrow-deep with fantastic words.
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Would You Do More Ebaying if Paypal were Optional ?
Simple answer? Yes.
Apart from being a buyer, there was a time when I considered selling a lot of unneeded items from around my home, but the PayPal rule put an end to that idea. >:(
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I wonder if eBay/Paypal are playing the waiting game. Do they think if they wait long enough we will give up and come back to sell?
Do they really not want the thousands and thousands of sellers who have stopped selling.
Do they really not want the new accounts that their stats must be showing them should have joined to sell, but have not?
Am I being too simplistic?
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It's great to see that PayPal has its place and might well be chosen by some sellers, and that some buyers prefer it.
That choice - for both buyer and seller - is what I vehemently believe to be the right of the people. Want to use it? Use it. Don't want to? Shouldn't have to.
Healthy differences of opinion are terrific. *monitors Karen's and Tilly's heartbeat and vital signs* Oh no, oh no, their vital signs are destabilising! Fifty cc adrenaline, stat! *wicked grin*
Nail! Head again!! :D . I never minded Paypal at all until it was forced on me. I really resent being treated like some shonk !!
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I think a lot of members feel that way. I too, used it when necessary as a buyer.
I never used it for Australian buyers as a seller and I was never asked would I accept payment this way and I NEVER had a problem or feedback citing slow receipt of goods. I believe compulsary was not about safety for buyers and sellers, it was about more money for eBay/Paypal.
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I think a lot of members feel that way. I too, used it when necessary as a buyer.
I never used it for Australian buyers as a seller and I was never asked would I accept payment this way and I NEVER had a problem or feedback citing slow receipt of goods. I believe compulsary was not about safety for buyers and sellers, it was about more money for eBay/Paypal.
I'm going to run out of nails :D
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I'm a paypal fan also.
I have bought and sold on ebay prior to the introduction of Paypal, as a seller I don't care how I get paid as long as I do get paid. I keep receipts and records of postage etc so feel secure that I can prove I have sent things and usually have many pictures on hand of my items to avoid a SNAD issue.
As a buyer I pay using Paypal 90% of the time. I find it fast, convenient and I feel secure that if something goes wrong I have more chance of resolving any problems than I would if I had paid directly into someones bank account.
hi nova!!
edited to add that I use paypal on lots of other sites now as well and I don't shop as much on eBay as I have in the past. OH checks out amazon and biblioz for 2nd hand books before he checks ebay and I cruise lots of place especially etsy for delightful little trinkets.