posted on January 20, 2001 07:40:45 PM
I don't advertise Paypal, but do accept it at request.
Had a customer pay for an item this morning ($150+), and this was part of the confirmation email:
Note: The sender did not include a credit card billing address with the payment. This transaction is pending until you choose to accept or deny the payment. To log into your PayPal account and accept or deny this payment, please go to ...
This is befuddling. Isn't it SOP to require a credit card billing address for any credit card payment, with any company, that isn't made face to face? How else do they verify that the billing addy matches the shipping addy? Isn't allowing this just asking for trouble?
[ edited by Julesy on Jan 20, 2001 07:41 PM ]
posted on January 20, 2001 07:57:39 PM
This is a new feature of PayPal's which allows sellers to reject questionable payments, if they choose. Prior to this, by the time you realized you had a questionable payment, the money was already in your account, and you faced the dreaded account-freezing by PayPal.
Some buyers don't want to put their billing address with the payment. Some want it delivered to a different address than they use on the credit card-- and most of them are legit.
Do this. Check the buyer's feedback. If that's established and OK, and there isn't any tomfoolery from Romania or any of the other countries on the questionable list, just go into your account and click "accept." It should be OK.
Or if you're a real nervous nellie, just set your preferences so a buyer cannot pay unless the shipment address matches the billing address. But you're gonna end up with some real unhappy legit bidders, who for one reason or another, use a different address for the CC payments than deliveries (think business addresses, PO Boxes, recently moved, etc.)
posted on January 20, 2001 08:06:12 PM
Listen to this:
I had a buyer pay with a credit card through PayPal last week. No address on the confirming e-mail. Bidder then e-mailed me from another e-mail address with the address he wanted the item shipped to. I CALLED PayPal and asked for the credit card billing address and they said they coudn't give it to me!! They acted like I was nosey and that it was private information! I informed THEM that their new TOS required the seller to ship ONLY to the credit card billing address or else they are subject to chargebacks. Still wouldn't give it to me.
I finally gave them the address he gave me and asked (begged, actually) if they would please tell me if THAT was the address he gave them. Well, it wasn't. Turns out to be a bogus account funded with a stolen credit card. I could have shipped out and said good-bye to my $150+ item AND the money.
Apparently, they don't verify the card and billing address and they sure don't provide ME with the tools I need to prevent fraud.
posted on January 20, 2001 08:06:32 PM
There are legitimate reasons for a buyer wanting an item shipped to a different address. There are also illegitimate reasons. If buyer does a charge back and you shipped to a different address, YOU lose, period! So I would tell the buyer if he wants to do this, he must pay from a non credit card source. Because of paypal's record of freezing accounts whenever a buyer charges back, I make all unknown buyers pay from non credit card. If they want to use a credit card, I recommend the reliable service of Westen Union's Moneyzap, currently free. For more info see Payment service ratings
posted on January 20, 2001 08:14:37 PM
The zero feedback would clinch it for me. I would ask for another form of payment. Sometimes it is better to be safe than sorry.
When you add up the facts, that would deter me from accepting the payment through Paypal.
posted on January 20, 2001 08:21:37 PM
I did send her a "feeler" email this afternoon:
Thanks for your payment via Paypal. I wanted to ask though, and please dont' take any offense...the payment I received said there was no credit card billing address to match up to the mailing address, which is usually done to protect the credit card holder and the seller. Is there a reason that the billing address wasn't provided? Since I have a business account, I don't know all the in's and out's of making personal payments, so if you could offer any insight, I'd appreciate it.
I'm hoping she offers a legitimate reason. If not, I will decline the payment.
posted on January 20, 2001 08:24:56 PM
As a seller you have a judgement call to make. You can refuse, or you can contact the buyer and if you are comfortable you can accept.
If you will click on 'unclaimed' you can look to see how the funds were paid. Do you know for a fact the buyer is using a credit card? Click on 'unclaimed' and look at the bottom where it will give information on the source of the funds. The buyer may not even have a credit card.
edited to add
I just checked one of my "You got cash" emails that informs "The sender did not include a credit card billing address with the payment" when I clicked on "unclaimed" I saw all the details of the transaction, it had been paid via "non credit card funds" for all I know the buyer doesn't have a credit card. I saw he was verified, that was good enough for me.
posted on January 20, 2001 09:22:42 PM
Most likely is she is paying you with funds that someone paid her. Since she's unverified she would be unable to fund her PayPal account with funds from her bank.
At least you know she isn't using a credit card. If you want to investigate further another thing you could do is go through the motions of sending here 1 cent, when you get to the 'send screen' you can click on the "unverified member" or what ever and find out how long she has had an account.
You know already that no credit card is involved which explains why there is no "verified address".
posted on January 20, 2001 10:11:24 PM
Knowing that the buyer has a premier account since 12/5/00, and it paying via non credit card funds, I'd accept it.
