posted on July 7, 2001 12:44:05 AM new
Just got off the phone with PayPal, seems that they are averaging the last 3 months of transactions for you to qualify for the 2.2% "merchant" rate as opposed to the 2.9%. I quit using them in December when they started to charge fees, I only came back 2 weeks before they raised their fees and then raised them again.
I have had 1034 verified customers use PayPal to pay me, they don't care, I was one of the first people to sign up for PayPal, they don't care, I have a merchant account in the real world, they don't care, I was in the first group of people that were in the "Red Carpet Club" they don't care. One of the reasons I left them in the first place was because they didn't care, HUGE trend here folks.
The person that I talked with on the phone was really less than helpful, and I have never heard such a string of questions just to know that I was who I said I was just to ask about the merchant verification form. On their email they say that you will also be able to submit your merchant account info or a competitors rate quote to be qualified for the lower rate. As I've said on these boards before my merchant rate is .11 and 1.775% the only reason that I stopped using my merchant account is because of charge backs if you charge the card it's like they never remember you, if they see PayPal on their cc statement I think they at least know they made the charge even if they don't know what for.
Ok the on line form, here is the fun part folks, the form you will have to fill out to qualify for the merchant rate will not go on line until the rate increase does. So PayPal in their usually style will be putting the screws to us yet again making us jump through hoops and dinging us just a little extra until they "qualify" us for the merchant account status.
If PayPal keeps up with fee increases we will probably have to stop using them all together again so we can have a birthday party for my infant daughter, and so I will know that we will be able to afford a place for her to lay her head.
posted on July 7, 2001 05:24:15 AM new
I'm in the same boat as you Airguy.
What I'm wondering is what they will do when everyone submits their cheaper Billpoint rates and wants them to match that? As I've stated before my Billpoint rates are:
Every time I bring up this question in a PayPal thread and direct it towards Damon he ignores it. I've been on ebay 4 years(have a solid, no neg feedback file), been with PayPal since the start. Of course I don't do $1000 in sales each month - Maybe $400-$500 in a good month but I still have used and promoted their service faithfully for the past year and half.
Most of my buyers DON'T even pay by credit card but pay from their PayPal balances or bank transfer! Why am I paying such high fees for a computer system to juggle money between accounts?
Billpoint has worked for me in the past. Yes, they may have some glitches(although I've never been effected by them) but I can't see paying PayPal more money for the same service. Not to mention the fact that PayPal's recent onslaught of bitchy emails about Billpoint is becoming a real turn off. Frankly I think it just makes PayPal look sad and desperate.
Sorry folks, but I think we are all going to find out exactly how much PayPal loves us when that form rolls out July 14th. There will be some reason why the majority of us will have to be excluded from their price matching, lower fees etc.
PayPal Damon, if you read this thread, could you please post and BE HONEST about the odds of PayPal matching my or other's Billpoint rates or accepting someone like me for lower rates? It's very frustrating being mis-lead!
posted on July 7, 2001 05:40:39 AM new
Personally, I plan on downgrading my PayPal account to the freebie and taking the PayPal logo out of my auctions.
If one of my buyers asks about using PayPal after receiving the EOA, then I will tell them they can use PayPal to pay if they are sending existing funds only, not through a credit card.
Of course, I'll have to return my PayPal debit card.
posted on July 7, 2001 09:56:37 AM new
I've been with PayPal over a year. I have never had any kind of problem with them. They even called me to check and see if I was satisfied. The person that called was very helpful with a couple of questions I had. Not problems just questions.
We will be matching competitive offers (if the user can provide proof) and we will also be using feedback in qualifying users for the merchant rate.
As a reminder, users that are PayPal Preferred do earn cashback when using their debit cards. We also offer Seller Protection, which can protect the user from chargebacks (provided they follow the guidelines of the program).
I will pass along all concerns through Product about the merchant rate qualifications.
posted on July 7, 2001 12:12:03 PM newpaypaldamon
so paypal will match my .11 and 1.775 that i have on my merchant account? or will they just give me the .30 and the 2.2
posted on July 7, 2001 02:25:19 PM new
Bumping up again and also wanting an answer to Airguy's question too!
As for Debt cards - I don't use mine, have never activated it and don't intend to. So basically, PayPal isn't giving ME any incentive for using their debit card because I don't.
As I have stated, most of my transactions are under $10-$15 - most are never paid for with credit cards but rather balance transfers etc due to the low dollar amount. I'm not so much using PayPal for credit card purchases but rather a quick way to shuffle money from the customer's account to mine.
I'm being a legit PayPal user by having a Premier account(as was requested of sellers) when I could technically lie about what I do and use a Personal Account!
And Seller Protection is NOT what sold me on PayPal - Remember? I signed up when there was NONE!
posted on July 7, 2001 04:11:34 PM newpaypaldamon: Is PayPal willing to match the 0% that PayDirect charges? Or the 1% that c2it charges?
The email I received stated "Alternately, you may apply for the Merchant Rate if you can provide proof of a competitive offer from an established merchant services provider."
Now I am seeing "We will be matching competitive offers (if the user can provide proof)"
Which is it? Are you "Matching" or just letting people change to a Merchant account?
posted on July 7, 2001 04:53:05 PM new
I love my debit card. I sell a lot on ebay and always have some money handy in my PayPal account. I hate credit cards but my PayPal debit card is like being able to write a check anywhere without the hassle of ID. I use PayPal because it seems to be the most popular right now and I want to please as many customers as I can.
posted on July 7, 2001 09:33:01 PM newWe will be matching competitive offers (if the user can provide proof)...
With the understanding that PayPal did not develop it (only copy it), this has to be one of the lamest marketing gimmicks ever conceived.
If you go to the trouble to look for a better deal elsewhere, and PayPal deigns to accept your "proof", they will match the offer. Not beat it, mind you- match it.
Why, on God's green earth, would people want to jump through whatever assorted hoops PayPal sets up (probably something as involved as the requirements to get the free $5 sign-up bonus), just to get a rate they already know they can get elsewhere?
Maybe PayPal's stellar customer service is the draw...
posted on July 7, 2001 10:53:16 PM new
My suggestion for sellers is to GIVE UP on paypal.com and get a merchant account. It is very easy to get a merchant account for online transactions nowadays. It might cost, but what is the cost when paypal.com screws up? Locks the account? Raises fees even higher? Chargebacks WITHOUT confirmation or questions?
Speaking of which, two more sellers I know have had their accounts locked. They are honest sellers, selling typical things via serveral auction sites. Paypal.com locked their accounts and will not respond to them WHY. That's right. No e-mail at ALL from paypal.com notifying them WHO, WHAT, WHERE, or WHY. They wrote to [email protected], and guess what? No response two weeks later. I have known them awhile and know for a fact (since they have also been selling for years online) that nothing is their fault.
Paypal.com can do that, and DOES it. These sellers lost around $2200.00 that was in their accounts. Paypal.com does not have to return ANY funds. Since most of their sales are $10-$20 items, you are talking about losing TONS of sales to paypal.com. Things like that put the little guys out of business. I guess when paypal.com needs to make a few extra bucks, it just TAKES it.
Myself, I will stick with my merchant account. I have a lower rate, better service, and chargebacks are handled MUCH MUCH better. For one, you get to respond to the merchant service with documentation. Two, you can actually TALK to someone.
So TOSS paypal.com, and billpoint. Go direct services and use a secure webpage or take credit cards on the phone.
posted on July 8, 2001 06:41:00 PM new
[QUOTE], two more sellers I know have had their accounts locked. They are honest sellers, selling typical things via serveral auction sites. Paypal.com locked their accounts and will not respond to them WHY. That's right. No e-mail at ALL from paypal.com notifying them WHO, WHAT, WHERE, or WHY. They wrote to [email protected], and guess what? No response two weeks later. I have known them awhile and know for a fact (since they have also been selling for years online) that nothing is their fault.
[/QUOTE]
You know, this has been going on for at least a year. So has their lousy customer service. So has their lies and ::wink, wink, nod, nod:: style of communicating with customers. For the life of me I don't understand why people stay with PayPal. Sure it's convenient -- I used to love it myself for that very reason. But remember when they first foisted that atrocious PR-flop of an upgrade screen on users? About a year ago now. That came soom after their "free forever" fell apart before our very eyes. Those two things were ALMOST enough to make me leave. But when I kept reading about the kinds of situations you're talking about, where perfectly innocent people were getting locked out of their accounts and funds, I quit completely.
At the very least, never EVER leave any more in the account than you're willing to lose. You just have NO CONTROL over either PayPal or people who are fraudulent buyrs or sellers.
posted on July 8, 2001 09:49:49 PM new
Actually, my concern and I think eventually someone will file a civil suit for it, is how paypal.com wants to be a BANK. Everything they do, they want you to keep the money IN your paypal.com account, even though its NOT INSURED, they sure make it sound that way. Very deceptive.
Their TOS has SO MANY outs for them, and very few rights for the account holders. How they can, at a whim or without any proof, lock or restrict an account. A bank cannot do that, without good reason and proof and you always have a recourse against a bank.
Paypal.com has a nice niche. They can pretend to be a bank, do nice things like a bank like a debit card, and get you to keep your money with them. Then just seize your money. Even the bill of rights has seizure covered, and paypal.com doesn't care.
I think any company the size or scope of ebay, paypal, etc. should have live customer service or a means of appealling anything. None do. B&M you could just WALK in and scream and shout.
posted on July 9, 2001 08:18:58 AM newSpeaking of which, two more sellers I know have had their accounts locked. They are honest sellers, selling typical things via serveral auction sites. Paypal.com locked their accounts and will not respond to them WHY. That's right. No e-mail at ALL from paypal.com notifying them WHO, WHAT, WHERE, or WHY. They wrote to [email protected], and guess what? No response two weeks later. I have known them awhile and know for a fact (since they have also been selling for years online) that nothing is their fault.
So we are offered, as evicence, two second hand stories which have conveniently left out the inconvenient half. Some people do in fact find such evidence convincing.
The problem is, when we look closer, the inconvenient half always turns out to be the interesting part.
It turns out that the locked account wasn't locked at all.
It turns out that the account holder had violated the terms of use.
It turns out that the account holder's bank had been reporting unauthorized accesses to PayPal.
It turns out that the account holder was accesssing the account from some foreign country.
That kind of stuff.
NEVER does it turn out that there simply was no reason. There is always a reason which makes perfect sense to anyone in the payment industry.
posted on July 10, 2001 12:19:25 AM new
guess paypaldamon isn't going to answer anymore questions in this thread, looks to me like he stuck his foot in it when he said that they would match the other companies and now he is afraid to show himself over here again...........
Notice that in other threads paypaldamon will not address the issue of "Matching other offers" when it comes to PayDirect (which charges nothing) and c2it (which charges 1%).
paypaldamon posts:
(C2it is not a matching service because they charge the buyer. Billpoint, and other services like it, would be considered on the same field as we are.Paydirect does not have the same functionality, so I don't believe it is being considered---they don't offer charge backs to their users and lack seller protection).
posted on July 12, 2001 03:46:31 PM new
from PayPals policy update board
Effective July 14, 2001, all Premier and Business Accounts will be assessed either the Standard Rate of 2.9% + 30¢ or the Merchant Rate of 2.2% + 30¢ for receiving payments. New members and members with low sales volume will be assessed the Standard Rate. Members in good standing who have been with PayPal for at least three months and have received an average of over $1,000 per month will pre-qualify for the Merchant Rate. Members with a proven online sales track record or a competitive offer from an established merchant services provider may apply for the Merchant Rate. An online application will be provided on our website when the tiered pricing takes effect.
well I just downloaded and checked all my info at PayPal
1) I have been with PayPal from the beginning so I meet the 3 month rule above
2) from 06/12 to today I'm at 2483.00 in one month well over the 1000.00 they require
3) proven sales record 2400+ I guess is not enough
4) they just told me on the phone that the form we will have to fill out should be on line in the next few weeks
One of their new toys is not working the verified people that you've sold to counter is not updating or I've only sold to 1 verified person in the last 5 days NOT.
Well folks it's been a bumpy ride and it's time to get off. Good luck to everyone that carries the PayPal pom poms, and if they change their ways or give me the merchant rates that I clearly qualify for I may come back. I hope everyone's auctions are getting bids and if so your keeping as much of YOUR money as you can.
Off to change my payment options in my auctions and check into signing up for billpoint, c2it, etc, one good thing is I host the PayPal verified logo myself so all I have to do is change it to whatever and I'm done.
