posted on October 9, 2000 09:57:02 PM new
Well as “D” day err “P” day approaches for paypal. I’ve definitely mixed emotions about it and the never-ending changes being made. No more referral money for the personal accounts! (Any odds for how long before it ends completely?) Just looked tonight and saw the notification that there will be a $1.50 charge for mailing a check to you (which has been the method I was using…the float lasted even longer for paypal this way!!)
Honestly “big bucks” are made on the “float” by large banks every day and night on the moneys of others! So when I signed up months ago, I said (to myself) this is my first post …what a GREAT idea OF COURSE it can be offered without fees because of the FLOAT!
What hurt them besides any behind the scene merger issues with x.com say…are the “charge backs”. They were no doubt receiving by their old system with the right of a credit card holders to dispute a charge and the issuing bank charge the transaction back in this case to paypal. That’s why Sellers were needing to increase cost with confirmed delivery or insured shipping when paypal is used. Granted the buyer paid that with their shipping cost but it eliminated a less expensive method of shipping via “book rate” or parcel post.
How PayDirect operates to use as a “we’ll hold your money and you tell us who, when, and how much to pay will bypass this dilemma. As we know with online auctions, same as with selling anywhere else, these cost are passed along in a higher price for items across the board…since you are not sure if a buyer (when you DO have one) will be using it or not. And with higher prices come even less interest and so it goes!
Certainly would have preferred them trying a limit of withdrawals (electronic or manual) per…. and a maintain a balance of … and even giving up the $5 referrals BEFORE IMPOSING FEES. I suggest they would have made more money!
Even similar to when I give cost of various shipping methods, optional insurance, etc. in my email for buyer to select include “add $ amount for using paypal with this transaction.”
Though it is ludicrous to think buyers will continue to hop from one service to another, whatever suggestions to induce PayDirect particularly by Yahoo! Auctions Sellers to help increase the use seems at present to be the best thing we can and should do.
posted on October 10, 2000 05:55:30 AM new
>>Just looked tonight and saw the notification that there will be a $1.50
charge for mailing a check to you >>
posted on October 10, 2000 07:58:07 AM new
Hey VeryModern
On your account page at paypal,there's a "What's New" in left hand corner. Click on
Policy Changes and you will see
Postage and Handling Fee for Check Withdrawals
Entry Date: October 9, 2000 Effective Date: October 16, 2000 In order to
encourage our customers to withdraw funds by electronic transfer rather
than by check, as of Monday, October 16, there will be a $1.50 postage and
handling fee on check withdrawals. There is no fee for electronic transfer,
which usually requires only 3-4 days to complete (compared to 1-2 weeks for
check withdrawals).
I've found reading message threads of yours to be very informative and wanted your input on my post.
posted on October 10, 2000 09:31:27 AM new
LADELE - thanks for the compliment.
I closed my account with paypal, I thought it was akin to folding a bad hand at a poker table. I am amazed at how FREE has turned into you have to pay to..
...well, lets just say Paypal has installed pay toilets.
I can tell you one thing for sure. Since closing my acct, the drop is the stress over all this has been dramatic. I am investing in Paydirect now because for many and every reason I think they are the service most likely to continue to meet the needs of auction buyers and sellers at no or low charge. Time'll tell on that note I guess.
For the record, I think what hurt paypal most was paypal itself and their not bothering to establish credibility. It is the oddest thing. I leave a balance in my Paydirect account *already*, when I never did with Paypal for all those months. Bottom line is that I trust Yahoo not to cut and run, and that means everything.
Thanks for the info on the check thing. Nauseating as the information is.
posted on October 10, 2000 09:22:12 PM new
As usual, I agree with VeryModern. I too maintain a balance in my PayDirect account because I think it's the best of the 3rd party payment services available (wish more sellers would accept it so I had somewhere to spend my balance though ). As far as PayPal goes, I never opened an account & doubt that I ever will.
posted on October 11, 2000 01:47:32 AM new
Well, as a seller on both eBay and Yahoo, I accept both PayPal and PayDirect, plus we have our own merchant account for those who do not like to charge on line or those who wish to use American Express.
Well, we do take BillPoint too, but in 9 months we have had 1 charge to BillPoint, so I don't even count it. I don't advertise we take BillPoint because it is one system I am going to close, it is just a pain to mess with and no one uses it anyway.
At present 94% of our charge customers use PayPal, 5.5% call us direct to charge, and less than 1% use PayDirect.
We upgraded with PayPal because we are happy with the service. Personally, I don't care who a customer charges through, but I certainly won't cut off my nose to spite my face and for us that is what we would be doing if we closed our PayPal account.
posted on October 11, 2000 10:28:13 AM new
Well naturally I see the differing points of view and that what makes this a good forum for discussion. I really hate choosing to discontinue use of paypal, but they’ve gotten to their present size by auctions offering their service, as I see it, and PayDirect can too.
Once paypal made their **latest** decision to charge for manual checks put the nail in the preverbal coffin for me. <**not checking hourly to see if it is the latest!!! LOL>(wish someone would tell me how to add those various smile icons!)
They NEED your bank account to CHARGEBACK any Buyer who refuses the charge on their credit card. The Buyer’s credit card company charges a disputed transaction back to the merchant (in this case paypal) who then gets the money from YOUR BANK ACCOUNT.
I’ve read messages on various boards that have indicated even having a delivery confirmation is not good enough since it is not signed by recipient and therefore is not PROOF. I guess neither is UPS if it leaves package at the door because you have not requested a signature (additional $2.00). Or maybe the Buyer is unhappy with the item and doesn’t like your “as is” policy, misread something in description of auction about the merchandise, whatever it may be but they are PROTECTED through their CC company
Either those of us who are now refusing to accept paypal will indeed be left in the dust or will see the “unfounded” fears come to reality.
posted on October 11, 2000 03:09:26 PM new
I am personally shaking the PayPal dust from my feet and moving on down the road.
PayPal did indeed take money out of my account without my permission in February and in June they finally replaced it.
Damon asked for my information and proof which he has. The most I have gotten out of him is that if the rare scenario of a glitch happens they will rectify it.
They did rectify it. It took a lot of work on my part. I was not upset about it until I saw a post by Damon that he had never seen a problem that didn't turn out to be the fault of the owner of the account.
I have heard enough "spin" in the last 8 years from the white house and I am just too tired of listening to it and am not inclined to listen to it from people who should have said, Yep, it was our mistake and we are taking steps to safeguard that this does not happen again. But no, I get "spin".
Everyone must do what they feel is right for them. But now PayPal is going to have to prove to me that they can grow up and act like a real responsible company.
Tired of "spin" and heading down the road to "straight" places.
posted on October 11, 2000 09:13:08 PM new
First thanks for icon threads
Now to the auction business!
I’ve updated (using the edit command) all my auctions for PayDirect as my ONLY credit card source a very tedious chore making me a bit nuts
Also I've indicated on emails and will for next couple of days on any successful closes that I will accept paypal till 10/15 so I have an opportunity to withdrawal (by manual check request) before the $1.50 charge is imposed.
I’ve also indicated my reason. “…though paypal does not charge buyers…sellers will be charged for their services. If I wanted to pay for such services, these charges would need to be passed on in a higher auction cost to bidders…”
I will then revamp my confirmation email to bidders with only PayDirect after 10/15. Should I receive an email about using paypal, I can decide to accept and then use that money to buy another auction say. But I doubt if I will be doing much of this especially if the Seller offers PayDirect!
Sellers, like me, choosing to discontinue paypal will have some pain and sales may suffer just during a time many of us were hoping for a turnaround from the stagnant sales over recent months.
But the only one I want to have access to the MONEY in MY BANK ACCOUNT is ME!
posted on October 12, 2000 01:52:43 AM new
I'm really afraid of losing business if I close my PayPal account ENTIRELY, since it's become the auction payment "method of choice" for SO MANY buyers.
I'd already removed their logo from my listings a few weeks ago. Now I'm taking out PayPal cc references and putting "bank transfers and account payments through PayPal" in my auctions as I relist. That's in my EOA email now, too, along with "no credit card payments through PayPal".
Since buyers so BADLY read my "terms" now, I KNOW there will still be some who send PayPal CC payments....at least until the $500 limit is used up. Hopefully by then PayDirect will be more popular.
PayPal's new policy that "must be signed for" methods are the only Proof of Delivery leaves the seller wide open for chargebacks by dishonest buyers. Proof of Delivery was a concern of mine a few months ago (especially since I went to SimplyPostage and U-Pic to eliminate waiting in Post Office lines), but Damon never really answered the question (as usual). I guess we have the answer now, and it's not the one I wanted to hear.
I have 14 referrals in the "pending" stage, dating as far back as February, that were never credited to me---and never will be. I've concluded, after reading all the posts about money being withdrawn from bank accounts without permission, that these people who never "verified" their accounts, were *wiser* than the rest of us.
It's time to remove the PayPal link to my regular bank account and withdraw all but $100 from my X.com account. That way they can't ever help themselves to more than $100.
I shake my head in disbelief that yet another internet company, starting with such a *brilliant* idea and watching it catch on like wildfire, could turn around a screw it up so profoundly---as VM so eloquently said, "...well, lets just say Paypal has installed pay toilets."
posted on October 12, 2000 02:01:13 AM new
Stated in PayPal's Terms of Use:
"Buyer Protection Guarantee....This policy does not apply to disputes about the quality or attributes of delivered goods or to goods lost in the mail."
posted on October 12, 2000 05:38:37 PM new
labbie - my VeryModernMail has been broken for days (if anyone is waiting to hear from someone at Bigfoot - well chances are good your mail is in a some holding tank) and so I am out of the loop.
Report that sales are good though and paydirect is really catching on.
posted on October 12, 2000 06:04:08 PM new
nah, I don't use VeryModern for auctions, but I'm not getting EOA's either. That's just normal broken Yahoo. I started using Auctiontamer so it does not cause grief anymore.
posted on October 13, 2000 06:24:09 AM new
So what does that leave for them to protect?
Labbie1
----
Very good point!
What would be better (and more interesting)
in their policy statement is how they handle charge backs issued from credit card companies.
And by the way...Yahoo! I’ve received my FIRST PayDirect payment for an auction after only signing up about three days ago! I found it easy to use.
Had another buyer stating they signed up for it but couldn’t get it to work to send my payment and if I would take a paypal payment. She uses webTV and thought that was the reason for the difficulty. Since it was before the 10/16 “D” Day of paypal, I said that would be okay.
I have now added in my confirmation letter to buyer…“For your convenience, I can have a PayDirect payment form sent to you if you wish.” I also mention the service is fast, free, and secure and if not currently signed up to use, here’s a link:
http://paydirect.yahoo.com/
***fast, free, and secure *** Wonder where have I heard that before?
posted on October 14, 2000 05:26:48 PM new
MM.mmmm another one bites the dust,huh? That is world marketing practise - offer it free for so long, get the % of users you think you can afford to lose if you charge them -- and stay with the 'big ticket' people who are writing off the charge as a business expense. It happens all the time - it just hurts small sellers like me!
Paypal doesn't need us or they wouldnt do this - (I think)
Does anyone have a feel how MUCH Yahoo will charge in the near future, cuz they will, you know -- and we need to know how PDirect will or won't handle charge-backs??
Anyone know?? I've tried 3 times to get PD and still can't complete the whole application without it coming back to the Wallet and keeps asking me to apply for the %#@&* wallet (not mad, just being silly!)
posted on October 14, 2000 05:45:38 PM new
ioughta -
I don't know if, when, or how much Yahoo will charge, but if they do, they will at least be honest and fair about it. Also, PayDirect works in conjuction with Yahoo Wallet, as many of Yahoo's services do, so you have to sign up for the wallet in order to sign up for PayDirect.
posted on October 19, 2000 02:13:25 PM new
I previously posted here:
.....<I>
"On your account page at paypal,there's a "What's New" in left hand corner. Click on
Policy Changes and you will see
Postage and Handling Fee for Check Withdrawals
Entry Date: October 9, 2000 Effective Date: October 16, 2000 In order to
encourage our customers to withdraw funds by electronic transfer rather
than by check, as of Monday, October 16, there will be a $1.50 postage and
handling fee on check withdrawals. There is no fee for electronic transfer,
which usually requires only 3-4 days to complete (compared to 1-2 weeks for
check withdrawals).
</I>
Yesterday, I notice it was gone...no where to be found...so is there a charge or not?
I sent paypal an email and was informed by an email a few hours later they changed their minds. Oh I guess I was suppose to feel some cosmic vibe about it because the change to their original post is not mentioned anywhere on their site.
So since I had posted it here, I wanted to let all know of their change.
Now if they would see the other errors of their ways!
). As far as PayPal goes, I never opened an account & doubt that I ever will.
