"Discreet" PayPal

fat tom · #1 03-07-2009, 05:56 AM

What the hell does that mean? I see sellers requesting this form of payment.

f.t.

fat tom · #2 03-07-2009, 05:56 AM

What the hell does that mean? I see sellers requesting this form of payment.

f.t.

G-Mac · #3 03-07-2009, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by fat tom:
What the hell does that mean? I see sellers requesting this form of payment.

f.t.

PayPal doesn't like us gun afficionados using their service for gun-related commerce.

So..."discreet" PayPal means don't mention guns, mags, ammo, etc.

I don't know this from personal experience, but I've read that they can freeze your account if you don't use it per their guidelines.

handejector · #4 03-07-2009, 06:04 AM

Paypal is very anti-gun. They do not allow gun transactions.
So, people are talking about taking payment via Paypal without mentioning "gun".
If discovered, Paypal FREEZES the account, and the funds, for months, and then permanently closes the account.
I do NOT recommend doing this. The payer will also lose any recourse through Paypal, for whatever that is worth.

fat tom · #5 03-07-2009, 06:09 AM

Thanks gentlemen.
f.t.

Faulkner · #6 03-07-2009, 06:30 AM

I've done it a number of times. Just bought a handgun magazine from GunBroker.com and paid via 'discreet' paypal. I kinda like it sticking it up their nose.

Andy Griffith · #7 03-07-2009, 06:40 AM

But...ebay makes 3% I believe on both sides of the product (buyer/seller) and they know you had a transaction.

I really don't want them making money off of me, or having record of what I bought.

Most discreet way- pay cash.

handejector · #8 03-07-2009, 07:05 AM

Quote:

I kinda like it sticking it up their nose.

Quote:

But...ebay makes 3% I believe on both sides of the product (buyer/seller)

Paypal makes 3%, plus 35 cents or so per transaction, off the seller ONLY.
Yeah, that is really sticking it up their nose...

Andy Griffith · #9 03-07-2009, 07:09 AM

Shows you how much business I do with ebay.
None.

Andy Taylor · #10 03-07-2009, 07:23 AM

I refuse to use paypal. If a seller requires it, I don't buy from them, that simple.

oldfella · #11 03-07-2009, 07:32 AM

I recently told couple of sellers (retailers)wanting payment through PP that I do not do PayPal, they decided to accept my personal check instead of losing my business. These days, because of the downturn in the economy, the buyer has the upper hand, for a change.

Pete

Rugskipper · #12 03-07-2009, 08:11 AM

Can you buy ANYTHING on ebay without using Paypal anymore? Used to be we had payment options, but I never see those anymore.

deadin · #13 03-07-2009, 08:13 AM

I just sold a metal detector via ebay. I haven’t used them for awhile and they’ve changed the rules since my last time.
You now cannot list money orders or checks as a payment method. (They apparently scan your verbiage and error it if there is any mention of checks or MO’s.)
Now the accepted payments are only via PayPal, ProPay, Moneybrokers, , Paymate or Credit Card via a merchant account. They do admit they a seller can accept a check on upon pickup. Just no mailing. There are exceptions by category. All are high dollar categories like ebay Motors, etc.
So now they not only get their 3% sellers fee, they gat another 3% for PayPal handling the money transfer.

I wouldn’t use them except they are the 500 lb. gorilla when it comes to selling items. (My detector sold on a Saturday, had money in my propay account instantly and had it in my bank account by Wed. I pulled it out of the special checking account that I use to receive funds and into my regular account the same day. I use a special account so I can empty it immediately to keep any EFT money from being reversed if there is a problem.)

oldfella · #14 03-07-2009, 08:29 AM

You can negotiate payment options with the seller direct via their "ask the seller" message form - I've done that.

Pete

deadin · #15 03-07-2009, 08:43 AM

Pete,
Since they've started "scanning" the description section, I would expect they will soon start "scanning" the "ask the seller" form. Any mention of "Check" or "Money Order" or any other forbidden subjects will set off bells and Mother EBay will chastise the miscreants.

Andy Taylor · #16 03-07-2009, 08:54 AM

One word:
Craigslist

sipowicz · #17 03-07-2009, 09:13 AM

I use paypal discreet for all my hookers. It shows up on my statement as "plumbing repair."

bk43 · #18 03-07-2009, 09:38 AM

They recently announced an "improvement" for knives listed on eBay. PayPal will be the only approved payment method for the category to make transactions safer and easier for all involved.

Of course that fact that they don't make anything extra off USPS MO's and cash had nothing to do with this "improvement".

Bob

reddogge · #19 03-07-2009, 09:45 AM

One issue I have with Craig's List is I don't want some of the lowlifes and dirtbags coming to my home to buy something. If I make arrangements to meet them at a public place I wait and they don't show up.

Maybe someone has had better luck with it.

cudamank · #20 03-07-2009, 10:54 AM

+1 on craigslist. I have gone to peoples house, and had people come here, all depends on what you are selling. Although on occasion I have met at a different location.

IRON LEG · #21 03-07-2009, 03:27 PM

I beleive P Pal, and E bay are one. Anybody know for sure? I refuse to use them. And I shy away from Craigslist, libel to wind up on some Escort list by mistake!

bk43 · #22 03-07-2009, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by IRON LEG:
I beleive P Pal, and E bay are one. Anybody know for sure? I refuse to use them.

They are. I would not use them but I collect knives and other than a couple big shows eBay is where all the action is. Darn near impossible to avoid them for the higher end knives.

Bob

m1gunner · #23 03-07-2009, 06:28 PM

I have uses paypal oftn. Everytime someone wants "discreet paypal" I list "ar15 gun" in the title section. Works every time

ThirtyAcres · #24 03-07-2009, 07:43 PM

Ebay owns 25 per cent of Craigs List.

shovelwrench · #25 03-07-2009, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ThirtyAcres:
Ebay owns 25 per cent of Craigs List.

I find that hard to beleive......

Any way, I've bought handguns, and mags through Paypal through their "discreet" program.

I'm glad they were smart enough to put this in place for us

ThirtyAcres · #26 03-07-2009, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by shovelwrench:

Quote:

Originally posted by ThirtyAcres:
Ebay owns 25 per cent of Craigs List.

I find that hard to beleive......

----------------------------------------------
Read the last question at the bottom of the page......................................

http://www.craigslist.org/about/factsheet

lcdrdanr · #27 03-08-2009, 08:41 AM

I have had an E-Bay listing terminated by E-Bay because I stated in the ad that I would accept cash. It was actually in a little bit of tongue in cheek about "I don't accept trades, swaps, indian blankets, Rolex watches, jams, jellies or knot headed kids, only negotiable funds, cash, personal checks or money orders in addition to the required PayPal."
They didn't comment on the checks or money orders statement, just that accepting cash for a sale was against E-Bay policies and the auction was terminated.
I also once had an auction terminated because I indicated that I would accept PayPal only if the buyer paid the fees, i.e. 30 cents per transaction plus 3% of the total. (I once sold some brass (years ago) and wound up paying 30 or 40 cents out of my own pocket for the privilege of selling the stuff. E-Bay said I couldn't charge customers for using PayPal since it "made it too difficult for the winner to figure out the actual cost ??!!" Like their bidders are too stupid to calculate a 3% charge ??!!!
Their rules, their ball game and like others, I have an account set aside with virtually no money in it specifically to transfer to and from with PayPal.

Dan R

ElToro · #28 03-08-2009, 10:36 AM

ebay does in fact own a percentage of Craigslist, it was a big deal a fe wyears ago up here in nor cal when that went down.

ebay also owns paypal. i refuse to open a paypal account due to their anti gun stance. i have bluntly ( but nicely) told every seller who requests it that i will not do pay pal and will gladly wait 10+ days for my personal check to clear before they ship. never lost a purchase yet. in fact most people in the gun community ship upon receipt of getting a check and i have had small dollar items receievd from cross country before my check even clears.

to save costs, i try to sell on a specific forum ( S&W, ruger, Calguns etc.) get a better garget audience that way.

m657 · #29 03-08-2009, 02:01 PM

Personally I refuse to use Paypal and I fired ebay years ago.