Best way to pay with out paypal

Crowtalks said:

I am also a follower of Christ, but refusing to add specific details in the description of a Paypal transaction is not being dishonest (if I misconstrued your post in this thread, I apologize).

I am getting ready to travel to Africa to help lay block for a church and I won't wear clothing that specifically tells everyone that I'm American, for there are still many in the world that hate us. That also is not being dishonest, rather just choosing to not advertise to an adverse audience.

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I think you may stick out for reasons other than clothing? Too bad there weren't any projects in the Appalachians!

QuinnTheEskimo said:

My personal opinion is that, as a buyer, there is nothing protecting you and there is always some chance you’ll lose.
I try and only buy from people who’ve been around awhile and try and message them enough to get some sense of who they are. After that, if I’m comfortable with them I generally send cash overnight. I haven’t been wrong yet but I’ve walked away from a few deals.

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The option that provides buyers the very best chance not to lose is a credit card. The protection that is offered by major credit card companies is far superior to PayPal and the runaround they give you when you make a claim.

Several years ago I purchased a small $40 item and paid using PayPal (which then gets charged to my credit card). The seller sent a tracked package containing a 50 cent key chain and nothing else, and was totally unresponsive to any inquiry. When I made a claim through PayPal they took over 6 months to “investigate” and found for the seller because they had sent a tracked package to my address. It didn’t seem to matter to them that I had photographed the package with the tracking number showing the contents was not what was ordered. As far as PayPal was concerned, after their prolonged half year investigation, I got a package from the seller so I was lying and had to pay.

I ended up having to go to the CC company and contest the PayPal charge. The CC company looked at my evidence and the correspondence with both PayPal and the seller and in less than 10 days found I was right and removed the PayPal charge.

I did get a letter from PayPal telling me that in the future I should contact them first to resolve any dispute instead of my CC company ( which of course I had, but they didn’t seem to know it, or perhaps just pretended not to?). Other than that nothing further was said by PayPal. My account is still active.

I still use PayPal for very small transactions but avoid them for anything over $50. If a seller doesn’t take a CC I usually pass. Some sellers charge a fee to use the card which I weigh when deciding to purchase. I pass on those sales more often than not, but if it’s something I really want I look upon that fee as paying for protection to actually get what I’m paying for.

Over the years I have only had a dozen or so problems with CC’s. Since I keep good documentation on things I buy, I have never had a problem resolving any dispute over charges with them. As far as I am concerned a CC (NOT a Debit Card) is the safest for a buyer.

My check or a credit card only. Otherwise no sale. I am perfectly content if you wait for my check to clear before shipping.

Sending a money order has the same risk as sending currency. If it disappears, or if the seller is a scammer you are out the money with a miniscule chance of recovery. My credit card issuers want to be my friend. And my bank will furnish as many copies of my cancelled check as I want. Copies which would be sent to the police in a scammer's town.

Last year the Discover credit card people called to ask if I was trying to buy a piano in San Francisco with my card. Told them I was in Lancaster, PA and do not play the piano. I got a new account immediately with a new card the next day via FedEx.

SOLANCO said:

My check or a credit card only. Otherwise no sale. I am perfectly content if you wait for my check to clear before shipping.

Sending a money order has the same risk as sending currency. If it disappears, or if the seller is a scammer you are out the money with a miniscule chance of recovery. My credit card issuers want to be my friend. And my bank will furnish as many copies of my cancelled check as I want.

Last year the Discover credit card people called to ask if I was trying to buy a piano in San Francisco with my card. Told them I was in Lancaster, PA and do not play the piano. I got a new account immediately with a new card the next day via FedEx.

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LOL, I had a similart thing happen, Card company called and asked me if I was taking a trip to Peru? I said , NO , should I? LOL,LOL, card immediately cancelled reissued over night.!

SOLANCO said:

My check or a credit card only. Otherwise no sale. I am perfectly content if you wait for my check to clear before shipping.

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Sending a personal check is essentially the same as cash or a PO money order. Once it’s cashed, the money is gone and so is the buyers protection if a seller is unscrupulous. Only a Credit Card gives the buyer any real protection and recourse.

Thankfully most sellers I have encountered are honest and up front. Unfortunately every once in a while you run into the other kind.

caveat emptor”
“let the buyer beware.”

ernbar said:

If that is the case, the suspect will be the issuer or buyer that sent it to you.

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That's exactly what I've been trying to get across to you all along. That's why you wait until they clear before sending product. A little common sense goes a long way, eh?

I bought a M1895 winchester from a gunshop in Michigan. It was $1800 and the shop insisted either a credit card or PO. I wasn't paying the 3% fee so I told them I'd send a personal check and they could keep it until it cleared. NO WAY says they! So i had to drive the 70 mile round trip to the bank to get cash, then go to the PO and buy the check then I mailed it PRIORITY MAIL. I figured I was good to go. NOT! The PO made it as far as Detroit and got stuck there. I battled the PO for 3 weeks trying to get some employee to get off their ass and go look for the check. NO DICE SAYS THEY! So I had to spend hours on the phone making a claim, then had to drive to my PO and fill out a bunch of paper work, then spend three more weeks waiting for the PO to confirm my checks were lost. Then another three weeks waiting for a refund. While all this was going on the gunshop accused me of intentionally not paying.....I had to send them my tracking number on the check before they would believe me. So, when it was obvious that the PO was lost I called the shop and told them I was sending a personal check. They squawked but I told them it was the only way they were going to get paid. I'm completely done with Postal Money Orders. I did finally get the gun, after several months.

BTW, I have been in business for 40 years making muzzleloading guns. I request payment by personal check or cash. I have never been burned in nearly 400 business transactions. Keep in mind these checks are generally for $3 to $5K. Muzzleloading people are the most honest people I know.

Comfortably_Numb said:

I bought a M1895 winchester from a gunshop in Michigan. It was $1800 and the shop insisted either a credit card or PO. I wasn't paying the 3% fee so I told them I'd send a personal check and they could keep it until it cleared. NO WAY says they! So i had to drive the 70 mile round trip to the bank to get cash, then go to the PO and buy the check then I mailed it PRIORITY MAIL. I figured I was good to go. NOT! The PO made it as far as Detroit and got stuck there. I battled the PO for 3 weeks trying to get some employee to get off their ass and go look for the check. NO DICE SAYS THEY! So I had to spend hours on the phone making a claim, then had to drive to my PO and fill out a bunch of paper work, then spend three more weeks waiting for the PO to confirm my checks were lost. Then another three weeks waiting for a refund. While all this was going on the gunshop accused me of intentionally not paying.....I had to send them my tracking number on the check before they would believe me. So, when it was obvious that the PO was lost I called the shop and told them I was sending a personal check. They squawked but I told them it was the only way they were going to get paid. I'm completely done with Postal Money Orders. I did finally get the gun, after several months.

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Sounds like paying the 3% CC fee might have been worth saving you the massive headache and incredible time drain, not to mention gas for your multiple trips to the PO. I don’t like to pay the extra CC charge but sometimes it’s worth it.

Mrg5 said:

Sounds like paying the 3% CC fee might have been worth saving you the massive headache and incredible time drain, not to mention gas for your multiple trips to the PO. I don’t like to pay the extra CC charge but sometimes it’s worth it.

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Yep, I agree to a point. But in the very near future you probably won't be able to buy guns with a credit card.

Jedidiah said:

I think you may stick out for reasons other than clothing? Too bad there weren't any projects in the Appalachians!

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I went on a mission trip to a really depressed area in South-Eastern Kentucky last fall and I plan on going back.

I'm going to Kenya, because this is the mission area of a friend of mine. As far as sticking out, you are probably right

Mrg5 said:

Sending a personal check is essentially the same as cash or a PO money order. Once it’s cashed, the money is gone and so is the buyers protection if a seller is unscrupulous. Only a Credit Card gives the buyer any real protection and recourse.

Thankfully most sellers I have encountered are honest and up front. Unfortunately every once in a while you run into the other kind.

caveat emptor”
“let the buyer beware.”

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The cancelled check proves the scammer got the money. Depending on the size of the payment his local authorities will be more or less willing to prosecute him. Ditto postal authorities.

Mrg5 said:

Sending a personal check is essentially the same as cash or a PO money order. Once it’s cashed, the money is gone and so is the buyers protection if a seller is unscrupulous. Only a Credit Card gives the buyer any real protection and recourse.

Thankfully most sellers I have encountered are honest and up front. Unfortunately every once in a while you run into the other kind.

caveat emptor”
“let the buyer beware.”

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A cancelled check is proof the scammer got the money. It gives me means and motive to file a complaint with his local authorities. Depending on the amount they will be more or less willing to prosecute. Ditto postal authorities.

After 4 pages, heading to 5, if you can't trust anyone, don't buy anything. One way or another, it's on you to figure out how to pay. This is actually going nowhere now.

LD do your thing

SOLANCO said:

A cancelled check is proof the scammer got the money. It gives me means and motive to file a complaint with his local authorities. Depending on the amount they will be more or less willing to prosecute. Ditto postal authorities.

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Things changed long ago. Scammers don't deposit checks into their personal accounts and they don't live in the locality where the check was deposited or at the address of the account. You send money to a scammer in any form and it goes into an account created online with a stolen ID and the money deposited is then wired to offshore accounts. The authorities don't get you your money back.

For serious gun buys from individuals that can't/won't take a CC, I've used guntab.com. Well worth the fee, simple to use, and both buyer and seller are protected. These days there are so many sellers and gun marketplaces to get what you want that dealing with inflexible sellers is no longer necessary.

Mustang65 said:

After 4 pages, heading to 5, if you can't trust anyone, don't buy anything. One way or another, it's on you to figure out how to pay. This is actually going nowhere now.

LD do your thing

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Yep, no more buying or selling for me.

I do know this. I will buy from a member of this forum if he has been on for a year or more with a healthy number of posts. It would be a rare scammer that met those criteria.

SOLANCO said:

I do know this. I will buy from a member of this forum if he has been on for a year or more with a healthy number of posts. It would be a rare scammer that met those criteria.

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On ebay my limit is that the seller have over 1000+ sales and a 99%+ feedback rating and been a member for over 3 years.

Mustang65 said:

On ebay my limit is that the seller have over 1000+ sales and a 99%+ feedback rating and been a member for over 3 years.

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I avoid Ebay like I avoid the drug corners in Lancaster city.

Mrg5 said:

Frankly Post Office money orders are a pain to use. First, a trip to the bank to stand in line to get the cash (amount of the transaction usually exceeds the daily ATM limit). Now drive to the Post Office which is the other end of town in the downtown area where parking is scarce. Then another 15-30 minutes in line at the post office to get the PO, fill it out, and mail it (they always have one less window open than they need). There goes a couple hours of my day.

Since PayPal is out for many transactions I mostly look for vendors who accept credit cards. I’ve passed on some nice buys with vendors who don’t. Some who do charge a fee to use a card, and I will often pass on those too unless it’s something I really want and the price with the added fee is still reasonable.

Credit cards are by far the safest and easiest way to pay. I have even had to go to my credit card company to resolve a PayPal dispute when PayPal didn’t live up to their end. That’s also when I learned that dealing with PayPal over a disputed charge is extremely difficult and can take close to a year to get any action. I only use them now for transactions of small amounts.

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Okay My post office takes debit cards. Have used mine for.paying postage and for purchasing PO's.