Why is asking for personal paypal payment allowed?

Leek_Freak

Leek_Freak

Joined
Oct 12, 2011
Messages
1,139
I'm curious why this is allowed on this forum? I see a lot of sellers asking for personal payment. If they want money to cover the fees, then they can just ask for that in the price.
It seems like it's only a matter of time before someone on here gets taken advantage of by using a personal payment since they don't have any protection by paying that way.
 
It has happened a number of times. It violates PayPal's rules and good common sense. Just like trying to make insurance the buyer's problem, it is one of those bad business practices that people don't understand until they get burned. Trying to tell them in advance is futile -- we've had thread after thread on them. Look at the stickies in the FEEDBACK forum. But with new people resurrecting bad ideas all the time, it ain't easy.

On the other hand, how would you propose we police this, if people won't do it right for their own sakes?
 
I know this is easier said than done since I'm not a mod and I'm not the one that has to worry about the "clean up". But over on JD, it's clearly stated in the rules and threads that go against the rules are shut down pretty quick.

The bad thing is (just like you said) there are always new people coming in without reading the rules and breaking them so it would be a never ending cycle. The good thing is that there are a lot of people that help out the mods by simply replying to the posts if the rules are being broke and the seller is usually very quick to make the updates.
 
I only ask for personal payment in two circumstances. When a person has like 4 posts and posts an i'll take it in my thread, or again I am dealing with a low to zero feedback on someone over seas. I dont see how personal payment is against paypals rules since the give the option in personal as payment owed. I dont want to really low post guy coming into my sales thread buying it then receiving the knife and filing a complaint with paypal to get his money back too. Same with a low count overseas, since I have no definitive way of knowing if it made it through customs. I dont like to use it but on rare occasion I do.
 
Leek_Freak said:
I know this is easier said than done since I'm not a mod and I'm not the one that has to worry about the "clean up". But over on JD, it's clearly stated in the rules and threads that go against the rules are shut down pretty quick.

The bad thing is (just like you said) there are always new people coming in without reading the rules and breaking them so it would be a never ending cycle. The good thing is that there are a lot of people that help out the mods by simply replying to the posts if the rules are being broke and the seller is usually very quick to make the updates.
Click to expand...
True, at the JD we will close or edit threads that ask for the gift option. But we have several regular mods, one in particular reads every post :eek: , But the traffic isnt near what it is here. Several times the traffic. Its a little mind boggling to think of monitoring every post in the exchange for violations.

A bunch of "hall monitors" might be a start. But cause their own set of issues.

Its like giving one mall cop the whole mall to watch.
 
I don't feel that it's Bladeforums responsibility to uphold the policies of a separate company. That being said, the person receiving payment when misusing the "gift" option runs the risk of having that option removed from their account, or the entire account being closed. As was also mentioned the buyer is not covered by Paypal's protection policy. So while I don't use the gift option, I don't think it's BF responsibility or obligation to give a rats behind.
 
If your are "savvy" enough to use Paypal, maybe the onus should be on the buyer.

As is often said - "Caveat Emptor."
 
ndeezl said:
I don't feel that it's Bladeforums responsibility to uphold the policies of a separate company.
Click to expand...

That's the real point. If it were illegal, we would bar use of it. But it is a company policy, and we have no business enforcing another company's policy.

I mistakenly thought gift option was OK by PayPal. When I understood their policy better, I stopped using it, and I won't buy from somone who wants to be paid by it.
 
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