Pay Pal Changes??

[Riverkilt]

Yes, I know they're still arrogant...but the last two orders for Scottish goodies I've paid for through Pay Pal they somehow managed to avoid giving me the option to use my credit card. As a result they took funds directly out of my checking account...the last time just before pay day when I barely had the dinero there to cover it.

I emailed them over a week ago to ask them what is up with that. I got an email a couple days later saying something to the effect that they're "too busy" with holiday customers to respond now....as if I'm not a customer too. Been a couple weeks and haven't heard anything.

Thought maybe someone on the board might know if they've made a change and no longer accept credit cards - or if they're just making figuring out how to use your credit card more difficult and I've missed their latest trick.

I prefer using credit cards for on line ordering to have "some" protection against screw ups and fraud.

Any updates appreciated.

Thanks,

Ron

[Dreadbelly]

Remove checking from account listings, and make sure your card is your default option.

It's trickier than that, but that is the gist of it.

For me, paypal is sitting on a dummy account my bank account set up so I can be varified. The account stays at zero and refuses ALL incoming and outgoing transactions. So when paypal does something stupid and tries to take money from there, it can't which forces the system to reset it self and check for defaults. (Credit cards, whatever)

[Tattoo Bradley]

Not sure, Ron. But, on a simliar note: when I first started using Paypal they would charge the recepient a perentage fee if the buyer paid with a credit card. It seems that now they charge that fee even if the buyer pays from their debit card/checking acct. Sorry I have no answers for you. But, you just reminded me of this change I had found when selling on Ebay. I've also just recently been frauded by a buyer using a stolen acct. I had to repay the $57 I received (after their fee) + the $3 fee they charged me + a new $10 fee for them having to do a pay back. So, since I was frauded: I had to pay them $70 when I only received $57. Paypal is really starting to piss me off.

[cessna152towser]

I'm a bit sickened of Paypal too. Mine is set up for payment to come out of my bank account, with a credit card as back up for an instant payment. I bought an e-bay item and paid instantly by Paypal, but they processed it as an e-cheque, which would mean it would take about two weeks to clear. When the seller contacted me to tell me that the payment was uncleared I complained to Paypal. Other funds came into my Paypal account the following day which would have more than covered my purchase. Despite the fact Paypal had my credit card details as back up; AND were enjoying an interest free loan of the money lying in my Paypal account, they were insistent that having inititated the e-cheque process it would have to run its course irrespective of my balance and back up funds. They took eleven days to pay the seller yet still charged him the same handling charge as for a credit card payment. If I had posted a cheque it would have got there quicker.

[Riverkilt]

Thanks guys,

Dread, you're right, its more complicated than that...I still can't find a way to access my account to make said changes. Just have my only credit card as my "primary" credit card...duh... If there's a way to make those changes they're hiding it from me well.

Beginning to think its cheaper just to make a long distance phone call and read the credit card numbers to the seller rather than mess with Pay Pal...yes I know Pay Pal keeps my card # blind from sellers...but I trust most.

And, back when I started using the card to buy some expensive stuff out of my norm the card security folks got a flag on it and called to double check. That was nice.

Guess I'm most troubled by Pay Pal's "gottcha attitude of electonic trickery" and difficulty in communicating and subsequent lack of communication."

Ron

[McClef]

Paypal defaults to my bank account but always offers the alternative source for payment option which is preregistered credit cards.

It always asks if I am sure (as if it thinks I don't know what I am doing) when I choose other than the default, I say yes and that's an end of it they give in.

E cheques are a waste of time, not only slow but they messed me up big time once and got me £300 worth of bank charges which I got reduced to £30 after a strenous phone call to my bank which for some reason kept on rejecting the e cheque claims for no reason.

Credit cards are the best protection for large amounts, I only use the default bank account for piddly little ones.

[Dreadbelly]

I have a business account with paypal. I guess maybe I get some different options available? I don't get a fee for processing credit card orders. I just get the standard paypal fees for transactions.

I actually like credit card orders with paypal... The funds show up in my bank account much faster than with other types of funds transfers.

[Riverkilt]

Aye McClef,

That's exactly the way it used to go for me too. It worked. But the last two times I've NOT been offered that option and the "are you sure you wanna use a credit card interruption" They just automatically went into my bank account and paid WITHOUT giving me the option any more.

That's why I posted, to see if there have been changes. Saw their policy changes set to go in effect in mid-January but none addressed that.

Its difficult since once the deal is done there's no going back and THEY control it. Be careful if you haven't used your Pay Pal account in the past couple weeks...all though there's no way to "be careful" since they just grab the money and run and you're stuck with it.

Ron

[kiltedflyman]

Glad to see I'm not the only one this has happened to. Thought I'd made a mistake somehow but have seen it again recently. Gotta be careful with PayPal.

[Mike1]

Ron, I just took a look and the options are still there. Not splashed across the page and easy to find, but they are still there.

After you've input the address of the recipient and the amount you want to pay, you go to another page, Check Payment Details.

On that page, there are three sections -

Payment Details
Source of Funds
Shipping Information

If you carefully look under the Source of Funds option, you will see a hypertext link, More Funding Options. Click on that link and you are presented with a another page that will allow you to select your method of payment.

For those that are PayPal Verified, Dread offers some good advice - don't link to an account that will ever have much of a balance in it, because the world is full of frozen account tales of woe. You can learn more about it, HERE.