I have had great luck on ST using PayPal. I always look the user up on the "Pleasure doing business with...." thread.

I am sure there are some bad apples out there but I think many have found great deals on ST with minimal hassle.

more secure than anything else

I use PayPal a bunch. I pay my coach every month and have made 100's of purchases with PayPal.

I actually am starting to get annoyed at websites that don't take PayPal because then I have to put in all my cc info and address, etc.

I find it very convenient and have never had doubts about security.

It's not that I think I'm going to get scammed by >99% of the STers out there. I just hear these craigslist stories and want to be cautious of the < 1%. Is there anything I should look out for? What is this "pleasure doing business with you" thread.

Only done it once, but it was super smooth.

Thanks. That's a comfort.

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/..._reply;so=ASC;mh=25;

Yes! You don't have to give any credit card information to random people or businesses... Plus when people pay you you can transfer from paypal to your bank with no fees or hassle. Takes about 3 business days for the transfer to appear in your bank. On Ebay, not may people accept anything other than paypal. Funds are available that instant for private transfers and it doesn't cost anything. Mostly, people using Paypal to sell on Ebay or other businesses is where they make their money (a percentage of each transaction they charge).

Haven't had any issues yet and have been using it for 5 or so years

Thanks. I appreciate all the feedback.

In my mind:
Paypal pro's:
-many people use it
-offers buyers protection

Paypal con's:
-surprisingly, it doesn't offer sellers much protection (Paypal seems to side with buyers by rote)
-they charge a little too much

Alternatives:
-some banks offer similar, but free, peer-to-peer transfers (Bank of America, ING)
-Dwolla (I'm really excited about this... it sounds like the perfect solution.)

Those Craigslist scams you are hearing about are very real, but they are known for using Western Union money orders and escrow services, not Paypal.

I have been using PayPal for 10 years or more. Both as a buyer as well as a seller. During this time I have only had 2 issues that were positively resolved. The first was on eBay and that was quite easy, reported that the item was not received and no response from seller and got my money back. The second was on Craigslist, (me dummy , I know), however after a few calls they told they would make an exception and resolved the issue.
Have not had any other issues except that their charges is a bit high as others mentioned.
If selling check to see if the buyer has been a member or just signed up to buy your item. And use good judgement. ( no Craigslist , lol)
Good luck.

I had a confirmed case of identity theft originate from paypal's systems (they even acknowledged), yet they did not even as much as close my account as requested. Before that, I bought a set of H3s on ebay using paypal. They withdrew the funds from my bank account, but then held them instead of paying the seller. Upon inquiry they claimed they had to verify my bank account (that they had already accessed and withdrawn from!). All the while they were holding my $s hostage and getting the seller pi$$ed. Last, a neighbor who works for them as a sw engr conversationally implied too many poor (and that's politely put) security practices that I would not touch them with a ten foot pole. YMMV.

Yes, you can get scammed so before you ship anything, let the money "settle" a bit if you're not feeling really good about the buyer.

Here's how I scam a purchase from you.

1. Hack a PayPal account (happens a LOT)
2. Pay you from the hacked account.
3. Money appears in your account, you ship to me and I have your stuff.
4. Owner of the hacked account contacts Paypal who then pulls the money back from your account to the real account owners account.
5. I have your stuff, your money is gone, you have no recourse.

Even if you transfer the Paypal funds to your bank account, PayPal will still just take it right back out without even telling you.

Make sure they pay you under "personal - gift". If you do it the regular way, they charge you 3% or more. If funds are sent as a gift, there are NO transaction fees.

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John Kenny, Pro Triathlete, USAT Certified Coach - http://www.frenchcreekracing.com
Philly Masters and Open Water
Swim and Multisport Events

Paypal will have 100% access to your debit account. If there is ever a dispute with a paypal transaction then paypal will draw the money from your bank account with no warning. There is no way for you to dispute paypal taking money from your bank account. Paypal always sides with the buyer and not the seller. They take a large percentage of whatever money is transferred using paypal. I, as a seller, have been screwed by paypal because of crooked buyers who lie. My bank account has been overdrawn by paypal without warning and without a darn thing I could do about it. I will never use paypal as it is like giving someone else full access to your funds. Paypal will ALWAYS side with the buyer or with the person recieving the funds.

If you do use PayPal, do two things...

1) Get a credit card you only use for this and don't mind closing / cancelling

2) Set up a bank account that is only used for this purpose that is tied to nothing else.

I know people who have lost THOUSANDS do to fraud, and if you want stress in your life, try finding out that your account was hacked, password and email changed, and then your bank account drained and your mortgage check bounces.

Most people never realize when they set up their account, tie a bank or credit card to it, that it can become a two way street and that you can get drained very easily