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eBay: better to pay cc via Paypal or via faxed authorization?

Amy

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I won a timeshare auction that allows me to pay via check, Paypal or credit card directly via faxed written authorization. Supposedly a third party closing company is handling the escrow, but since the Paypal and cc authorization payment goes is directed to seller (as opposed to the closing company) and I know the seller is affiliated with the closing company, I'm not treating the closing company as an independent party. (I'm not really concerned about the closing co issue per se as this seller is a long time timeshare seller on eBay with 100% positive feedback and several TUGgers over the years have had good experiences.)

That said, I can't help but want to select the best method of payment "just in case" an issue arises. (The purchase price is a few thousand dollars.) My gut says to go with the faxed authorization since the credit card gives me 60 days after billing date of charge to dispute a charge. But Paypal allows me to keep my credit card number hidden; however, it requires disputes be filed within 45 days of payment. Am I overthinking this or does one method of payment in fact offer a bit better protection than the other when making a purchase in this situation?
 

Garnet

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using Paypal may invalidate credit card issuer intervention

in case of dispute. I have read several posts (recently) discussing this issue. Might also want to consider airline mileage programs on credit cards. We bought a car years ago from a lease return auction place and charged the car we bought for the miles. We paid off immediately (even before the statement arrived) as I have a big thing against debt. However, I was happy with all those points!
 

Carolinian

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in case of dispute. I have read several posts (recently) discussing this issue. Might also want to consider airline mileage programs on credit cards. We bought a car years ago from a lease return auction place and charged the car we bought for the miles. We paid off immediately (even before the statement arrived) as I have a big thing against debt. However, I was happy with all those points!

There is a big thread on Paypal at FlyerTalk and many people who have had bad experiences with them.

You might also want to look at www.paypalsucks.com
 

linsj

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I use PayPal all the time for ebay, including the TS I just bought even though I had the option to fax my CC info directly to the closing company. I feel safer going through PayPal than giving out my card info directly. Only once did I have a problem (on a $30 item); PayPal paid me $5 and I got the rest back from my CC company. With a credit card, it doesn't matter; the protection comes from the CC company.
 

Amy

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Thanks for the comments. I'm still undecided! Maybe I'll just toss a coin.
 

SDKath

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I am one of those paypal haters. There is ZERO customer service for Paypal customers. If you have a problem, the disputes are all computerized via emails and forms. It is IMPOSSIBLE to get a live person. They have all sorts of "laws" about disputes and if your situation doesn't fit one of their prespecified rules, you are SOL. I would HIGHLY recommend paying via your CC. You can always call your CC company's 800 number and dispute the charge. Most of the time, they give you credit on your CC BEFORE they even get the details of the dispute.

I avoid paypal at all costs now. Katherine
 

Robert D

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I've always paid via Paypal but used my credit card. I assume that I have the same protection from the credit card company as if I had paid the seller directly since it's in payment of an auction item purchase and not a cash advance or money transfer. Seemed to me to be the best of both worlds.
 

Gordo1111

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both are good

pay via paypal with your credit card
or
pay via credit card

same thing...your covered....but if I had a choice do the credit card first.
 

gmarine

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Its actually not the same. When using a credit card you are covered by the Fair Credit Billing Act. If you use an intermediary to handle the payment you are not covered. The credit card companies often will help with Paypal disputes but they are not required to by the FCBA unless they process the payment directly from the merchant that you purchased from.

Paypal also has protection for purchases but I dont know those specific details.
 

Amy

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Its actually not the same. When using a credit card you are covered by the Fair Credit Billing Act. If you use an intermediary to handle the payment you are not covered. The credit card companies often will help with Paypal disputes but they are not required to by the FCBA unless they process the payment directly from the merchant that you purchased from.

I wondered about this -- thanks!

Paypal also has protection for purchases but I dont know those specific details.
No special protection on a timeshare purchase.
 

Amy

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I am one of those paypal haters. There is ZERO customer service for Paypal customers. . . .

So sorry you've had such a terrible experience with Paypal. I've been really lucky so far and never had to actually use Paypal's customer service for any transfer.
 

SDKath

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Well, I had bad experiences as a seller and as a buyer.

As a seller, I once sold my almost new camera to a guy who refused to pay for shipping insurance. It was shipped UPS. The guy a month later claimed that I shipped the camera broken. He payed via paypal. Next thing I know, the money is refunded to the buyer from my paypal account without even asking me. It took me months to make the dorky email people at Paypal to realize that 1) the camera was in perfect shape when I shipped it 2) it is not my responsibility if the person is too cheap to opt for shipping insurance. I never got the money back. I was furious. I ended up filing a claim with UPS and got the $100 back that they automatically provide for all shipments but I was out about $150.

As a buyer, I once bought an electronic list of items from a seller. The seller sent me this "list" via an attachment that contained only one item in it. It was clearly a scam. I asked for my $40 back from paypal. Paypal's auto email system told me that the seller was able to "prove" that he sent me the "electronic item" via email and that was it. Never got my money back after that. Again, no one to talk to in person via Paypal or to explain the situation. THey don't care.

Soooo, no more Paypal for me. Katherine
 

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I have had two bad experiences. One was a seller who never shipped the non-t/s item, and all of the time I had hassling with their aggravating refund system I wish I had not wasted and just written off the loss. Horrible is too weak a word for their payment disputes system. Avoid these turkeys like the plague!

The other involved ''Paypal shipping'' where they have an arrangement where they provide the shipping label to the seller. What the seller did not make clear was that Paypal refuses to put anything put your ''verified'' (i.e. credit card billing) address on that label. On the eBay check out, I had put a street address for the shipping address for an item my wife was expecting in North Carolina. Those stinking PayPal jerks arbitrarily changed it to my NC PO Box address, which is my credit card billing address, and has an automatic forwarding order in to send anything addressed there to me here in eastern Europe. Needless to say, the item ended up here instead of NC. It was heavy and would have cost over $100 to ship back, which neither the Paypal turkeys nor the seller would pay. I ended up putting it in my luggage on a trip back to the states and it ended up in the right place finally but with much aggravation and very late.

That is enough for me to avoid this awful Paypal nightmare.

Check out www.paypalsucks.com for more Paypal horror stories.
 

Amy

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I ended up faxing the cc card authorization just to get the additional period of protection.

The other involved ''Paypal shipping'' where they have an arrangement where they provide the shipping label to the seller. What the seller did not make clear was that Paypal refuses to put anything put your ''verified'' (i.e. credit card billing) address on that label. On the eBay check out, I had put a street address for the shipping address for an item my wife was expecting in North Carolina. Those stinking PayPal jerks arbitrarily changed it to my NC PO Box address, which is my credit card billing address, and has an automatic forwarding order in to send anything addressed there to me here in eastern Europe. . . . .

Are you sure Paypal is responsible for this? I have sold and shipped lots of stuff to "unverified" addresses. It all depends on what the seller elects to accept on his/her Paypal account. When I see an unverified address on the Paypal payment, I send an email to my buyer to confirm the address.

Edited to add: I know some sellers won't ship to unverified Paypall addresses because if they do they loses the seller's protection offered by Paypal.
 

Carolinian

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I ended up faxing the cc card authorization just to get the additional period of protection.



Are you sure Paypal is responsible for this? I have sold and shipped lots of stuff to "unverified" addresses. It all depends on what the seller elects to accept on his/her Paypal account. When I see an unverified address on the Paypal payment, I send an email to my buyer to confirm the address.

Edited to add: I know some sellers won't ship to unverified Paypall addresses because if they do they loses the seller's protection offered by Paypal.

It could be the latter. The label itself had some reference to PayPal on its face, so I believe the seller that PayPal prepared it. He told me that in his status with Paypal he had no choice, and that status may well have been the seller protection thing.

To me, it is the buyer who ABSOLUTELY should direct where an item is shipped. A seller or third party is way our of line in shipping it ANYWHERE else.
 

Amy

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It could be the latter. The label itself had some reference to PayPal on its face, so I believe the seller that PayPal prepared it. He told me that in his status with Paypal he had no choice, and that status may well have been the seller protection thing.

To me, it is the buyer who ABSOLUTELY should direct where an item is shipped. A seller or third party is way our of line in shipping it ANYWHERE else.

The shipping label via Paypal always has a Paypal reference. I use it exclusively for all my Paypal sales because it is easy to use and it gives me a discount on delivery confirmation. I can always change the address that the buyer uses on the shipping label template as there is an "edit" option, and I have done so on a few occasions when it warranted. That is why I'm not sure I believe your seller's story. I think the seller changed the ship-to address to maintain the seller protection. You cannot tell who changed what in the end product as all the shipping labels via this service print out looking the same way.
 

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Some CCs offer new numbers for transactions

I've got a credit card that will let me generate new, temporary numbers for specific transactions, including setting my own credit limit. (For a limit that's lower than the full card limit, not higher - otherwise I'd be happily experimenting with what happens when you attempt to buy your own small island nation on credit :-]).

It's designed for these sorts of transactions, and it means that while the other side does have your CC number, it's essentially a one-off credit card with no other use than to buy their item.
 

Amy

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I've got a credit card that will let me generate new, temporary numbers for specific transactions, including setting my own credit limit. (For a limit that's lower than the full card limit, not higher - otherwise I'd be happily experimenting with what happens when you attempt to buy your own small island nation on credit :-]).

It's designed for these sorts of transactions, and it means that while the other side does have your CC number, it's essentially a one-off credit card with no other use than to buy their item.

That's cool! Mine cc companies allow something similar (except for the setting own $ limit part) but only for online shopping purposes, which I interpreted that to mean "no" when it comes to using the same numbers on a hand written cc authorization for faxing.
 
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