# Paying for goods over EBay, how should I do so? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 23, 2003, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-for-goods-over-ebay-how-should-i-do-so/209079 "2003-10-23T10:53:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-for-goods-over-ebay-how-should-i-do-so/209079/1 "2003-10-23T10:53:33Z")
Anyone have a particular preference? I’m asking because Paypal seems convienient and I took it to be a reasonably safe way of making transactions. Until that is I tried googling Paypal when the link within EBay refused to send me to their website. After the Paypal site were a few sites offering up some horror stories about what has happened to others transaction. I was wondering if anybody else has had very bad stories regarding Paypal or any suggestions of the best way to pay for goods. Or are these websites just misleading? I wanted to use a credit card for convienience and speed, but I do have a cheque book account too. Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-for-goods-over-ebay-how-should-i-do-so/209079/2 "2003-10-23T11:20:20Z")
I’ve not had any problems with Paypal in over 200 auctions (mostly as a seller), no problems except the fees, that is, which can be crippling. ---
**Author:** ![dragongirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@dragongirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragongirl)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-for-goods-over-ebay-how-should-i-do-so/209079/3 "2003-10-23T11:59:56Z")
I’ve never had any problems with paypal, as a buyer or seller. As far as it goes, that is my prefered payment method. ---
**Author:** ![NoGoodNamesLeft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@NoGoodNamesLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoGoodNamesLeft)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-for-goods-over-ebay-how-should-i-do-so/209079/4 "2003-10-23T14:04:52Z")
No problems here…buying and selling. ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-for-goods-over-ebay-how-should-i-do-so/209079/5 "2003-10-23T14:19:03Z")
I used to pay for my auctions with money orders, which was just fine. I would think that’s the safest bet if you’re willing to trust the USPS and don’t mind a little more time getting your item. I use PayPal now and haven’t had any problems. I like getting my stuff a little faster now, I suppose; that’s why I use it. ---
**Author:** ![lachesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@lachesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lachesis)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-for-goods-over-ebay-how-should-i-do-so/209079/6 "2003-10-23T14:56:04Z")
once i discovered PayPal, it became my preferred means of making payments. at first i’d just transfer a sum of money from my checking account, and have it available for when auctions ended. i was very reluctant for a long time to add my credit card info to PayPal, most because of concerns regarding possible identity theft. eventually i did add it, during a crunch time, so i could make a payment. later i finally discovered that PayPal can do automatic drafts against my checking account, without the delay time that transferring the money myself usually entailed. just like writing an electronic check! yay! and as a buyer-only user, i never had any fees to worry about. i’ve even used it recently when buying Halloween props and other items from some on-line merchants. i’d certainly recommend it, based on my experiences. ---
**Author:** ![Eliphalet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eliphalet/32/9563_2.png) [@Eliphalet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eliphalet)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-for-goods-over-ebay-how-should-i-do-so/209079/7 "2003-10-23T15:11:10Z")
I’ve had very good luck on eBay with Paypal; better in fact than ordering things through the [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) merchants (Not the [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) website itself!!!) and my MasterCard. To be fair to Amazon, they stepped in and made sure that I was reimbursed. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-for-goods-over-ebay-how-should-i-do-so/209079/8 "2003-10-23T15:24:05Z")
One time with Paypal a known scammer took me for $35. Paypal only gave me $5 of that & ebay gave me $5. I don’t keep $$ in my PP account & only pay for things with it through my credit card as that way my CC insurance protects me. PP is now owned by ebay, I believe. Also read: [paypalwarning.com](http://paypalwarning.com) ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-for-goods-over-ebay-how-should-i-do-so/209079/9 "2003-10-23T16:08:18Z")
Hmmm, OK maybe I will take the plunge then. Cheers for the advice everyone, I was getting a bit iffy about the possibility of fraud but then it was taking ages with cheques. Thanks Pushkin ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-for-goods-over-ebay-how-should-i-do-so/209079/10 "2003-10-23T16:42:34Z")
Just to reinforce some of what’s been said above: I’m an eBay power seller and have had ZERO problems with Paypal in the three years I’ve been using the service for both buying and selling. I clicked on the link **handy** provided above, and it seems to be nothing more than disgruntlement (if that’s a word.) I have never heard of anyone having their Paypal account frozen, nor have I heard reports of security lapses or scams. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen, but it has not in my experience, nor in the experience of anyone I know of. I DID receive the email they show, which was a scam, but even this anti-paypal site clearly states that it was not sent from Paypal. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-for-goods-over-ebay-how-should-i-do-so/209079/11 "2003-10-23T16:47:26Z")
Most of the paypal complaint pages are from sellers who had their accounts frozen with money in it. If I were in that situation, I would be pretty pissed too, but it doesn’t really affect my position as a buyer. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-for-goods-over-ebay-how-should-i-do-so/209079/12 "2003-10-23T20:23:52Z")
I have used PayPal for a couple years, for both eBay and non-eBay purposes, and have never had a problem.