Ebay payment methods

[Ambulance Chaser]

What payment methods do you all use when buying things off Ebay?  Having been ripped off by a disreputable seller (who is no longer registered) while using a money order, I would like to pay by credit card.  I've read, however, that Paypal requires a checking account number when signing up, which I am most definitely not willing to give.

 

[bryce330]

Paypal doesn't require a checking account number when signing up, at least not when I signed up. Maybe their policy has changed but I doubt it.

You can register a checking account number and have your payments automatically withdrawn and/or deposited into your account, but a credit card works just as well. There are some eBay sellers who only accept Paypal payments from checking accounts (and not credit cards) but they are a tiny minority.

 

[A Harris]

Who was the seller? I'm a bit worried because I just paid a seller via money order and their user ID was canceled shortly thereafter.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

Who was the seller? I'm a bit worried because I just paid a seller via money order and their user ID was canceled shortly thereafter.

The seller who ripped me off went by the user name shop_tavthong.  He was deregistered in August 2002 -- a day or so after I sent him a money order via BidPay.

Best of luck to you.  Unfortunately, as I painfully discovered, the only thing that keeps much of Ebay running is the desire of sellers to maintain a good reputation.  Assuming that the seller is a "repeat player," he won't cheat you unless the amount you're paying him is greater than the future stream of income he will be forgoing if he fails to live up to his word and you leave negative feedback.  Once a seller is deregistered, however, that incentive is gone because his reputation is already shot.  So unless your seller is uncommonly honest, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for your purchase.

 

[A Harris]

It is a nightmare for sure. Fortunately though it's not too common. I've probably bought close to or over 1000 items on ebay and I've only run into this twice.

The first time it happened the seller sent me the item and it was majorly flawed. When I asked for a refund he ignored me and his ID had just been canceled so I had no recourse.

This time I have a history with the seller and this particular item so I'm sure I'll get it. (Also it's a different guy - not the one who ripped you off.) But I can't help being just a bit nervous.

As a seller myself I can tell you though that the majority of the professional ebay sellers are honest. Not just in our dealings but also as people. Of course there are always a few bad apples out there that ruin it for the rest of us.

 

[A Harris]

As for the safest way to pay? Paypal for sure.

They have safeguards in place for buyers and sellers. They aren't foolproof but they are better than nothing. Also they are now offering insurance on a lot of transactions.

I was one of their very first customers so I don't know if a checking account # is required or not. I wouldn't worry about giving it even if it were required. I've been using them for three years now without a single problem. 75% of my income comes in through paypal. In fact I find they are the most proactive and secure company I've dealt with. They are always calling me to verify certain transactions and have even temporarily frozen the account when they spotted something suspicious. It can be annoying sometimes but I'd rather that they be careful - I've been a victim of credit card fraud several times.

 

[Grock58]

paypal!