Why I won't use PayPal again

[turbo36]

I've been using Paypal for close to 10 years and I love it. Yes, mistakes can be made, but that happens with every business. The number of times the phone company mis-charged me in my lifetime is unbelievable

With an "instant" society, I have made a simple protection plan. Every morning, I sit with my cup of coffee and check online for all of my bank accounts and credit cards. If you spot something right away, the bank or credit card company can revoke the transaction typically for up to 1-3 days after and they will return the money and let the merchant try to recover it. Once the money leaves, its **** near impossible to get it back.

One morning I woke up to see that my credit card had been used to buy stuff half way around the world. The credit card company was able to revoke the transfer to the merchants and credit me because the payment was still in electronic transit. Had I waited a few days, I would have had a much tougher time.

As it turns out, my credit card number was stolen at a local restaurant, along with a few dozen others by a worker, not through some type of Internet Hacker...

Isn't this a good example of how we have become "slaves" of technology? We have to continuously check our email , our bank accounts , our facebook and all the other social network Johnny come lately's. How is this better?
Perhaps I'm not "getting it" but I miss the security of a paper society and cannot see how the new electronic frontier has made our lives more secure?

 

[jeffinsgf]

...Perhaps I'm not "getting it" but I miss the security of a paper society and cannot see how the new electronic frontier has made our lives more secure?

"Secure" was never the goal of the electronic frontier. Convenient is the goal. We have a personal debt crisis in this country because "spending money" doesn't mean anything to anyone anymore. I haven't seen my paycheck for 8 or 9 years. Direct deposit. That's OK, I guess, but it makes it easier to spend by plastic if you don't have the physical contact with the piece of paper you worked your behind off for a week (2 weeks, month, etc.) to get. It's one thing to dig into your wallet and pull out a handful of Franklin's to buy an electronic geegaw, (new flat screen for the big game?). It's quite a different thing to just toss off a piece of plastic with the promise you'll get the money to the guy later. And, I'm as guilty as anybody. I'm working to get myself out of debt, and when I get there, I won't be back.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I used PayPal long ago to purchase an item off of a dealer on Ebay only because that was the only way to source the item. I had no issues with the transaction and never needed it again. Later on, I got a request from PayPal to update my account info via email. It seemed bogus so I deleted it and continue to delete the occasional email from PayPal.

I find shopping on Ebay too time consuming and would rather shop locally so I very rarely visit their site these days.

I buy tools from Amazon on occasion using my Amazon/Visa CC which I got to take advantage of the discount. I use that card for other online purchases also but not for daily use. I use another dedicated card for dining out and mostly use my debit card for groceries, gas, fuel, Lowe's etc.

I agree with jeffinsgf on our use of plastic. I think that last year's round of high fuel prices on top of other purchases have many people's cards maxed out.

 

[tallyho8]

Isn't this a good example of how we have become "slaves" of technology? We have to continuously check our email , our bank accounts , our facebook and all the other social network Johnny come lately's. How is this better?
Perhaps I'm not "getting it" but I miss the security of a paper society and cannot see how the new electronic frontier has made our lives more secure?

You don't HAVE TO check your accounts daily online, you just now have the opportunity to do it that you did not once have. Years back, someone could forge a check on your account and you wouldn't know about it for a month when you finally got your statement in the mail. Now you have the opportunity to discover these events daily if you wish, giving yourself a head start in solving the problem and preventing yourself from having overdrafts etc.

When I pay my 10 bills at the end of the month, I enjoy paying online and saving $4.20 in stamps, plus the ease of using Billpay over writing checks which can be lost, stolen or forged.

I don't have a facebook yet, maybe I should get one?

 

[Ronbo]

When I bought my truck and trailer from my BIL in Arizona, I used bill pay for wells fargo to send him over $20,000. No charge for a certified check, they paid postage, and since I never touched the check, if he never got it, it would be their problem.

Ron

 

[Soundguy]

You can get paypall invoices, and if on ebay, you can be directed 'thru' your paypal account if you provide the login info.

hope it works out for the OP.

soundguy

I'm a Pay Pal user and still can't understand how 2 payments were made. The way it works for all my ~100 purchases is: YOU log into paypal and release the payment. The vendor has nothing to do with it. YOU log into paypal. you initiate a billing, you assess the charges and any additional amounts (shipping, insurance, rush delivery, etc), then YOU hit the pay now button (Once). The seller has no idea who you are or what your paypal account info is. Even your bank has no idea, other than a direct withdrawal is being made or a credit card is being charged.

Someone Splain this and correct me if I'm misinformed....

I had a dispute with eBay once when a guy's son forgot to send an item his father sold. They refunded the $ via PayPal. Done.

 

[mohrds]

Isn't this a good example of how we have become "slaves" of technology? We have to continuously check our email , our bank accounts , our facebook and all the other social network Johnny come lately's. How is this better?
Perhaps I'm not "getting it" but I miss the security of a paper society and cannot see how the new electronic frontier has made our lives more secure?

I choose to live like this but I don't have to. Just imagine not being able to go online, get a parts manual for your tractor, find the part number you need, find which of a dozen suppliers have the best price and have it here tomorrow morning. In the past, you'd have to call your closest dealer, try to talk them through finding the part number, most likely have to drive there with the part and go through the parts book with the guy, then pay what ever they feel like charging, and have to drive back there the next day to get it.

Doug

 

[RobJ]

Paypal is an Ebay product. I don't use either anymore because they're both out to rip you off with their nickel and dime charges.

Podunk

True Ebay did purchase PayPal a few years back. But when I buy something on Ebay, then pay with Paypal...it doesn't cost me a nickel.

When I sell something it cost me about a buck to insert it, then fees for the payment and sales. Ebay/Paypal is still a business trying to make some money just like other businesses. Many times its still cheaper than most local stores or other online sellers. Plus I don't have to drive around shopping.

As far as double paying, yes you can easily check your transactions after you make them. I had a glitch with an online order the other day because I wasn't shipping it to my verified address, had to back up and redo. I saw the failed transaction in PayPal, then the correct one.

They programed this forum software to prevent peole from double posting the same message...some people still post double messages every now and then.

 

[RonMar]

The times I have used Paypal, I have received a confirmation E-mail for every transaction. I wouldn't mind getting that for all my credit cards. That way any suspicious activity would be immediatly noticed.

 

[RobJ]

"Secure" was never the goal of the electronic frontier. Convenient is the goal. We have a personal debt crisis in this country because "spending money" doesn't mean anything to anyone anymore. I haven't seen my paycheck for 8 or 9 years. Direct deposit. That's OK, I guess, but it makes it easier to spend by plastic if you don't have the physical contact with the piece of paper you worked your behind off for a week (2 weeks, month, etc.) to get. It's one thing to dig into your wallet and pull out a handful of Franklin's to buy an electronic geegaw, (new flat screen for the big game?). It's quite a different thing to just toss off a piece of plastic with the promise you'll get the money to the guy later. And, I'm as guilty as anybody. I'm working to get myself out of debt, and when I get there, I won't be back.

When someone created the first tractor, or even the single horse/single row plow I'm sure their initial goal was not to create a 24 row planter, or a 50' disk. Just sort of evolved.

I haven't seen my paycheck in over 25 years! Actually I think my first full time job ever was the only one where I got a check (ok I've only worked at 4 different places). Saves me a trip to the bank. It doesn't make me spend plastic more, actually I use a CC for dinners and a few online purchases now. Hardly any more checks, because my wife and I use a debit(not a visa) card. Swipe, PIN, need some cash?, if its not in the bank it's a nogo. I also like how more businesses are using paypal to keep my CC out of it. Who would think that I can order RC plane parts from Hong Kong(much cheaper), pay with paypal, and get it in 7 days for $15 shipping?

Getting out of debt is a good thing for anyone, most we ever had was about 10k, got it down to about 7k and said enough is enough. Used IRS refund, my small bonus, and savings to get rid of it. Only thing I have now is monthly bills and the house note. No car payment or worse...tractor payments!! But golly, I pay those monthly bill online through my bank.

Heck these days PayPal is about safe as you can get. The seller just sees my money in their account. When you hand your CC to a clerk, they have all the info right there to be you. Pretty easy to look up your address, phone number and order online shipping to another address. I do it all the time shipping to my office. No one checks it unless I spot it.

Rob