PayPal Fees

magnum1 · 12-22-2008, 09:42 AM

Is it just me or are more sellers here starting to charge partial or all PayPal fees on equipment they are selling? I thought this was against PayPal terms of agreement, and if so should not be allowed here.

Personally, I will refuse to purchase such items.

Gooshin · 12-22-2008, 09:49 AM

if i ask you for 20 dollars

and you send me 20 dollars by cheque or cash

i get 20 dollars

but thats risky, and takes a long time

you dont want risk, and you want to get your stuff back quickly, and you want to have a guarantee that you can(might) get your money back if the deal goes sour

why should that be free?

why should the seller low-ball his price for your convenience?

i dont know what paypal policies are, but i have no problem (ethically) charging extra for paypal and dealing with people that claim extra paypal charge

think of it as "shipping cost"

*gokenin* · 12-22-2008, 09:51 AM

See I thought that if you were paying out of a bank account or using money in the paypal account that there were no charges from paypal to the seller. I use a bank account so i will simply ask if the seller will take the percent off or i will offer less the percent they are charging but it has become a trend in the marketplace. I think its once someone does it and there is no uproar that it gets the unofficial ok to do it

*X Man* · 12-22-2008, 10:01 AM

Hi,

Yes, it's against Paypal TOS. I don't think it helps to sell an item by saying if I use Paypal I need to pay more than if I don't. So, I agree with you on that part.

I don't know that there should be a hard and fast forum rule to do with it though. Besides, the real solution is to price an item and as a seller include what you need to include, be it Paypal fees, packaging costs, eyebrow waxing, whatever. The final price to the buyer's door is what concerns the buyer along with correct description and prompt and secure shipping.

Like you though, I tend to get turned off by such added fees as a buyer. Now, as a seller, I take my own advice, and I roll everything into one shipped price, which is a double edged sword on eBay. I offer Free Shipping, I get preferential placement, but I pay higher eBay fees because I can't defer any of the price towards "shipping". Then Paypal takes their cut, eBay again of course.

Fun stuff,
Mike

Originally Posted by magnum1

Is it just me or are more sellers here starting to charge partial or all PayPal fees on equipment they are selling? I thought this was against PayPal terms of agreement, and if so should not be allowed here.

Personally, I will refuse to purchase such items.

Gooshin · 12-22-2008, 10:07 AM

so what if someone comes along and says they want to pay cash?

or a direct deposit?

you would have to either re-negotiate a price, or have the seller benefit.

this way everyine is laid out

item cost: X

shipping cost: Y

payment cost: Z

if you include everything together, you are limiting your options.

like i always ask if a seller would be willing to use DHL for shipping, cuz my corporate DHL account gives me crazy discounts that make it even cheaper than regular post, but if the seller already includes shipping in their cost, now i have to settle on a different price,

troublesome

id rather have transperancy

*X Man* · 12-22-2008, 10:29 AM

Hi,

Cash, unless local isn't secure. A direct deposite outside of Paypal offers no protection for a buyer or a seller, in the event of a stop payment or a non-shipment. Money Orders? Checks? No thanks, both are a royal PITA.

As a seller, it's me who sets the price. Now, I may have to lower a price if an item isn't moving but it's still my call. Why should I bother with a line item invoice to present to a buyer? Sorry, but that's almost ridiculous. I see no difference, if in the end my "1 price" is nearly identical to a line item invoice, except that my way is "cleaner", if you will IMO.

As for shipping? Well, that's my prerogative too. For instance, DHL has closed US operations so I'd be wasting both of our time if I offered a buyers preference with regards to carrier. I'll use the carrier that works for me.

It's like shipping Internationally... I don't do it. Why? Because it's expensive if you want tracking and I won't ship anything of value greater than $10 without it. So, I add $20 to an item to ship Internationally and people act as if you'd stabbed them in the eye.

Hey, that's what it costs to ship Internationally with some sort of proof of shipment and Insurance.

I just think sometimes that buyers don't put themselves in the seller's shoes as often as a seller put's themselves in a buyer's shoes. The seller is the one who may be "making money" after all. So, therefor the seller is sometimes un-fairly made out the "bad-guy"

Regards,
Mike

Originally Posted by Gooshin

so what if someone comes along and says they want to pay cash?

or a direct deposit?

you would have to either re-negotiate a price, or have the seller benefit.

this way everyine is laid out

item cost: X

shipping cost: Y

payment cost: Z

if you include everything together, you are limiting your options.

like i always ask if a seller would be willing to use DHL for shipping, cuz my corporate DHL account gives me crazy discounts that make it even cheaper than regular post, but if the seller already includes shipping in their cost, now i have to settle on a different price,

troublesome

id rather have transperancy

Gooshin · 12-22-2008, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by X Man

Hi,

Cash, unless local isn't secure. A direct deposite outside of Paypal offers no protection for a buyer or a seller, in the event of a stop payment or a non-shipment. Money Orders? Checks? No thanks, both are a royal PITA.

Mike

like i said, i dont think the seller should bend over for the buyer to provide them with a safe transaction by undercutting his/her costs.

you, the buyer, want to have insurance, so you pay for it!

if you as the seller want to advertise a "no hidden cost" price, go ahead

but if a seller wants to break down his cost, dont go all apeshit on him, personally i feel such a seller has every right to break down his/her costs to the client. They have every right to be on the marketplace as everyone else.

12-22-2008, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by magnum1

Is it just me or are more sellers here starting to charge partial or all PayPal fees on equipment they are selling? I thought this was against PayPal terms of agreement, and if so should not be allowed here.

Personally, I will refuse to purchase such items.

Here's my take....

If I offer something for sale here on this forum and offer paypal as a means of payment, I assume that all of the charges will be for my account. If someone asks me if I will take x% less if they send me a money order or cashiers check, I will sometimes do that. If someone makes me an offer that is under what I expect, I will sometimes accept the offer as long as it is paid via MO/CC.

When I see "+4% paypal fees" in a for sale item, I generally won't consider that item.

My $ .02

Ed

*Syb* · 12-22-2008, 10:55 AM

Here's my $0.020866 (paypal fee included).

I do not mind paying a percent or two extra if it makes paying easier. And it does.

But it is not only that few percent. The extra cost is in the Paypal exchange rate too, and that makes paypal too expensive for me.

So then I am not happy.

But I still use it.

I will not put the charge explicitly on the buyer. I pre-calculate it in the price of the item I am selling.

slomojoe · 12-22-2008, 11:11 AM

Don't forget that in most cases Paypal offers seller protection too, as well as discounted shipping. So the advantage goes both ways, and so should the fees.

But then again, it doesn't take much to add things up and figure out a final cost, and if you don't like it, don't pay it.

Gooshin · 12-22-2008, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by slomojoe

But then again, it doesn't take much to add things up and figure out a final cost, and if you don't like it, don't pay it.

bingo!

sounds rather simple, doesnt it?

*graphicgr8s* · 12-22-2008, 11:26 AM

Well in Florida law and I believe in the U.S., you can't legally add a surcharge to the price for credit cards but you can discount for cash/check.

slomojoe · 12-22-2008, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by gokenin

See I thought that if you were paying out of a bank account or using money in the paypal account that there were no charges from paypal to the seller.

Is this true? Everything I ever sold via Paypal resulted in some fees being charged, as far as I can remember.

slomojoe · 12-22-2008, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by graphicgr8s

Well in Florida law and I believe in the U.S., you can't legally add a surcharge to the price for credit cards but you can discount for cash/check.

LOL! I guess that would be called "the spirit of the law".

*X Man* · 12-22-2008, 11:37 AM

Yes, it's true for personal accounts, but in order to sell via eBay one needs a premier account and premire accts pay fees on all money deposited from buyers, regardless of source.

Regards,
Mike

Originally Posted by slomojoe

Is this true? Everything I ever sold via Paypal resulted in some fees being charged, as far as I can remember.