Sellers asks for Paypal Gift Payments

I requested payment as a "gift" for the Phoenix Arcade CP's to avoid the fee's. Some payed as "goods" and payed a little extra to cover the fees. It never occured to me to give out that option untill others started paying that way. I personally am out hundreds of dollars for the Tron Signs that started a while back and can't get my money back because I payed as a gift (he has payed me back a little but only about 25%). I also just payed as a gift to another seller of $20 and have heard nothing about recieving or actually shipping the items. I think after reading this thread I'll be paying as "goods" and recieve payments that include the fee's.
 
I always receive, and make payments as gifts. I also only do business with guys that have been hear for a few years.I've never had a problem. If I receive a payment as a gift, and the buyer recieves something wrong, I fix it.

I don't understand how guys can sleep at night ripping people off like that. Until I get burned I will continue sending as gifts
 
I virtually always ask for payment marked as "gift". I've had a few folks that just put the fees in and send it as goods.

Unless its a blanket listing, I usually charge exact shipping on an item and that's AFTER I've went to the UPS, USPS, and FedEx sites and calculated exact shipping for the packed box. I do that for the buyer's benefit, not mine.

After selling a ton of parts earlier in the year, I calculated how much I paid in PayPal fees and shipping materials (packing tape, bubble wrap, oversized boxes...aren't free) and the amount I paid was stunning.

When you ask people to pay the PayPal fees, many get offended and act as this is my cost of doing business. Frankly, PayPal gives the buyer protections and the seller absolutely NONE. There is no benefit and I'd rather use good old-fashioned money orders. I've been scammed twice now from buyers that requested that I send items regular USPS mail. I've had two claims made from buyers saying that I never shipped. I can't provide tracking for regular mail, so PayPal automatically sides with the buyer and deducts the funds from me. Neither were huge, but getting scammed for any amount is very frustrating.

And, oh by the way, to those that reply "just pay for tracking" that not only increases my shipping costs but it doesn't prevent the same issue with PayPal from occurring. I shipped three working vector boards to an eBay buyer last year via FedEx Home Delivery with tracking. Buyer said I sent an empty box. I provided tracking information showing delivery WITH the verified package weight of 10 lbs (doesn't seem empty to me) and PayPal STILL sided with the buyer as I couldn't prove the items were there.

As you can see, I'm not a PayPal fan.

Scams used to be less frequent, but with a bad economy it seems more people are reverting to this. Buying or selling is not an ironclad transaction any longer.
 
I will gift if it's under $30 or so, and I really know the person. As a seller I don't ask either way. If they gift, then great! I usually don't charge for boxes (which are usually new) or static bags or peanuts. If they don't gift then no biggie. My only advice is that if a seller is put off because you won't gift, then run away!
 
i prefer it as a gift once you get over about 20.00 or so. I had just received a payment yesterday of 400.00 and it took out about 23.00 in fees!!
 
C'mon y'all - most sellers who've been doing this for a while automatically figure in the cost of fees when they price something. If I have a board I want $25 for and I know shipping will be about $17 and fees will be about $2-3, then I ask for $45 shipped. If someone gifts it - fine, but I never request it and fees are already compensated....
 
It's funny- I was just thinking about this the other day.

Basically, Paypal charges too much for the service. Small transactions- I've got no real issue. When you start sending $100, $200, or more, then you're paying several dollars for what really? Everybody has heard how much of a hassle it is to file claims and wait and all the hoops you have to jump through.

I'd say the 'protection' is worth something, but not several bucks.

As far as sellers asking for 'gift' payments, I think it's reasonable to split the fee with them. You know? Hell- I give paypal/ebay a little piece of everything that comes in. Some people send as a gift, but then you have to get a shipping address somehow and keep that tied to the payment- that's a small hassle too.

Do you know what I remember? (tell us granpa..)
I remember writing checks and MAILING them or for the guys that didn't want a check, going to the post office and getting a MONEY ORDER and mailing that. Hell- even on the receiving end, you would have to go to the bank or post office and cash it. I don't miss that at ALL.

So, sellers who ask for 'gift' payments:
Consider if the small fee is enough to save the hassle of dealing with snail mail and the bank or post office. You're getting the convenience factor out of paypal and asking the person you're dealing with to foot the bill if they want the 'protection'.

Paypal tried to make it fair by only adding the fees on one side of the transaction- the recipient's side. If you buy and sell, it works out.

Just pay the fee or get the money a different way. I'll send you a check through billpay to keep you from paying paypal fees, but then you've got to drag your ass to the bank...

K
 
I'm happy to send a payment as a gift to well-known and long time KLOV members.

I send invoices for all of my key chain orders and don't really care about the fee. The invoices via Paypal help me keep everything straight on my end.
 
I never ask for gift because I want both the seller and buyer to have protection. On small items I don't say anything but on larger purchases I have begun to ask buyers to cover the PayPal fees. I think it's fair because I have to buy the pallet, banding and shrink wrap. Not to mention that the shipping dock is about almost an hour away each way. I think it gives piece of mind on the transaction. As far as sending goes, I won't send as a gift, period.
 
Someone recently paid me with a 'gift' payment, but never sent me their address, so their parts have been sitting on my desk for a week.

I like not getting hosed on paypal fees, but it's a pain in the ass to use USPS.com to print labels instead of the paypal app, so it's a bit of a tossup to me.
 
HudsonArcade said:
I like not getting hosed on paypal fees, but it's a pain in the ass to use USPS.com to print labels instead of the paypal app, so it's a bit of a tossup to me.
Click to expand...

Forgot about that. To avoid going to USPS.com and printing a label instead of doing it directly from Paypal is worth the extra fee for me.
 
I agree with Hudson and Oldtymetoys. I prefer you don't send it as a gift, that way, i have your shipping address, and UPS is always a couple dollars cheaper if i use them through paypal, so it works out about the same either way, and its much less hassle to use the PP shipping app.
 
If you have worked with someone before there is nothing wrong with sending as a "gift" thats saving money for us small hard working families vs more money in ebay/paypal's pocket
 
Why can't you use the payment owed option? Isn't that free too? Or does the buyer pay for that? What's the difference between 'payment owed' and 'gift'?
 
My favorite method of receiving payment is an overnight envelope full of cash.
 
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