PayPal fees

Not sure if this is best place or even the right place but this subject is really starting to tick me off!

Of the last three snake purchases I have attempted to make ALL of the sellers have requested payment by PayPal by friends and family or for ME to add on the 3% fee.
When I have then duly informed them I will not be sending by friends and family as that is NOT what that function is for and that it may also leave me with no recourse to any action with PayPal if there was a problem, and that it is against PayPal TOS to ask the buyer to pay the fees, they usually get all bent out of shape and disagree with me.
I point out that the fee is to go towards PayPal operating costs and as such is part and parcel of doing business with PayPal and for the convenience of having the cash available to them right away.
Unfortunately the end result is that we usually end up not doing any business.
Of these last three, two were somewhat known and established breeders ( not posting any names obviously as it is not the BOI)

Now yes I could capitulate and pay the fee buy why should I?
In one case it would only have been about $11 but still it is wrong and if nothing else I am a man of principles!

Have others been noticing an increasing trend in this direction of late?

If a seller is trying to force you to lose all protections as a buyer either knowingly or in an attempt to bypass paying a fee for a service that makes them money, they're not worth doing business with. It's unethical for them to do it. You did the right thing by standing your ground.

PayPal fees are a cost of doing business FOR the business. Just like the fees that sellers have to pay in order to have a credit card account.

Just tell the sellers that unless they are "friends and family" and the money is a bonafide gift, then they just don't qualify to receive funds in that manner. If they want to become "friends", then how about a "friendly" discount, buddy? If they argue with you, just terminate the conversation and find what you want elsewhere. If more people act in this manner, the problem will eventually become self resolving.

I buy a fair number of items on the net using PayPal, and I have NEVER, EVER had any seller insist on this sort of nonsense.

I get dinged by fees on every transaction made for memberships, sponsorships, and advertising from my FaunaAds.com website. Do I like having to lose that money to fees? Nope. But I would like it even less if there wasn't an online function like PayPal to process those payments easily and conveniently. They need to make money in order to stay in business. That's just the way it is. Ya wanna play, ya gotta pay.

Originally Posted by Black Adder

Have others been noticing an increasing trend in this direction of late?

Yes! I've completed several purchase transactions this year, and all but two sellers asked me to send payment via PayPal's friends and family option. I pointed out that I'm not willing to forfeit my buyer protection in case there's a problem. I was then asked to include the fee in my payment. I know I shouldn't have, but I caved, because I really wanted the snakes. It wasn't a lot of money, but of course, that isn't the point.

To me, the fees should be considered a cost of doing business, just like any other merchant that accepts credit cards has to pay. It's not right to cheat PayPal out of their revenues, and as a seller, I wouldn't want to lose my account privileges by violating their TOS.

Kathy

Just last night I lost out on what was imo a smoking deal but I refused to send the money( $2475) by friends&family or pay the 3% fee.
Sort of annoyed me to miss it but the only way we are going to fix this trend is by NOT complying with these seller demands that are actually against PayPal TOS.

I wonder if these sellers were reported to Paypal if it would make any difference?

I can't stand it when people do that. If it's someone I know well or have done a lot of business with I'll usually send it friends or family just as a gesture, but if I'm buying and someone does that I get really offended. If you're selling and using PayPal, you pay the fees associated with it. That would be like a restaurant making you pay 3% more to cover credit card fees.

You can ask paypal what their thoughts on it are, but I doubt they'll be too interested.

It's annoying and makes all the other users of paypal look bad. People need to figure out that they need to accept or ask a price that will get them what they want AFTER all fees are taken out. If not, then I think it's their problem, and not the buyers.

I send my sons money sometimes 'friends and family' that is what it is for. But to me, using that form of payment if a business transaction is involved is ripping Paypal off and is to me, is flat out wrong.
I wonder sometimes how buyers can't figure out that 'saving the seller some fees' means that Paypal doesn't get those fees, and how they do not realize that is how Paypal as a company, and Paypal's employees, make their living.

I really don't understand why people get so up in arms when a seller wants you to cover the 3% fees. If I sell you a snake tomorrow and price it at $13 so I can make $10 after fees are you going to be mad? I really just don't see the problem.

I think the biggest issue with this is the fact the sellers aren't already accounting for this 3% before prices start being thrown around. If you are going to sell something you should account for that in your price and not bring it up afterwards. That's where the problems occur. There is nothing wrong with upping your price to cover what is essentially an operating cost for you...unless you already agreed on a price and are trying to add it on afterwards.

Bottom line either pay the 3% if it is still a price you like or just walk away.

Originally Posted by MrTPlush

I really don't understand why people get so up in arms when a seller wants you to cover the 3% fees. If I sell you a snake tomorrow and price it at $13 so I can make $10 after fees are you going to be mad? I really just don't see the problem.

I think the biggest issue with this is the fact the sellers aren't already accounting for this 3% before prices start being thrown around. If you are going to sell something you should account for that in your price and not bring it up afterwards. That's where the problems occur. There is nothing wrong with upping your price to cover what is essentially an operating cost for you...unless you already agreed on a price and are trying to add it on afterwards.

Bottom line either pay the 3% if it is still a price you like or just walk away.

Hmm
So even though against PayPal tos you advocate FOR the buyer paying feed
Interesting!