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wondering about the paypal 3%

Sorry, repeating myself for those who choose not to read something i've already made perfectly clear is not an ideal use of my time :)

Like I said, No offense.

And yes, the paypal fee is simply wrong in every way.... charging a customer to take your money on top of shipping and the cost of the animal is simply spitting in their faces....

4%? Wow..... what nerve. Would probably be a good idea to link sellers you see charging such a fee to this thread in the future. Many simply do not know it is illegal. And some, like the person charging 4%...... are simply out to take advantage of you.
 
If it's not an "ideal use of your time" then don't reply. Pretty simple. :)

I have pointed out to a few individuals that it was a bad idea for for more then one reason to charge the extra 3% (or 4% *lol*)...They didn't take too kindly to it and in so many words I've been told... "Mind your own ****ing business...I'll do what I want..."

:)
 
blckkat said:
If it's not an "ideal use of your time" then don't reply. Pretty simple. :)

I have pointed out to a few individuals that it was a bad idea for for more then one reason to charge the extra 3% (or 4% *lol*)...They didn't take too kindly to it and in so many words I've been told... "Mind your own ****ing business...I'll do what I want..."

:)
Click to expand...


Well hell, if they want to be assholes, forward those mails to paypal. LOL

:raspberry
 
I've inquired on a few animals and been told that there would be a 3% fee to use PayPal for amounts greater than $100. When I mentioned that that was a violation of PayPal's TOS, I was told that on the more expensive animals, they just couldn't afford to take that loss. What a joke, I mean, WHAT A JOKE! When you think about it for a minute that is only $30 IF your talking about a $1000 purchase price. I think that some of them haven't even taken the effort to figure out what the fee amounts to. One thing that I have done with these people after being informed of this "requirement", is offer them an amount that is 5% less than their asking price (they usually accept, then remind me that I have to add the extra $ for PayPal)
 
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Yeah, that works well. When you subtract 5% and make the offer they are too stupid to realize they are losing even more money than simply waiving the 3% fee. lol
 
hhmoore said:
One thing that I have done with these people after being informed of this "requirement", is offer them an amount that is 5% less than their asking price (they usually accept, then remind me that I have to add the extra $ for PayPal)
Click to expand...
Ok, THAT is FUNNY!
 
Just to clear up any confusion, I wrote directly to PayPal and inquired. Their response essentially quoted what I had quoted:

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 3:13 AM
To: James Ohlstein
Subject: Re: SendingaPayment (Routing Code: C840-L001-Q414-T3345-S111) QID129 (KMM8359649V62607L0KM)


Dear James Ohlstein,

Thank you for contacting PayPal.

PayPal offers our members access to the world's leading online payment
service. As our network of members has grown, an increasing number of
sellers of goods and services are accepting payments through PayPal.

Under Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express regulations and the
laws of several states, including California, merchants may not charge a
fee to the buyer for accepting credit card payments (often called a
'surcharge').

· In order to comply with these laws and regulations, sellers may not
charge a fee for accepting PayPal

· This limitation does not prevent sellers from imposing a handling
fee in connection with the sale of goods or services, as long as the
handling fee does not operate as a surcharge (in other words, the handling
fee for transactions paid through PayPal may not be higher than the
handling fee for transactions paid through other payment methods)

· Sellers residing in the United Kingdom and listing items for sale on
a UK-based website may impose a surcharge, but only under the following
conditions:

1. Both the buyer and seller reside in the United Kingdom;

2. The purchase price is paid in pounds sterling;

3. The surcharge imposed by the seller is no greater than is
necessary to recover the receiving fees incurred by the seller;

4. The seller clearly indicates to the buyer prior to the buyer's
submission of a bid or (in non-auction transactions) prior to completion of the purchase that a surcharge will be incurred and the amount of the
surcharge

Thank you for using PayPal for your online payment needs.

Sincerely,
Mary
Protection Services Department
PayPal, an eBay Company

Original Message Follows:
------------------------
Form Message
customer subject: Seller wants to pass PayPal fees on
customer message: Additional Information: 'Is a seller allowed to ask for
an additional 3% over the agreed on price for using PayPal?

Thanks,


Jim
Click to expand...
So unless both parties are in the UK and it is a pound sterling denominated transaction it is a violation of the TOS
 
Um... so why not just factor in the paypal surcharge into asking prices and then offer a cash discount? :shrug01:
 
PaulSage said:
Um... so why not just factor in the paypal surcharge into asking prices and then offer a cash discount? :shrug01:
Click to expand...
Beat you to it, look up.

The price I display on my site is the price I want plus enough to cover any fees like paypal. If someone wants to p/u and pay cash I'll charge them less. Not only does cash allow me to avoid the charge but no packing up the animals and no drive to Fedex.
Click to expand...

:raspberry
 
DragonCharm said:
Beat you to it, look up.



:raspberry
Click to expand...
I guess I kinda meant it as a rhetorical question ... that and I'm curious as to whether or not that would violate any TOS to be charging two different prices that are dependent upon the method of payment.
 
PaulSage said:
I guess I kinda meant it as a rhetorical question ... that and I'm curious as to whether or not that would violate any TOS to be charging two different prices that are dependent upon the method of payment.
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I don't think it would be......it kind of is the same in a roundabout way though. But if you notice some gas stations (very few these days) charge a cash price and a credit price. Since this is legal and flatout charging a surcharge is not I assume in the eyes of the law this is legal. Of course the TOS doesn't have to agree with the law, it might still violate their TOS.
 
Came across the options buying software today:

CREDIT CARD online now (no processing fee except for Diners Club + 4%)
CREDIT CARD by FAX (+ US $3.00 manual processing fee)
CREDIT CARD by PHONE (+ US $3.00 manual processing fee)
Wire or local money transfer (surcharges apply - see next page)
CHECK by US, CAD or UK checks or International Money Orders (+ US $3.00 manual processing fee)
PAYPAL (+ US $3.00 manual processing fee)
 
When selling on eBay, I factor in PayPal and eBay fees before setting my minimum bid. Most people use PayPal these days, at least for baseball memorabilia and Native American art, so it's easier just to do it that way. If I'm not selling on eBay, I set a reasonable price and if some people use PayPal and some send a money order, it all seems to balance out in the long run. I'd rather have people use PayPal because it's so much faster to get paid and I can ship quicker.
 
PaulSage said:
Um... so why not just factor in the paypal surcharge into asking prices and then offer a cash discount? :shrug01:
Click to expand...

I don't think this is legal either. I know as a retailer I can not legally offer a 2% cash discount. A gas station near me used to do this but was turned in and forcced to stop. Laws may differ from state to state but I think at the very least it is in violation of the TOS of the large credit card companies (visa MC amex etc.) and they can revoke your agreement to accept their cards if you do.

Steve
 
There's quite a few gas stations around here that offer a 2 or 3% discount for cash over credit card, so it must be legal here.

Then again, Iowa's kinda backwards. :hehe:
 
Cat_72 said:
There's quite a few gas stations around here that offer a 2 or 3% discount for cash over credit card, so it must be legal here.

Then again, Iowa's kinda backwards. :hehe:
Click to expand...
The signs at the pump in some cases are specially made to show 2 prices, cash and credit. It's gotta be legal some places.
 
I wish I wouldn't have missed it...although there is very little for me to add...

I know in Illinois...the CASH/CREDIT price variation on gasoline is gone...haven't seen it in years...

Paypal WILL ABSOLUTELY check anyone that is reported to charge an extra percentage to cover their paypal fees...as long as someone reports them...and has enough information from their ad or profile to find their account...

I called about someone posting an ad with 3.5% extra to use paypal...on a $1200 dollar animal...just to find out what their policy is...the service rep I talked to seemed VERY interested in finding out who the person was...to "remind" them of the TOS and make sure they were complying...but they couldn't get enough info from the ad or profile to make a positive user id...

Of course there are many places that charge a credit card use surcharge...being legal is all in how you bill it, I'm sure.
 
Now that I think about it the problem in Wisconsin may come from the minimum markup law that gas stations have to follow. They are required to mark up their gas a certain percentage and that's where most stations run it. If one station offers a discount for cash then they are essentially selling the gas at below the minimum markup making it illegal.

Steve
 
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