[Closed] Not using Paypal 'gift'

eh?

I wouldn't use paypal gift. And I wouldn't buy from you judging from your tone.

Nowt gets posted from me till funds have arrived and cleared. I am a quite trusting person but thats the way it is.

End of

I always pay the Fees if i buy something,its only 4%

Shoulda refunded him OP.

Simples

The reason for NOT using Paypal gift is that the buyer has less protection. If it were you and I, and you were happy that I received the goods before paying you, I'd be happy to use the Gift option.

I don't buy from people who ask for "gift", it's not a bloody gift, I'm buying something

i avoid anything that askes for paypal gift even if it's an unbeatable deal, unless i know them personally, too risky otherwise

as above really. hope your were slightly calmer in your emails to him?

Never trust anyone with poor grammar, that's my motto.
You spend most of your time using the free classified, you ask for an unprotected transaction and then call the buyer a muppet... I smell something, not sure what but something smells... Not very bright...

why so stuck on paypal? bank sort code and account number, BACS money across.

not using "gift" is so that PP offers some clawback option for the buyer* if you don't send the gear. As such, the buyer should pay the fee as far as I'm concerned (I got "done" once like this by a buyer from here - I'd sent off the part before the money (mostly) arrived or I'd have kept it)

(Ed) *it's also because that's the rules and it's a tad "fraudy" to do a gift just to avoid paying fees

I see. The few times I've bought or sold stuff on here, there's been an exchange of emails such that there's sufficient mutual trust going on... it's been slightly worrying but has worked so far

Some interesting viewpoints. It's been my experience that almost everyone who sells on the classifieds here asks for paypal gift - seems to have become the norm.

Some interesting viewpoints. It's been my experience that almost everyone who sells on the classifieds here asks for paypal gift - seems to have become the norm.

How many of the "I've sent the money and nothing's arrived. What can I do I paid Paypal gift?" threads have you seen? Surely there is too high a risk with Paypal gift, I simply wouldn't buy.

vdubber67 - Member
Some interesting viewpoints. It's been my experience that almost everyone who sells on the classifieds here asks for paypal gift - seems to have become the norm.

The buyer have recieved the item after sending him an email if the stuff got to him ok and also mention the 'gift' payment, he respond back saying he got the item and no mention about the 'gift', yes I was calm and polite on emails before and afterwards.

Now I am disappointed about it hence using the word 'muppet' on here.

Maybe it would be a good idea if Paypal remove the 'gift' payment off the system and the sellers have to put up with fees as most seem to think 'gift' is not good.

Then people who send genuine gifts get charged. 🙄

I think people are overestimating the protection you get from paypal outside ebay.

Also, if you request paypal gift in the advert then people should honour that imo.

'Then people who send genuine gifts get charged'

nope don simon, no charge on either buyer or seller, did not you know that?

Also, if you request paypal gift in the advert then people should honour that imo.

or just move on and ignore the advert like i do

I tend to ask for payment via paypal gift or bank transfer, and generally pay by either. I do tend to at least check out folks posting history, base alot on the emails, and will leave anything that just does feel right. I've bought and sold plenty and never had a problem. One chap did ask if could pay by 'normal' paypal, and I was happy to do but asked him to cover the fee's, which he did. I price with postage and no fee's in mind, and have no problem adding on the fees.

Maybe it would be a good idea if Paypal remove the 'gift' payment off the system and the sellers have to put up with fees as most seem to think 'gift' is not good.

'Then people who send genuine gifts get charged'

nope don simon, no charge on either buyer or seller, did not you know that?

I never send money as a gift. Paypal benefits the seller as well as it makes the transaction swift and simple, much better than messing about trying to find time to pay in cheques and then waiting for them to clear or emailing over your bank details.

If a buyer is stating gift, I ignore them, make the payment normally but just tick the "I'll pay the fee's" box. I bought a razor off here a few months ago and the seller emailed me complaining that Paypal had deducted fee's...I think he thought it was a free service!

often you seem to get charged on paypal gift any how.

If you send more than £25-£30 there is a charge

If one of the people isnt registered you get charged.

If you dont have your bank account details in paypal you get charged.

And sometimes no matter what I do there is a charge, I dont really get how it works.

The sender gets charged if their account it not verified or something along those lines.

People that demand people send payment by a gift are a little silly tbh. I'd never do it unless I knew the recipient. I certainly wouldnt consider it when the recipient has only been registered with the website for a month.

Just add the fees onto the total price and stop putting people in tricky situations.

Why don't you give the buyer the choice of how to pay? i.e. £100 if Paypal gift or £105 if normal paypal - job done!

I bought a razor off here a few months ago and the seller emailed me complaining that Paypal had deducted fee's...I think he thought it was a free service!

I usually ask for pp gift though am happy enough to take non gift if the buyer pays the fee.

or just move on and ignore the advert like i do

Yup fair enough. I've bought loads of stuff using paypal gift and never had a problem though.

If a buyer is stating gift, I ignore them, make the payment normally but just tick the "I'll pay the fee's" box.

This is also perfectly reasonable of course. Just ignoring the 'gift' bit and making them pay the fees without consultation is unreasonable imo.

I have no problem with Paypal Gift as I figure cheque/bank transfer also offers no protection and agree with what Grumm says about people overestimating the level of protection Paypal offers.

If someones out to con someone on here they will regardless of how you pay. When buying on the Classifieds, its all down to the research you do and the questions you ask; if you not happy, walk away as they'll always be a similar item come up for sale.

I usually ask for payment as gift. If the buyer obliges, great! If not, I take a hit on the fee, it's no big deal.

The sender gets charged if their account it not verified or something along those lines

Well that cant be true because sometimes when I try to use Paypal gift it wants a fee and sometimes not.

Clubbed you truly are a gent.

When you've been ripped off gifting people on here the OP might feel different. And how very dare they issue instructions to the buyer, wot a cheek.

Some people have sent me a gift before, much apprec but I'd not dream of asking never mind insisting, get a grip, or is this all a troll?

so you'd happily accept less than the agreed amount arriving in your account then, tinribz ?

not me - not again, anyway

I wish there was an option to add fees onto the amount as a buyer. I know it is an easy thing to work out but would rather know that the seller was getting what they were asking.

I have used gift and been scammed by someone on bikeradar - anyone live in WV4 want to go round and get some stuff for a few of us?

From now on I will use gift for someone who seems genuine (sells and posts a lot) but not for people with low post counts. I will offer to pay the fees.

I will not be using 'gift'again. I'm still waiting for and item I paid Ferrit32 for off here two weeks ago, he's gone AWOL too.

From now on I will use gift for someone who seems genuine [u](sells and posts a lot)[/u] but not for people with low post counts. I will offer to pay the fees.

I use PP gift and regular PP, generally if the seller is a regular on here it will be gift otherwise it would be regular PP with me paying the fee.

Someone off her paid me for an item by "PP gift" They never sent their postal address, I have sent an email a day requesting where to send to, but no reply for 4 days now.

I don't want to appear a scammer/poor seller I always try to post 1st class recorded next day when possible. I have sent another email to the "gifter" that if if I don't here back from him but Saturday I'm going to do a refund to him.

love-tubs where are thou......................

I still don't understand how easily people open themselves up to being ripped off (on here or other forums). If you treat it like you would ebay, there's very little risk so PP gift or bank transfer, it doesn't really matter.
Check seller's thread history, length of time they've been posting, other stuff they've sold and if you're happy, then buy. If you're not, then don't. If parting with large sums of cash then protect yourself, only buy from people who you can collect from and walk away with the goods.
It's worked for me so far so I'm happy to pay in any way required.

To the OP, as the seller, it's up to you to build into the price of the item enough to cover your costs (if that's what you want to do). So, add the paypal fee onto your asking price if necessary. If they don't know you from Adam, it's unreasonable to insist a buyer uses a payment method where they have no protection (PP Gift for example). If a seller insists on PPG & I don't know them, I'm not buying, simple.

But then the flips side is that if the buyer is happy to take the 'risk' having made a decision whether on balance that the seller is dodgy, why pay the fees?

Surely if the fees are to the sellers account, then they should pay them. Just because selllers have worked out a way to avoid fees which is against the rules, doesn't mean people should feel obligated to use it! Meh, I don't even use PayPal 🙂

Fair point (clubber) but it's no different to paying by card in a shop...the shop pays a fee for the transaction, not the buyer (usually). It's their choice whether they add that fee onto the asking price of the product. Let's not forget that sellers are bending the rules by using PPG. Personally, I hate Paypal and would always prefer bank transfers anyway as PP are taking the P with their fees these days.

I'm perfectly happy to take BT too but it sometimes means the buyer will have to wait longer for the transfer to happen.

not forget that sellers are bending the rules by using PPG

I bank with Lloyds and any tranfers I do (under £500) are instant. It's more convenient than paypal for me, and no fees.

If I sell you something for £100. I want £100 not £95. I'll take any payment method the buyer wants but I want the £100. If the buyer wants a quicker more secure service then they pay for it.

Remember, Paypal benefits buyers more than sellers. look at the other options....

Bank Transfer - no protection for buyer(seller gets money straight away)

Cash - No protection for buyer (Seller get money straight away, in post)

Cheque - Buyer has to wait for cheque to clear before things are sent (Poss 1 week delay for buyer)

Paypal - Seller has to withdraw money so has to wait maybe 3 - 4 days to receive money. [b]Buyer gets security and item is generally posted staright away.[/b] A service worth paying a little more for.

As a buyer, if I trust someone I will gift it. If I don't but am willing to take the risk I will paypal and pay the fee's. I don't mind paying fee's if it means I don't have to faff about sending a cheque and i'll receive the item a lot quicker.

I'd have thought that was the buyer whos "using" PPG. All the seller wants is a certain amount in their account - buyer can deliver that as they see fit and the seller can't force them either way
If I agree to sell you something for 20 quid, I'd like 20 quid for it please and you can pay the admin fee

+1 for NOT using gift.

Too easy to loose your money. Besides, the seller has to factor in the cost of the fees into their price.

No that isn't the point of this thread Don.
The seller dictated one method to ensure he got all of his money.
The buyer choose another method and didn't except the fee's himself, making the seller pay them.

IE the seller didn't get the full amount he asked for. The seller is calling him a muppet because he hasn't received the amount of money agreed in the sale.

Xiphon - why does the seller have to factor this in? If someone paid by cash / cheque / bank transfer there would be no fees to factor in.

Surely the buyer owes the seller an agreed amount and has to factor in expense if he chooses a payment method that charges.

IE the seller didn't get the full amount he asked for. The seller is calling him a muppet because he hasn't received the amount of money agreed in the sale.

Clearly I didn't understand the OP then. I humbly apologise and ask your sincere forgiveness for such an elementary mistake.

Equally anyone who calls someone a muppet on the forum they use to sell stuff won't be getting any of my money, PPG or not.

Sorry, I mean if the seller only accepts PayPal. So used to dealing with eBay people these days...

If they accept alternatives, such as cash-in-hand, bank transfer etc - then there will be no charge.

I tend to take an overall view of the 'deal' and as I buy more than I sell I would rather pay extra on the fees to cover myself if I feel it's appropriate. I think nearly all my recent buys have been via gift as the sellers are all well known. Luckily, the only problem I've had on here was sent as a purchase and I got the money back quite quickly.

However, if the payment type is not specified, then I would always send it through as a purchase rather than a gift, for the simple reason it isn't a gift and sellers should either add the cost on (and specify that in the ad) or swallow it .

I thought Paypal were cracking down on people receiving lots of gifts anyway.

I'm perfectly happy to take BT too but it sometimes means the buyer will have to wait longer for the transfer to happen.

They're almost instant now if done online even more so.

I've never quite understood the difference between Gift and Payment.

If I buy something for £50 posted and want to use Paypal (which is easiest for me after all) then I would expect to pay £50 plus the Paypal fees.

If I have two identical purchases and pay for purchase A as Paypal Gift and accept the fees, and purchase B as Paypal Payment for Goods/Services and accept the fees, what does the seller actually receive in each case?

Bought something recently which took forever to turn up (legitimately enough in the end) that I'd paid for using Paypal gift, accepting the fees, and it was only when I looked into what sort of comeback I had in the event of being scammed that I became aware of a difference.

What I don't understand is what the seller receives in each scenario?

If you have a PP account with a balance or you have a direct debit set up to pay off your purchases, you can PP gift with zero fees. It sounds like you (2tyred) have a credit card linked instead.

If you pp gift £50 to someone and don't pay the fees yourself, they'll get less than £50, just like if you did a normal non-gift payment.

Ah, it makes sense now - cheers clubber!

Paypal gift isn't free if you use a credit card, the money has to come out of the linked bank account.
Always use it myself as I'm a trusting (and trustworthy) kinda chap. Sounds like this "community" may have got too large to behave that way though. Especially with folk like the OP around. Doh.

I'm kinda torn on this.

I'm leaning towards thinking that if the OP has stated requirements prior to the sale, then someone has made a purchase, then the buyer has agreed to those terms irrespective of how ill-advised this may be.

For instance, if I post a sale saying that I'll only accept payment in major forms of carpet, then a prospective buyer shouldn't be agreeing to the purchase unless they've got 6m^2 of Axminster to hand.

If however the sale has been completed and then I subsequently go "oh, by the way, would you mind paying me in luxury floorcovering rather than pounds sterling," the buyer would be justified in telling me to do one.

If you don't like the terms, don't agree to the deal; that's the underlaying(*) principle to any purchase. No-one's forcing you to buy anything.

(* - ho ho!)

2tyred - you don't get seller protection with PPG, if something goes wrong.

This is a cheeky (and wrong, IMHO) way for PP to still charge for the service - but zero overhead admin costs (in regards to claims).

If you sent someone a gift, why would you open a case to demand the money back 😉

If I buy something for £50 posted and want to use Paypal (which is easiest for me after all) then I would expect to pay £50 plus the Paypal fees.

So if you sent me a cheque would you add something on for the petrol costs and parking fees for me to drive to the bank to pay the cheque into the bank?

If a buyer doesn't want to pay by gift, that's fine but they should pay the fees as it's them that's getting the advantage. You agree a price, you pay that amount to the seller. Open and shut. It's no different to agreeing a price then suddenly demanding a discount or a more expensive postal service (both of which I've also had)

I pay by Paypal gift as the saving on fees is considerable and the likelihood of making a claim is fairly small, but that's obviously the buyer's own decision to make.

breatheeasy - Member

If I buy something for £50 posted and want to use Paypal (which is easiest for me after all) then I would expect to pay £50 plus the Paypal fees.

So if you sent me a cheque would you add something on for the petrol costs and parking fees for me to drive to the bank to pay the cheque into the bank?

But because you've stated you accept cheque as a payment method then that is your choice (to bear the cost of petrol/parking yourself).

The OP's arguement is that the buyer paid via a method he didn't accept and as a result lost out on money. The buyer then didn't reply to any communication.

I'd never use paypal gift. I just pay the fees myself, it's an option in the payment options list. That way I get protection and they get what they expect. Asking for gift payment is like asking for sex without a condom, as the buyer you either need to know the person well or you're an idiot.

It's never a good thing to give Paypal money, you know.

Bank transfers are the best way, but again there's no buyer protection.

Asking for payment as a gift for what patently isn't is asking the buyer(a stranger)to collude in a deception for your advantage (no fee) and the buyer's disadvantage (no protection). I see no reason why the buyer/seller relationship should be any different here to ebay - on ebay the seller pays the admin fee, why not here? You are not paying an advertising fee after all.

If it were my forum I'd make it a rule to not request this in an advert. If users who know each other wish to arrange payment as a gift away from the forum that's up to them. It might have been all very well when the forum was a small matey group but those days are gone and known scamming is common.

If you are too tight and don't want to pay anything to advertise and get payment for your goods and don't want to attract those that pay with a credit card ask for a cheque and go to the faff of waiting ages and having to take it to the bank and watch the number of sales you make plummet.

I sold a frame & a chainset earlier in the year, and I asked the buyers to pay into a Justgiving account, which they both agreed to. Obviously if they'd had a problem I'd have been the person out of pocket as I would have had to refund out of my own pocket as the funds go direct to the charity from Just Giving. Charity would have won though as there was a gift aid made on the bigger payment.

In terms of PP I'll go with whatever the seller/buyer wishes to use.

i have my paypal set so that i pay the fees, i never pay as gift if over £20 even if they ask for gift i pay as a purchase anyway and put the extra in for the fees, anyone who complains about that is clearly trying to con you.

After reading some good response and some not so friendly comments, I have learned my lesson about this, if it happens again like Squiff have done to me, I will simply refund the money back, not paying the fee and dont intend to. If the buyer really want the item, then do the 'gift' if not happy about it then no item for buyer.

Simples.......

Would you object if someone used normal paypal and paid the fees at their end?

Otherwise even simplers:

I wouldn't use paypal gift. And I wouldn't buy from you judging from your tone.