# Pay Pal



## Gordon (Sep 28, 2005)

I've seen alot of bad press lately on the internet regarding problems with using Pay Pal.

Any one out there had Pay Pal problems ?

Thanks

Gordon


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## Randy_ (Sep 28, 2005)

I've used it about 50x and never had a problem.....actually been pretty happy with how they operate.  But I have heard of the horror stories that some folks have experienced.  Sort of like the post office.....even if their success rate is 99.99999999%, that still makes for quite a few problems.  I have my PayPal linked to a secondary bank account so even if there is a problem, it doesn't mess up my finances in a big way.  Having a bank account just for PP and keeping a minimal balance is probably a wise move!!


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## hombre4 (Sep 28, 2005)

I have been using PayPal for several years and haven't had any problems (knock on wood), although with all the people using it I am sure there have been some problems. I like Randy's ideal about the seperate bank account just for PayPal. I think I might do that myself. Nothing is 100%.


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## Ron Mc (Sep 28, 2005)

Gordon,
I've used PayP#l for about 3 years and haven't had a problem. I do safeguard myself by having it connected to a second account that I always keep a limited amount of funds in just in case. I also have a debit card that takes funds from my PayP#l account that I use for online purchase due to the rebate.
I do know someone that had a problem that was never resolved but luckily to date I haven't had an issue with them.


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## Old Griz (Sep 28, 2005)

I have been using paypal forever, it seems, and have never had a problem.. I have a merchant account with them also that I use for sales on my scroll saw patterns web site and also have never had a problem...


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## rduncan (Sep 28, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Gordon_
> <br />I've seen alot of bad press lately on the internet regarding problems with using Pay Pal.
> 
> Any one out there had Pay Pal problems ?
> ...


I'll add a "ditto" here.  I've never had an issue. What type of problems are you reading??  I've heard of sellers having buyers who get PayPal issue a "charge back" (or whatever the exact term) and the seller, I understand, is in the position of proving they delivered as advertised, etc.  As a buyer it's teh best thing going (in my humble opinion).

Rick


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## jkoehler (Sep 28, 2005)

We had a problem that wasn't really PayPal. It was one of those email scams. someone sent an email which looked like it was from PayPal. it said that they were doing a verification of our account for security reason and asked for us to provide the banking information.
My wife did this and then her credit card balance went through the roof. since then, we have not had the nerve to sign up again.


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## Rifleman1776 (Sep 28, 2005)

> _Originally posted by jkoehler_
> <br />We had a problem that wasn't really PayPal. It was one of those email scams. someone sent an email which looked like it was from PayPal. it said that they were doing a verification of our account for security reason and asked for us to provide the banking information.
> My wife did this and then her credit card balance went through the roof. since then, we have not had the nerve to sign up again.



Above is good advice, I was going to say much the same thing. The so-called 'bad press' you often see is from scams. Read those stories carefully to be sure the problem is not generated by PP but crooks. I use PP successfully and like it.


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## wdcav1952 (Sep 28, 2005)

That particular email scam is circulating again.  There is always some sort of spam-scam going on with someone wanting your "money for nothing"  It's a great Dire Straits song, but a lousy thing to have happen online.


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## Ron Mc (Sep 28, 2005)

I trash all e-mails that come in from what looks to be e-mail or I forward them to the e-mail address listed below and have PP verify it for me.
Here is some very good information for everyone that came off of the PP site.

"Email Security

Look for a PayPal Greeting: PayPal will never send an email with the greeting "Dear PayPal User" or "Dear PayPal Member." Real PayPal emails will address you by your first and last name or the business name associated with your PayPal account. If you believe you have received a fraudulent email, please forward the entire emailâ€”including the header informationâ€”to [spoof[at]paypal.com]. We investigate every spoof reported. Please note that the automatic response you get from us may not address you by name. 
Don't share personal information via email: We will never ask you to enter your password or financial information in an email or send such information in an email. You should only share information about your account once you have logged in to your PP account.
Don't download attachments: PayPal will never send you an attachment or software update to install on your computer." 
Hope this helps.


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## gerryr (Sep 28, 2005)

The same scam is circulating about eBay.  I've twice received what looked like eBay email at my work address.  The email wanted me to verify all my account information or the account would be closed for inactivity.  The first one was just a month after making several purchases on eBay.  I knew it was a scam because I have never registered my work email with eBay.  If you get this one, just forward it on to eBay.


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## RussFairfield (Sep 28, 2005)

Like Randy, Tom, and the others,  I have been using PayPal for several years for on-line sales, and I have never had a problem.  

PayPal should be no different than making on-line transactions with your personal bank. The security is the same. If you are already doing this, then PayPal should  be no problem. If you don't trust the Internet to gain access to your personal banking accounts,  then stay away from PayPal. 

If you choose to use PayPal there are some things you can do to insure security of your account. I do all of these things, and have had no problems. 

My bank recommended that I have a separate savings account dedicated to transferred Internet funds. Moving the money from this account to checking requires a separate transaction. I limit exposure if there is ever a problem by never allowing a blanace to accumulate in this this account or the PayPal account. 

There will always be the hustlers out there who will send very official looking e-mails asking for personal and credit card information, and providing a link to their website. IGNORE THEM.

NEVER respond to a link in an e-mail message. DO NOT make changes or add information to your account without initiating the changes from your computer after gaining access to your account through direct access to their website and access passwords. 

PayPal recommends periodically changing your e-mail address and password that are used for your account. I use an e-mail address that is only for PayPal, and do make those changes once a year or whenever the numbers of the phoney e-mails becomes annoying.

This has been working so far.


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## jkoehler (Sep 28, 2005)

I have heard of another way to know if it is valid.
If you watch the address that you are redirected to when you click on the URL link.
if it shows an IP address and not an actual name, you know it is a scam.


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## Ron Mc (Sep 28, 2005)

eBay typically will not send you and e-mail unless you have won or lost an auction. If I get something from eBay I open my account (typing the URL in myself) go to my "My Messages" link and see if the message from them is in my "in box". If not, I delete the e-mail because it's a scam.
The problem with clicking a link is that your computer is now ready to receive whatever spy-ware that the site is fixing to dump on it. I wouldn't open the link at all. That's exactly what they want you to do.


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## btboone (Sep 28, 2005)

I've used PayPal for several years and thousands of transactions.  For me, it's a good way for resellers of my stuff to pay me for sales on a weekly basis.  I've only had one or two of the disputes, where a customer claimed to not get their merchandise, but those were found to be where the shipper left the items in a different location.  In general, it works well.  I like it because the money is out of sight and out of mind.  We use it for taxes when it builds up, or for paying on one time supplies that I buy on the Internet for prototyping new stuff.  Like any bank, they keep changing their terms and it gets more and more expensive as the rules change.


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## alamocdc (Sep 28, 2005)

Like so many of the others, I've been using PayPal for 7 or 8 years without incident. Just be smart.


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## rtjw (Sep 28, 2005)

Ditto for me also. I havent had any problems. Hope that continues.


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## MDWine (Sep 28, 2005)

Last month I got hit for $2500.  Fortunately I didn't have that much money, and the transaction was refused by my bank.  It actually happened twice.  I think there must have been a trojan or something on my machine, which got my password, and placed the request.  I was charged a 'bounce' fee from my bank, but they refunded it after I went to the office and explained (and threatened to go to another bank).

I made a big mistake not upgrading my virus/firewall software, it was about 6 or 8 months old!  After spending about $100 on virus and firewall software, I haven't seen any further problems.

I just got up the nerve to try it again, and so far so good.  (I got my wood, so Dario must have gotten paid!)

You have to be VERY careful!!


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## Ligget (Sep 28, 2005)

No problems this side of the pond either, I love PayPal![]


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## Rifleman1776 (Sep 28, 2005)

> _Originally posted by MDWine_
> <br />Last month I got hit for $2500.  Fortunately I didn't have that much money, and the transaction was refused by my bank.  It actually happened twice.  I think there must have been a trojan or something on my machine, which got my password, and placed the request.  I was charged a 'bounce' fee from my bank, but they refunded it after I went to the office and explained (and threatened to go to another bank).
> 
> I made a big mistake not upgrading my virus/firewall software, it was about 6 or 8 months old!  After spending about $100 on virus and firewall software, I haven't seen any further problems.
> ...



Michael, your story is common with folks who do not maintain their computers. I wrote a computer advice column for almost nine years. In it, I always emphasized that I was not a computer geek, but, instead a perpetual beginner and experienced user. Using the computer as a tool is the key. I have two utilities that (so far, in sixteen years) has saved me from the kind of experience you described. One washes temps, internet history files,  overwrites deletes and, I think, even empties the kitty litter box. The other is the popular SpyBot Search and Destroy. One of my most popular columns, that I repeated by request several times, was titled "I don't get spam. Why do you?" And that's a fact. Maybe three times a year (Yes, year, not day), I'll get something from some Nigerian wanting to give me 20 million dollars. Thats' it. You need to maintain those updates and clean out the dusty closet.


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## swm6500 (Sep 28, 2005)

I have been using paypal as a buyer since it first started, I have not had any problems to date. I forward all emails that I judge suspicious to the spoof email address for paypal. Usually if you place your cursor on a link, it will show you the url it is to, and it is not to Paypal. Never give out your personal information to people sending you email.


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## elody21 (Sep 28, 2005)

I get several spoofs a month saying that there is a charge and if this is not correct click here and your money will be returned.NEVER EVER click anywhere!!!!!!!!!!!! If you do they then ask for alll kinds of info and they have you!!!Forward to spoof@paypal.net They will handle it. I then check my paypal account and not once has any of these charges actually shown up. I check the account several times a week. I hate to say it but each time I got a statement back from paypal saying it was because of a purchase out of the US. There are less constrictions. I have purchased many times from out of the US, New Zealand, Ireland , England, Australia etc...


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## bobaltig (Sep 29, 2005)

I too got one of those PayPal scam emails last week.  I called PayPal to report it to them and they told me that any legitimate email from PayPal will always begin with Dear (Your name): 

If you don't see that at the top of the email, it's bogus.  The latest one is a phish mail asking for perosnal information and a subject line about an email address being added to your PayPal account.  Never, never, put any personal email on one of these.

Bob A  []


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## MDWine (Sep 29, 2005)

wait... you mean that locked account in Africa is not there?  I'm not getting the 20 Mil?  ...man, I quit my job today!  []

Yeah, Frank, I got cheap and lazy.  As you well know, that's one area you cannot get cheap in!  Lesson learned!


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## alamocdc (Sep 29, 2005)

My dad asked me why I kept wasting $30/year on my McAfee subscription until he got hit about four months ago. Now he too is a believer. Just because you have an anti-virus program doesn't mean you are protected. It needs to be updated regularly! Like Frank, I run Spybot S&D (about every other month), but I also run two more and they find things that it doesn't and vice versa. I get a little more spam than Frank, but it's getting better. []


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## jeff (Sep 29, 2005)

> _Originally posted by swm6500_
> <br />.... Usually if you place your cursor on a link, it will show you the url it is to, and it is not to Paypal.


Even if you do see what looks like a legit URL, be suspicious. There are exploits for IE and popular email clients that spoof the URL in the status line.  When I get an email that looks legit, I open a fresh browser window and go to the site in question.  If there's really a problem, I'll see it once I'm in my account.


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## Dario (Sep 29, 2005)

I used paypal for 6 years now.  Never had a problem with illegal transaction and hope it stays that way.

I did have a couple of problems related to eBay for items not received and an item I returned but never got re-imbursed.  Here is the story.

After a lengthy investigation, Paypal instructed me to return the damaged item but USPS didn't scan the delivery confirmation...only the insurance slip which the seller signed for.  I provided a copy to Paypal but they maintained that since they cannot confirm it online they cannot reimburse me and they closed the case.  I lost $380.00 on that transaction.  The seller will have his just rewards...I do believe in Karma.


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## knottyharry (Oct 3, 2005)

I have never really had a problem with PayPal.
But I did get a scam letter the other day on an official looking form...it was identical to PayPal.
It said something about a new name on our account....and knowing nothing had been added, I reported it to PayPal.
They did verify that it was a scam, and they would be looking into it.
Harry


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## Rifleman1776 (Oct 4, 2005)

Harry, your experience is typical. The problem(s) people encounter are not with Pay Pal, they are with crooks (scammer/spammers/whatever) who disguise as PP. To the best of my knowledge and experience, Pay Pal is a good, efficient business that provides a useful service for small-time traders like most of us here.


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## chigdon (Oct 4, 2005)

I have used Paypal since it's inception without problems.  However a close friend of mine had a problem with them in which he lost money and quite a bit of time dealing with the issue.  

There are very real problems that some people have had and they are not all 'scams'.  The scams are a seperate issue all together.  I will keep using Paypal but if something does go wrong it can go very wrong and you can't expect them to help you work through the problem like a bank or American Express or a similar institution.  Just know the risks.


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## ed4copies (Oct 4, 2005)

FYI

Dawn got a good one yesterday-she had purchased a Rolex watch for $199, they needed additional info to ship.  It's a scam, but she's pretty savvy and she said it was the best imitation she has seen yet.

Reported to PayPal-it's "going around".  Just a word to the wise.


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## arjudy (Oct 4, 2005)

I have use Paypal mainly in conjunction with Ebay and have never had any problems with it.


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## knottyharry (Oct 6, 2005)

Hi Frank,
Yes you are right. I have used paypal a number of times for various transactions. I have never had a problem with them.
You just have to watch out for the scammers.
They have stuff that is identical in looks to paypal sites, etc. and a wrong click of the mouse could cost a person dearly.
Harry


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## BigRob777 (Oct 6, 2005)

I have been using paypal since May and have logged about a 500 uses, paying, receiving funds and making transfers, with zero problems.
Rob


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## Glass Scratcher (Oct 7, 2005)

> _Originally posted by chigdon_
> <br />I have used Paypal since it's inception without problems.  However a close friend of mine had a problem with them in which he lost money and quite a bit of time dealing with the issue.
> 
> There are very real problems that some people have had and they are not all 'scams'.  The scams are a seperate issue all together.  I will keep using Paypal but if something does go wrong it can go very wrong and you can't expect them to help you work through the problem like a bank or American Express or a similar institution.  Just know the risks.



After finding this site a year or so ago,

http://www.nopaypal.com/

I consider the risks of using Paypal/Ebay every time I place bid.


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