to all of you ebayers--what do you think

[irmanator]

of that new policy re- no checks or money orders only paypal? I don't like paypal and wont use them so now I can't buy on ebay. I would buy jeans because i couldn't find anything i liked in the stores so i bought them on ebay. I would do a buy it now and immediatly print it and go buy a postal money order, it worked for me. But i wont buy if i have to use paypal because i got taken advantage of them as a seller and refuse to use them again.

[disneysteve]

I'm all in favor of it as both a seller and a buyer. Personal checks are worthless since it can take a couple of weeks to find out if they are good but nobody wants to wait that long to get their item. Plus, as a seller, if a check bounces, I get hit with a fee. I stopped accepting checks years ago.

Money orders are generally worthless because counterfeiting is rampant. Supposedly, USPS money orders are still safe, but who wants to take the chance.

With PayPal, as a seller, I typically have the money in my account within minutes of my auction ending and can ship the next day. As a buyer, same deal. I can pay instantly and have my item quickly.

I've been dealing with PayPal since day one and have never had a problem with them as a buyer or a seller.

[momof1in150]

We only use PayPal for E-bay. There have been issues with Money orders on Craigslist as many people have forged them and the seller is out the money with no real recourse.

[Gjowers]

I've only used paypal since I started ebaying 7 years ago. I've never had a problem.

[Goldy1]

accepting a money order off craigs? it's cash and carry like a garage sale. you'd have to be a moron to take one b/c duh you go to a place with cash to buy a mo or you go to bank to get one so just take out the cash.

I hate the paypal only just b/c of the fees on e bay. most my items sell for under 10 bucks so the fees kill me but I love the convenience.

Bounced checks happend twice in like 7 years on e bay.
my sales are so dead that for the firs time I am going to quit. I am selling off some old dolls of mine etc. it's so hard to get buyers now.

[mom-from-missouri]

I liked taking money orders as a seller. I would only accept postal ones, and took them directly to the post office to cash them. Never had a problem. Post office assured me that if I get hit with a bogus postal money order, it is a federal crime and THEY go after the seller.

My system was easy. I would cash the money order and mail the box in the same post office visit.

I think the decision should have been left up to the seller.

[disneysteve]

I liked taking money orders as a seller. I would only accept postal ones, and took them directly to the post office to cash them. Never had a problem. Post office assured me that if I get hit with a bogus postal money order, it is a federal crime and THEY go after the seller.

My system was easy. I would cash the money order and mail the box in the same post office visit.

Post office may pursue the case, but you would still be out the money.

I also think fewer and fewer sellers actually go to the post office to do their shipping. Since you can print postage at home (and get a discount in the process) that's the way things are moving so they are making things as streamlined as possible. My auction ends, buyer pays by Paypal, I print the postage and the mailman takes the package the next morning from my office. I never need to go to the post office or bank to ship a package or cash a check or MO.

[kork13]

Since you can print postage at home (and get a discount in the process)

I've never tried printing postage for packages online, but I'll be needing to mail some boxes soon... I didn't know there's a discount for doing it online--how significant is it?

(I originally put this photo with my post, but it's big and obnoxious... I'm including it here since I figured some of you might enjoy it. I love these owls...)

[gamecock43]

I think it is a dollar discount...I run to the post office everyday myself...because I fear change. But I do take advantage of having USPS boxes delivered to my door!! And in 3 yrs of ebay I have never had a paypal problem...or a money order problem..or a personal check problem. I take it all.

[disneysteve]

I've never tried printing postage for packages online, but I'll be needing to mail some boxes soon... I didn't know there's a discount for doing it online--how significant is it?

The discount is very small, along the lines of 3%, but if you are doing a lot of shipping, little savings add up.

I just checked. To mail a 2 lb package from NJ to CA would be $8.25 priority at the post office or $7.96 online. With a flat rate box, it would be $9.80 or $9.30.

I personally don't care about the discount, since the customer pays the postage. What I care about is the tremendous convenience of never having to go to the post office, especially this time of year. I actually did go to the post office on Saturday with several ebay orders that I had printed postage for at home. I didn't want to wait until Monday to ship them. There was a line of about 20 people waiting to be served. I just strolled past all of them, dropped my boxes on the counter and let the clerk know that they were already posted. I was in and out in under a minute.

[creditcardfree]

I love paypal...even more so because of the shipping link. I use USPS boxes primarily. I print all postage online and then drop off at the post office. It is on my way to the gym...not out of the way at all.

I have accepted checks and money orders for payment. I have never had a problem. I do wait about 10 days for the checks to clear the bank, although, I don't think it takes that long!

[disneysteve]

I do wait about 10 days for the checks to clear the bank, although, I don't think it takes that long!

It does not take that long for the money to hit your account but it can take that long or even longer to find out a check is bad.

[segmond]

that's a double whammy for the seller, you pay to list your auctions, then you lose a cut to ebay. I think the buyer should buy the cost of the transaction OR ebay should do without one of the fees. I use to love ebay, now, I only use it if I really have to.

[disneysteve]

that's a double whammy for the seller, you pay to list your auctions, then you lose a cut to ebay. I think the buyer should buy the cost of the transaction

The buyer does pay the costs, or at least should if you are doing it right. When I set a starting bid for my items, I take into account what the item cost me, what ebay will charge for me to sell it and what PayPal will charge me to process the payment. If ebay and PayPal were free, I'd charge less for the items. Since they aren't free, I charge more to account for those costs.