Is Paypal Trustworthy?

[Moose]

i saw some lego sets i wanted to bid on on ebay, but the seller only uses paypal. So my question is: is paypal trustworthy? i dont know much about it, and i know a number of people on here use ebay, so i figured i could get some valuable feedback. also, how would i go about setting up an account for paypal? thanks for all your help everyone

moose

[Faramir]

I don't personally have one, but my dad does, and he uses it for whenever he makes online purchases, and he finds it very trustworthy. I don't know anything about making an account, though, sorry.

[Buttons]

If you do not abuse it then yes

[Shadows]

Recent changes at eBay have required all sellers to exclusively offer online payment options, mostly Paypal, so if you ever intend to deal there, you'll pretty much have no choice. That said, the only problem I ever had with Paypal was when I hit my sending limit (an arbitrary amount they give you at first, some people won't ever hit it, so it wouldn't matter) and had to "verify" my account. Basically, they wanted either a bank account attached or for me to take their credit card. I took their card and kept using my old one (annoys the heck out of them, but it works).

Bottom line though... read everything on the site, know what you're agreeing to and be sure you're comfortable with it before making a decision. That will tell you how to set up an account and allow you to make an informed decision. It really isn't something you should take anyone's word on without researching it yourself directly.

[Alice]

I use Paypal and I believe it's fine to use. I haven't had any bad experiences. It is how I purchase on ebay and bricklink. In order to sign up, use this link. You can also read about it there.

[brickzone]

That said, the only problem I ever had with Paypal was when I hit my sending limit (an arbitrary amount they give you at first, some people won't ever hit it, so it wouldn't matter) and had to "verify" my account. Basically, they wanted either a bank account attached or for me to take their credit card. I took their card and kept using my old one (annoys the heck out of them, but it works).

I attached my own credit card rather than my bank account. If paypal try any fishy business, I can get it dealt with by the credit card people. Also this means you have credit on purchases (not something I've exactly needed, but it puts you in control over when to pay). Needless to say I do not have my credit card set up with direct debit - I pay bills manually. It makes no sense to give extra control of your money to others just for convenience. Letting the bank hold onto it in the first place is far enough.

[Shadows]

I attached my own credit card rather than my bank account. If paypal try any fishy business, I can get it dealt with by the credit card people.

Right, that's exactly what I did, but once you hit their $2000 limit (here in the US), they either require a linked bank account or their own credit card. There was no way I was linking an account, nor will I ever use their card, but it filled the requirement and I still use my old one. I'm not sure how their policies are out of the US.

[Siegfried]

Yes. I've been using them for years without any major problems. (One person who bought something off me claimed it was an accident and got a refund, but that has been my only problem.)