Anyone take paypal only outside of eBay? How is it then?

[Jonas]

How likely is paypal to freeze an account's funds when it's only taking payments outside of eBay?

Also, can anyone confirm what I've heard:
* If you take payment from paypal as a "service", their internal dispute system won't let you dispute it.
* Outside of eBay, I've heard PayPal's internal dispute system only lets people dispute for delivery of goods and not quality of goods and doesn't have that item return thing where buyers always switch it with garbage?

[mantisinc]

I use it outside of eBay - and generally the limiations are similar. Dodgey looking sales/withdrawal patterns will trigger a limitation.

One thing I don't like, is you don't have seller protection outside of eBay.

If you sell outside of eBay, and the buyer disputes the item not as described, the dispute will automatically close.

[411guru]

Not true. I use paypal with ioffer.com and when customers file dispute not as described, paypal waits for my input. Also, non-tangible goods are invalid for refunds so I've read. I even use paypal to sell porn. My account is going strong.

[mantisinc]

Might not be in the US. Is in the UK.

Well, as of about 2 weeks ago where I filed a claim myself against an item that was not at all what I ordered.

Should have just used the unauthorised access claim.

[Jonas]

411guru, when you sell on ioffer does paypal do some kind of special noting that it's from ioffer or is it the same as if it came from your personal website? Also, so when paypal waits for your input what then, what do they give you? Do they give you a worthless menu of "give full refund / offer full refund / dispute the dispute / talk to buyer" without a chance to talk? Does paypal ever try to investigate or if you dispute the dispute, does the buyer automatically lose, or what?

[411guru]

When I get money from ioffer.com it's just like I got money from ebay but it doesn't integrate with a clickable auction listing link like ebay with paypal. It shows the title of the listing sold plus shipping info with print shipping label option.

I usually lose disputes but they do wait for my input. I have a list of actions like resolve issue now and issue refund, to escalate to dispute and let paypal decide or input your proof of shipping if buyer said didn't receive and talk to buyer to resolve.

I usually just refund their payment because if they escalate then paypal may look into my account more closely. I have 4 figures in there and if paypal froze my account because I decided to argue with a buyer over a $10 digital ebook, then I would be pissed so I just refund them.

However, paypal doesn't recognize disputes of non-tangible goods, things you can't touch, like an ebook. If I were to type in the dispute box NON-TANGIBLE GOODS, then I would usually win the dispute but I don't want to chance it to raise red flags and they freeze my account.

[sycore]

Originally Posted by 411guru

Not true. I use paypal with ioffer.com and when customers file dispute not as described, paypal waits for my input. Also, non-tangible goods are invalid for refunds so I've read. I even use paypal to sell porn. My account is going strong.

The simple fact of the matter is you are at the mercy of the computer program that determines refunds. I have been on both sides of it, filed a complaint for not as described, lost because outside of ebay. Then had a claim against me won for not as described even though it was outside ebay. When I threw their own email back at them, explaining they don't get involved, they stated disputes are determined on case by case basis. Real story is the "dispute program" analyzes which account they make more money on, recent problems, dispute history, chance of chargeback etc. and then picks the option with the least risk to Paypal. Then if it is a judgment call they kick it to a resolution monkey, who will quickly gloss over the claims by both party and make a instant decision. Monkey time cost paypal money.