Paypal free money back...IT'S A TRAP!!!

JackNoMore · #1 02-11-2007

Just found this promotion for $15 back from a Paypal (affiliate). The terms are here:

http://paypal.promotionexpert.com/gr...?route=email.s

Seems to be legit and not a phish or scam, as it's discussed on several forums (see Google). Plus it's posted on the Paypal main site now. Basically, if you spend $30 paid through Paypal, you get $15 back (eventually--could be as late as May). Don't know if it's before shipping or not...yet. Still working on that, and will post when I know more. This all sounds very nice and it looks like they're competing with Google. Somebody's feeling the burn methinks. But...just how "safe" is this to use? Does ebay have a deeper motive here to weed out the "bad eggs"?

If you read the fine print of the promotion, it looks like you have to pay direct through ebay with your primary paypal address. Not through the paypal site itself. Will this make it very easy to spot an account that has been suspended before?? Plus, the terms state that your account must remain in good standing during the promotion (until you receive payment)--I'm pretty sure they mean Paypal account as this isn't strictly an Ebay promotion--but still, if Paypal did choose to freeze your account for any reason during that time, you lose the free money! Pretty slick.

Now, this is great if you don't have any problems with your account and IF this isn't a golden opportunity for ebay to use a red herring to link you back to a suspended account by using your paypal email and putting 2+2 together. So in one sense, thought I should let the members know of the promo. But at the same time, a word of caution "may" be in order before we jump in the pool.

It seems that this paypal affiliate did a similar promo late last year and it was legit, people got their money fairly quickly (within a month). Did anyone have problems with that one? Maybe this could explain some of the accounts suddenly suspended without reason? Again, since this isn't directly an ebay promotion, I don't know. I'm just saying. :D It may be as simple as adding a new email, changing it to primary, and paying just like you're paying ebay fees. Anyone know the answers? I'm just asking the questions.

JackNoMore · #2 02-12-2007

Hey guys, if anyone knows the answer to whether this is a trap or not and how to expect this to play out based on what you've heard or seen, PLEASE speak up!! I'm sure there are those of us who would really like to know. Plus, I have a purchase to make myself, wouldn't mind the $15 rebate ya know...as long as it's safe!

**aspkin** · #3 02-12-2007

I haven't seen this offer anywhere, can you post another link, the one you have isn't working

JackNoMore · #4 02-12-2007

Huh, that's weird. It was working.

I'll see if I can find another direct link. In the meantime, if you want to slough through 38+ pages it's being discussed over at the slickdeals.net pages. Just look for the $15 off through paypal topic in the "hot deals". And be prepared to skip through a whole lot of double posts from people even more paranoid than us.

Aspkin, what are your thoughts on paying direct through the ebay checkout system? In the case of this promo, it can mean $15 off. If it doesn't get you suspended in the process. Do you think it's just as safe as paying for fees as long as the email address being used isn't a known banned one? My main concern centers around that, being as they request it to be your main paypal address. Although I suppose you could just change that through paypal before paying.

This link should work:
PayPal - Jump Start Your Spring Shopping

Link to the discussion:
$15 off next $30 using Paypal from 2/8-3/31 - SlickDeals.net Forums

And for those wondering, ebay IS one of the qualified vendors.

**aspkin** · #5 02-13-2007

It just looks like a long term scam. They'll starting spamming you with emails later in time, if they're phishers, they'll try to trick you out of your password, all for $15. You could also risk linking your accounts.

Limit one registration and one $15.00 USD rebate per Paypal Account.
not good

It's not worth $15.

JackNoMore · #6 02-13-2007

It's definately not a scam. The link is on the paypal site in the right hand margin too.

**aspkin** · #7 02-13-2007

Even so it requires your Main Paypal email address to work? Why is that? And don't you think you'll start receiving spam because of this? But maybe that's just me; I wouldn't do anything for $15.

Throw a couple hundred at me, and I'll start to get excited... lol

x2ruff4u · #8 02-13-2007

Oh yeahhhh couple of 100 bucks ill go for it like aspkin, but if I hear somethin about ebay and paypal doin somethin, i dont want any risks over somethin like 15 buks.

btb · #9 04-30-2007

Hi.My Ebay selling account got suspended for linked to my old suspend account.
So i put new email address in my PP,with my buying account ( that already sit there for 6 months).Now i get email from PP to my old/suspend email that state I get a cash back from PP ( for their rebate program )and ask me to click a link in my old /suspend email .
(I can not change my Suspend IP address because i use from my office IP Address ) and i never open my buying account becasue of this
Please advice what i have to do ?
Thank you