Possible scam buyer! Using PayPal Friends & Family = NO PROTECTION if you get scammed

[WatchTheGuitar]

If the buyer wanted the FF option, why is that a red flag for them? I can understand if this is coming from the seller, but if the buyer is the one who wants it, he's actually the one at risk, right?

Read the first post on this thread

[Holon Mundi]

If the buyer wanted the FF option, why is that a red flag for them? I can understand if this is coming from the seller, but if the buyer is the one who wants it, he's actually the one at risk, right?

Read the first post on this thread

I don't mean to meddle but this statement in the OP isn't qualified and it connects with our discussion.

For a person to request payment via Friends and Family is often a red flag, an indicator that the buyer intends to scam the seller.

You can decrease the risk by not using FF. How can you know something about the buyer's intent?

[Desire Inspires]

Pay the fee

[LeVzi]

So what is the fee, and surely its at the buyers discretion? The seller needs to add the additional fee to the price otherwise its confusing.

[agharta]

So what is the fee, and surely its at the buyers discretion? The seller needs to add the additional fee to the price otherwise its confusing.

Many sellers say to add fees but don't say what percentage to use which is idiotic.
I've seen some add as much as 10% which is not insignificant so it's silly not to show the actual price you want.

[tosvus]

The OP post makes little sense to me..

[name omitted], hello. A KVR member reports that you've tried to buy an item from the Sell & Buy forum, but wanted to use PayPal Friends and Family payment.

Ok...so saying BUYER wants to use PP FF?

For a person to request payment via Friends and Family is often a red flag, an indicator that the buyer intends to scam the seller.

Ok...so Requesting Payment via PP FF should mean SELLER is requesting payment, not BUYER. (unless his message was that buyer requested to make payment via PP FF, which is not really what it says)

Besides, who cares, FF is a risk to Seller, not Buyer, and OP has not explained why a Buyer would be
a scammer if he requests to pay with PP FF in his original post.

On a sidenote, I have not sold/bought a whole lot of music gear/software, but I have sold and bought a lot of very expensive camera equipment. When I sell, always include Paypal fee in price, but I have had people ask specifically to take it out for it to be cheaper to them. I never had any fear about that, and never lost anything (how could I? They have no course of action if they are not happy). I have also bought equipment, and unless I am very sure about the seller (I bought and sold on FredMiranda which has a lot of transaction reviews etc), I would always pay fee to make sure, but there were exceptions where I absolutely trusted seller, and did FF, without any issues what so ever. My only problems selling (never buying) was on Ebay, where scammers have so many ways to get ebay to side with them against seller. (so I stopped using ebay)

[Holon Mundi]

So what is the fee, and surely its at the buyers discretion? The seller needs to add the additional fee to the price otherwise its confusing.

If I'm not mistaken it is against PP rules for the seller to request that the buyer pays the fees.

[LeVzi]

So what is the fee, and surely its at the buyers discretion? The seller needs to add the additional fee to the price otherwise its confusing.

If I'm not mistaken it is against PP rules for the seller to request that the buyer pays the fees.

Probably is, but sellers request additional to the asking price to cover the fees. So if you advertise it at the price including the fees, job done, I don't mind paying the additional, but when asked I expect the seller to know.

The last seller I dealt with didn't have a clue and would probably have complained if I hadn't added the fees on. I did that with someone else who asked for F&F and I forgot, I was happen to give them the additional, it was agreed beforehand.

PP can be a pain in the butt at times.

[Holon Mundi]

So if you advertise it at the price including the fees, job done, I don't mind paying the additional, but when asked I expect the seller to know.

The last seller I dealt with didn't have a clue and would probably have complained if I hadn't added the fees on. I did that with someone else who asked for F&F and I forgot, I was happen to give them the additional, it was agreed beforehand.

PP can be a pain in the butt at times.

Yes. I heard a lot about how PP are unreliable in their communication and caveats to the customer protection policy. If paid with fees they also freeze incoming money for new accounts and sometimes at random. Their KYC system is a bit busted so I go with FF unless my counter party is unfamiliar with the situation.

[orpheux]

I don't get why the seller is endangered with FF Paypal. The buyer is who lose any possible protection.

[Calenberger]

I don't get why the seller is endangered with FF Paypal. The buyer is who lose any possible protection.

Exactly!
The whole thread is off-kilter...

[sonicpowa]

Second hand digital products are not protected anyway I think.

[jancivil]

IDK. I sold a licence yesterday, the individual was clear regarding their budget and to make that work for both of us I said if you can do ‘as gift’ I can go that low. $37, not so much. The fee is in the way, and I don’t feel very responsible to Peter Thiel et al’s profit margin. I’m not in business and this is more like barter to me. & the buyer said they normally look askance at that. I do not look at the world this way, life is hard enough.

[jancivil]

So, ya know, I can communicate in a way that shows mutuality and conveys trustworthiness (one exception, someone was so immature that the instant gratification was delayed by NI being busy for like three days and they acted out). I do not scam, and I don’t think in terms ‘possibly a scam’ unless there is some real sign of that.

Fee is 2.9% + $.30 per transaction. So the $40 is ~$38.50 for me or $41.50 for the buyer. Only matters to people struggling, yeah?

[jancivil]

The last seller I dealt with didn't have a clue and would probably have complained if I hadn't added the fees on. I did that with someone else who asked for F&F and I forgot, I was happy to give them the additional...

PP can be a pain in the butt at times.

Yes. I heard a lot about how PP are unreliable in their communication and ?..

It’s been rather a nightmare more than once, takes a long damn time... (this was me buying something I never got, some glitch on their part probably)
It’s made me actually consider setting up a website, which is all shit I’d prefer not...