So I'm pretty new on here, but I've been enjoying this community and have been blown away by some of the kindness and brotherhood I've seen and experienced!:thumbup: One thing I'd like help understanding is the option to abuse PayPal and use Friends & Family when I'm clearly not FF with strangers on a forum buying luxury items. Today I tried to purchase a knife for $485 from a gentleman who's ad states that he'd prefer to be paid via Friends and Family, OR have 4% added (even though PayPal'fees are 2.9% + $0.30). When I told him that I'd gladly pay $500, he got very defensive about his perfect feedback rating, and insisted that PayPal would take way too big a chunk from him, and that I should pay him via FF option. I told him that though I respect his great rating, I'm not willing to send that amount FF. He then said, "ok fine, I'll accept $510". I'm over it, as he clearly doesn't really want to sell the knife that badly, and I'm struggling to understand arguing over a few bucks at that price point anyhow.
I'd like some input about this whole business please. The sticky's posted by the mods are abundantly clear about NOT using PayPal's FF option, as it's not only dishonest, but also avoids conflicts. Why then are 50%-ish of the ads I see openly asking to be paid FF, or to add XX% to the price to use Goods & Services? I am missing something? If we are so blessed that we can buy knifes that cost hundreds of dollars, why are people so worried about a few pennies?? What am I missing here?
Let me try and clarify for you, without beating a dead horse or ad nauseum stuff. Sorry if I came off as being a little facetious in my first post, but I was genuinely surprised something widely considered self explanatory would need further clarification.
Paypal is not specific to the knife community. You can use to purchase just about anything online, provided that a dealer/store/retailer uses it themselves and accepts it as a form of payment; not just knives.
There really should be no confusion regarding what option to use when buying items. They are clearly labelled on the payment page of the Paypal site (once logged in). When you send a payment via "Gift", you are indicating you are literally giving someone money, their site provides examples (rent, splitting the cost of a meal, etc). If you are buying a physical item or anything for that matter, trading money for goods, then that is what should be used. When done correctly, Paypal offers you the buyer, protection should the seller decide to take your money, deliver the wrong item, deliver an item that is not what you bought, or a damaged or broken item.
The fees incurred for using Paypal are the obligation of the seller or the person receiving payment (according to Paypal). Asking or forcing the payer to also cover the cost is what people do not agree with. By the same token asking someone to send the payment for an item as a Gift removes/forfeits your protection should anything go wrong and you are literally at the mercy of the person you are dealing with. Sometimes things work flawlessly, and sometimes they do not. When things go wrong, they come here and complain, it used to be worse but it seems people are understanding what the protection is for. Paypal is a business, they need to make their cut, as fair or unfair as people may think of it, in the end they take a 2.9% cut of the total dollar amount. Ebay is a different animal, there are many more things to consider including status, volume, ratings, etc that determine your fee schedule.
You would be aided by reading the Paypal FAQW section, there you will find the latest information on "what to do if..." scenarios. Bladeforums is not afficiliated with Paypal, there is no partnership expressed, written, or implied. Bladeforums does not enforce Paypals rules per the owners as we are not agents or employees of Paypal. Fir further reasons as to "Why", searching for the topic would be a viable option. I hope that clarifies things, sorry for the long windedness of the post. Other people not yet registered or into knives may dig this up years from now and benefit them.
