Is Using PayPal Safer than Credit Cards ?

garth549

For purchases over £100 PayPal cannot be considered safer in my opinion (S75). For purchases under £100 I would say it offers similar 'safety' to many websites that use the verified by Visa/Mastercard scheme.

Under the banking code you are protected from fraud anyway unless you've been negligent.

OlliesDad

garth549 wrote: »

For purchases under £100 I would say it offers similar 'safety' to many websites that use the verified by Visa/Mastercard scheme.

Verified by... still discloses the card details to the merchant, the only difference is that there is a password in place to ensure that the user of the card in not fraudulent. The point paypal are making is that the merchant will never have you card details.

I think the ruling by ASA is quite thorough and an appeal would ultimately fail.

OP, Is there a particular reason why you are persuing this?

Oopsadaisy

Paypal is sh17...but i still use them [nearly impossible to buy on ebay without using them [paypal is owned by ebay...gee what a shock]].

IsPaypalSafer

OlliesDad wrote: »

... The point paypal are making is that the merchant will never have you card details.
...
OP, Is there a particular reason why you are persuing this?

It is an undeniable safety plus point for PayPal that one's credit-card details are never revealed in its use.

The question is, do other safety related factors (such as S75, time-limits, dispute processes, etc) which may not tip in PayPal's favour, and sometimes tip strongly against PayPal, mean that it is misleading to rule that PayPal is Safer ?

I am pursuing this, because in my view, the tagline PayPal are using is incorrect, and the ASA should not tolerate it. I am sorry if my feeling strongly about this matter upsets you.
Obviously, this is subjective, and if most people do not hold as I do then my efforts were out of place.

But I must say that on the whole, many more people I have personally related this to agree with me than disagree.

OlliesDad

By no means am i offended by it, but i was curious to know if there was any background to your complaint (such as were you stung by somebody via paypal, or do you have a vested interest such as working for a competitor).

As you say, it is subjective. I personally like using paypal. S75 gives you the same rights against the credit card ciompany as against the seller, but Paypal give you additional rights, but that is only my opinion.

I think you will struggle to get anywhere with regards to appealing.

IsPaypalSafer

OlliesDad wrote: »

By no means am i offended by it, but i was curious to know if there was any background to your complaint (such as were you stung by somebody via paypal, or do you have a vested interest such as working for a competitor).

I like to side with the consumer champions of this world.
I believe modern legislation, such as the Distance Selling Regulations and the Sale of Goods Act are wonderful and necessary pieces of consumer legislation, and rights so many wrongs of the past.

I am listed in the ASA complaint as being an employee of a financial website, Transpact.com, even though I made the complaint to the ASA in a personal capacity unconnected to my employer.

A PCPro magazine article today on the ASA ruling (www.pcpro.co.uk/news/362848/watchdog-paypal-can-say-its-safer-than-credit-cards) states that Transpact.com is a rival of PayPal, although I don't believe this is so, since PayPal and my employer Transpact.com work in different non-overlapping sectors (Paypal is an alternative payment mechanism, whereas Transpact.com is a Third-Party which guarantees buyers get everything they were promised, and guarantees that sellers get paid 100%. The two do not generally compete.

But once again, I made the complaint in my personal capacity as something I personally feel strongly about, completely unconnected to my employer. Why the ASA mentioned my employer, I do not know.