Seller asking me to pay via PayPal rather than eBay!

moneysavvy35

I've bought a tire off eBay for my partner. The seller has asked me to pay via PayPal directly to avoid eBay fees. Is it ok to do this?

He's provided me with an email address. I don't even know how to pay via paypal like that!

notanewuser

moneysavvy35 wrote: »

I've bought a tire off eBay for my partner. The seller has asked me to pay via PayPal directly to avoid eBay fees. Is it ok to do this?

He's provided me with an email address. I don't even know how to pay via paypal like that!

No, it isn't.

ETA - one tyre? From eBay?!

ballisticbrian

It depends if you trust the seller or not. Used them before?

moneysavvy35

No not used them before. I checked on eBay and PayPal -apparently if you use the buy 'goods' option. Then write the seller I'd and item no in message field then you are proctected.

I've done that so fingers crossed everything will be ok.

techspec

If you won on Ebay - the seller has already been charged.

Tell them to take a running jump.

soolin

I'm not sure I entirely follow the question- but if you buy something on ebay and just use the 'pay now' button it all goes through ebay .

UsernameAlreadyExists

moneysavvy35 wrote: »

I've bought a tire off eBay for my partner. The seller has asked me to pay via PayPal directly to avoid eBay fees. Is it ok to do this?

He's provided me with an email address. I don't even know how to pay via paypal like that!

as has been said before .... fine if you trust them (or think you can?)
You pay by logging into your paypal account, and go through the "send money" process to the email address he's specified.

Once you've done this, and he's provided you with the tyre ... he'll ask you to mutually back out/cancel the ebay transaction so he'll be refunded his fee.

I've done this loads of times as both a buyer and a seller. Screw ebay.
I've even paid by bank transfer - so screw paypal too.
Do this only with people who you think you can trust ... and him even asking is a good sign

*awaits abuse from the ebay clowns

bartelbe

UsernameAlreadyExists wrote: »

as has been said before .... fine if you trust them (or think you can?)
You pay by logging into your paypal account, and go through the "send money" process to the email address he's specified.

Once you've done this, and he's provided you with the tyre ... he'll ask you to mutually back out/cancel the ebay transaction so he'll be refunded his fee.

I've done this loads of times as both a buyer and a seller. Screw ebay.
I've even paid by bank transfer - so screw paypal too.
Do this only with people who you think you can trust ... and him even asking is a good sign

*awaits abuse from the ebay clowns

There is no advantage for a buyer doing this, unless the seller offers to discount the ebay fees off the price. The buyer will also lose any buyer protection.

From the seller point of view I can see the advantages. Ebay is called feebay for a reason. Still it only takes one or two people to report you for fee avoidance and buy buy account. So I don't think paying outside ebay is worth the risk.

UsernameAlreadyExists

bartelbe wrote: »

There is no advantage for a buyer doing this, unless the seller offers to discount the ebay fees off the price. The buyer will also lose any buyer protection.

From the seller point of view I can see the advantages. Ebay is called feebay for a reason. Still it only takes one or two people to report you for fee avoidance and buy buy account. So I don't think paying outside ebay is worth the risk.

You are, of course, 100% correct. I've split what would have been the "fees" in both directions. "buyer protection"? this is ebay hype. If you're dealing with someone that equally hates ebay then this counts for nothing.

With regard to fee avoidance? Do I care?

macfly

bartelbe wrote: »

The buyer will also lose any buyer protection.

No they won't.

Strapped

If a seller offered this to me, I would do it if they split the fee saving. I wouldn't try it as a seller though, because I wouldn't want to lose my account when I approached the "wrong" buyer who would report me to ebay.