Paypal friends and family

soolin

With the rise of 'facebook' and Gumtree type sales we seem to have started getting a few threads about buyers being scammed by the paypal 'friends and family' payment option. I see these scams though a great deal on various Facebook selling pages.

Out of interest I've just gone into paypal as though I wished to make a payment and if you choose 'friends or family' you get this warning: (note the first line)

Not covered by PayPal Buyer Protection. There's no fee if you use your PayPal balance, bank account or debit card to send money in GBP to friends and family within the UK.

There is also a crossed through protection symbol.

I had been interested in looking as at least one post said there had been no indication at all that potential buyers had any warning at all and were forced to rely on the name 'friends and family' to denote this was not safe.

Perhaps it needs the warning to flash, or perhaps be in a different colour, but there is a warning there.

[Deleted User]

Perhaps it would help if they tested people for common sense/ gullibility first, that would solve a few problems at least :-)

molerat

I wonder if it is different for PC and Mobile App, the apps are usually light on detail.

soolin

molerat wrote: »

I wonder if it is different for PC and Mobile App, the apps are usually light on detail.

Perhaps someone who uses the app could check?

My main experience of this is on Facebook where the scams are coming thick and fast with 'Christmas gifts' and I don't use the app at all.

bxboards

Friends and Family (also known as paypal gift) has never been intended for payment for goods, and therefore doesn't have buyer protection. I don't think this has ever been hidden by Paypal, they certainly would not encourage it as they don't get fees for it.

It's good for sellers as there are no fee deductions, but I would certainly not use this to pay for goods myself, and I would not ask for it as a seller either.

I have had some Ebay buyers trying to get discounts by offering to pay by F&F (presumably they write it like that to get around Ebay blocks on messages regarding outside Ebay transactions)

With Gumtree, buyers are already ignoring warnings that this is ONLY for face-to-face transactions, so if they ignore that, then assume they will ignore other warnings regarding F&F payments.

I don't use Facebook so can't comment on that.

tykesi

Just tried this on the app on my iPhone. This is the screen where you select the type of payment:



If you select the "Sending to Friends and Family Link" it takes you to this page:



at which point you have to click the small link at the bottom "Paypal Buyer Protection" which opens the Paypal website in the browser and explains the buyer protection.

Looks like it's easier to miss on the app and I suspect many people buying from Facebook and the like will be using the app to pay for their purchases.

bxboards

tykesi wrote: »

Looks like it's easier to miss on the app and I suspect many people buying from Facebook and the like will be using the app to pay for their purchases.

I don't use apps but I seem to be one of the increasingly rare breed of people who read things before I click.

It's really clear from that page that if it is for goods (Buying something?) this should payment option be used. A Gumtree / Facebook seller isn't a friend or family member.

I know its fashionable for people no longer to take responsibility for their actions, but to my eyes that pages lays it all out - if you are buying goods or services you pay with the Goods and Services option presented to you.

soolin

bxboards wrote: »

I don't use apps but I seem to be one of the increasingly rare breed of people who read things before I click.

It's really clear from that page that if it is for goods (Buying something?) this should payment option be used. A Gumtree / Facebook seller isn't a friend or family member.

I know its fashionable for people no longer to take responsibility for their actions, but to my eyes that pages lays it all out - if you are buying goods or services you pay with the Goods and Services option presented to you.

I suppose I agree in a general sense, for me the clue is 'friends and family' not 'random guy with internet available image of apple ipads piled up on the floor of a warehouse that he can deliver for £300 as long as he gets the money upfront'.

However, having read these boards here on MSE, or more accurately, the threads on facebook it seems that even putting 'I am a scammer, you will lose your money' on a listing won't stop people clambering to send a bank transfer or an unsafe paypal payment.

I actually worry about some of the facebook users when a scam is so blatant that it is laughable, and yet when I try and warn people I get a slap from admin for not treating new sellers nicely.

The Michael Kors handbag scam I have mentioned on here several times was a prime example, the scumbag scammer must have taken thousands of pounds, yet it was me that got banned from the selling page!

bxboards

soolin wrote: »

I actually worry about some of the facebook users when a scam is so blatant that it is laughable, and yet when I try and warn people I get a slap from admin for not treating new sellers nicely.

The Michael Kors handbag scam I have mentioned on here several times was a prime example, the scumbag scammer must have taken thousands of pounds, yet it was me that got banned from the selling page!

Sadly these scams tend to be self-selecting.

The handbag scam requires lots of people to be stupid enough to pay a large amount of money for what is essentially just a bag. So you have your built-in captive audience of stupid sitting there..you then offer these people the same thing at a too good to be true price. You can see how it would work, regardless of warnings.