# Why buyers and sellers insist on type of payment



## TJSmith (Nov 16, 2015)

Why do some buyers and sellers insist on either getting paid or being able to pay via PayPal only. Is there a tremendous reason. I don’t have a PayPal account and prefer to pay by check, MO or credit card.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Probably convenience and the ability to immediately ship. 

Most private sellers don't handle credit cards, so that's out for many. 

I don't like Money Orders as I have to shag them to the bank, you can't do a mobile deposit with them, and the local USPS usually doesn't have enough money on hand (or won't admit they do) to cash them. 

Finally, checks are somewhat "iffy" if you don't know the person. There are widely variable times for checks to truly clear, and checks for a large amount and/or from a new payer that you've never received money from can take quite a while.

*How Long Does It Take a Check to Clear?*


----------



## JeffHurl (Apr 22, 2021)

Simplicity and security. PayPal offers protection very similar to a credit card, and once you set it up, all someone needs to send you money is your email address. But if I have your email address, I can't sweep money from you. But like credit cards, the seller usually pays a small fee, like a merchant does when accepting credit cards. On the other hand, you can "give" people without incurring a fee on either end, but then you have no buyer's protection.


----------



## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Setting up a PayPal account is a matter of a couple of minutes, and it's very secure and convenient. No good reason not to have one if that's how people want to be paid. 

As GRJ said, checks and money orders are a big headache.


----------



## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

I take MOs, not personal checks. Someone kites a bad check to me, I get to pay penalties and service fees.


----------



## beachhead2 (Oct 31, 2017)

When I sell stuff on various forums, I usually say "PayPal or Venmo only". Like John says, it's largely a convenience thing. However, if I know the seller (personally or just by reputation) I'll let him write me a check. 

ALL sellers should accept PayPal because people can pay you via credit card. Either that or get a Square reader. It's a fact, people buy more when they can charge it. I'm always shocked at how view vendors take credit cards at trains shows (and a lot of other hobby shows). They're just losing sales.


----------



## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

Two things: security and familiarity. The security has been described well, it being the offer of mediation or a refund by the platform of payment, and the familiarity is a person's comfort with, ease of use with, and reluctance to change to, any particular payment platform. Once one gets accustomed to eBay, say, and if your history works well with it, there's no real impetus to change to something else. It just gets more complicated as one introduces different platforms, providers, methods...., which some personalities are loath to introduce to their lives.


----------



## vette-kid (May 2, 2020)

I won't do business with a private seller that insists on check or MO. buyer is assuming all the risk that way. If it's someone I know, ok. PayPal limits the risk to buyer and makes it more convenient at the same time. 

Established businesses are a bit different, though I still prefer PayPal or CC. But at least most business want to protect their reputation and have feedback so you know what your are getting into. That makes it less risky than a private transaction. But again, PayPal or CC still preferred. 

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I don't mind checks from people I know (and trust), I've never been burned that way. However, that's where checks stop.


----------



## Steve Rothstein (Jan 1, 2021)

I do not sell things online very much and generally will work out payment with the buyer. As a buyer, I do not use Paypal and never will. It is a company that I decline to do business with because of their stance on certain things. I am not saying that anyone else has to agree with me or boycott them, but I refuse to use them. So, if you are a seller and insist on Paypal, you just made it impossible for us to do business.

On the other hand, when I use a credit card, I do expect that it will not be charged until the item is shipped. I do not mind paying a slight fee for the convenience of credit cars because I know they cost the business money. I also use checks and expect that the item will not be shipped until the check clears the bank (or a reasonable time after it is deposited anyway) as that seems reasonable to me also.

I guess it is just my way of doing things but I expect the seller and I to work out the deal in full, including any special terms of payment, before the deal is completed and then both of us stick by those terms. I have been very pleasantly surprised by some of my deals when the other party goes further than asked for and I cannot remember the last time I was disappointed by it not going right (though I do know it has happened - just not often).


----------



## JeffHurl (Apr 22, 2021)

Steve Rothstein said:


> I do not use Paypal and never will. It is a company that I decline to do business with because of their stance on certain things.


I was the same way for many years, but caved in. I still have a bad taste in my mouth when I use them.


----------



## aquakiwi (Oct 2, 2019)

In NZ many of the banks have phased out cheques or are going to


----------



## Andy57 (Feb 7, 2020)

I have an E-bay account, and I have a pay-pal account. I have used neither in about five years. I no longer keep them up to date. Never was a high user of either. Bought and sold a few things and did sell a motorcycle. Went well.
One bad experience can ruin both E-bay and pay-pal.
I see it as a game, that some play very well. I do not.
I had four auctions that all ended on the same day. The same woman bought all four. Two bid very high and she won them in the last seconds.
She than asked for me to ship a different method than advertised,cheaper for her. I complied.
She than stated items not as advertised and demanded 'some' of her money back.
Left me a bad seller rating. 
Told her I was not going to do partial refund. Item received back money would be refunded.
E-bay or pay-pal froze the two thousand dollars.
She would not return the items, but wanted some of her money back.
I saw it as she bid, she bought. I would not haggle on price.
Phone calls to E-bay would blame pay-pal and transfer me. Pay-pal would then say it was E-bay and transfer me back.
Took 93 days to get that two thousand.


----------



## JeffHurl (Apr 22, 2021)

I had a good experience with Paypal.

Long story short, I bought something that looked like it was coming from Chicago to me in Ohio. Turns out it was coming from China. I got shipping notification, and was able to watch it get delivered to the local post office then to "me." I never got the package, so I contacted the post office, and based on the tracking info I received, it was delivered to a different address, but in the same zip code.

I opened up a dispute with Paypal. At first, the dispute was resolved in the sellers favor because they had proof of delivery, but when I showed PAypal that the shipped to address was not the address that was on my order, they gave me my money back.

I'm pretty sure this was a scam all along, and Paypal was probably not able to recover the money from China... but they made things right with me.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I've had hundreds of transactions through PayPal and eBay. My major complaint with PayPal has been several times they're sent me piddling requests for "underpaid postage" on shipping. I know I didn't make a mistake there, but they told me that the USPS said the postage was underpaid. The problem is, you can't ship anything with PayPal until it's resolved! I tried to resolve the first one, but after several weeks waiting for the USPS to respond I realized that was a _fool's errand_!

I guess with all the issues the USPS has with budget, they try to skim wherever they can.


----------



## TJSmith (Nov 16, 2015)

The question about how long does it take for a check to clear. It can take as little as one day or two days at the most even if across the country. Foreign orders are a different matter.

One of my concerns is, what if I sell and accept PayPal, then the buyer claims there is something wrong with the item and they get their money back. Seller left holding the bag.

There is a guy looking for one of the Lionel 0-6-0 tanks engines, the Brooklyn transfer one. They are sold out all over the country. I offered him mine, new in box, but I don’t take PayPal so I never heard back from him. He did not have any responses. 

So, maybe one will show up on e-bay who knows.

I’ve bought and sold model railroad items for over 20 years and never had a problem or a bounced check. I usually pay via MO unless the seller wants a check. 

One time I actually bought a Martin guitar on e-bay and after contacting the seller she gladly accepted my MO.


----------



## riogrande (Apr 28, 2012)

Here is why I like Paypal when I sell surplus train, most of them I bought and are new in the box. I get paid quickly after providing shipping + item total, and ship within 24 hours usually. Then the money is in my PP account to use for other purchases. If I get paid by check or MO, then I have to deposit the money, and then transfer to my PP account and wait several days for that transfer to complete. That's annoying and a delay. So many vendors, both train and other accept PP. So far I have had no problems in 8 or 9 years selling trains that way. I am not sure about the "what if's".


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

TJSmith said:


> The question about how long does it take for a check to clear. It can take as little as one day or two days at the most even if across the country. Foreign orders are a different matter.


Not true if there's a problem. If the bank doesn't receive the funds, they'll take back the money. Been there, done that! That's why I don't trust checks from anyone I don't personally know and trust.

_*It usually takes about two business days for a deposited check to clear, but it can take a little longer—about five business days—for the bank to receive the funds. How long it takes a check to clear depends on the amount of the check, your relationship with the bank, and the standing of the payer's account. Wait a few days before contacting your bank about holds on deposited checks.*_

_*Of course, the hold time often depends on the nature of the check. **A bank may choose to hold a check longer if it's an unusual deposit if you've never deposited a check from that payer before, if the check is for a large amount**, or if the check is from an international bank. The latter requires a much longer hold time because it can't be easily verified. Hold times for these checks depend on your institution, so you should check with someone about the policies.*_



TJSmith said:


> One of my concerns is, what if I sell and accept PayPal, then the buyer claims there is something wrong with the item and they get their money back. Seller left holding the bag.


What if you sell taking a check or MO and there is something wrong with the item. Then the buyer is left holding the bag. The problem is, there has to be some trust on both sides of the coin, it's a double-edged sword.


----------



## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

This thread got me thinking about Frank Timko. When I bought a puller from him, I called and he sent it right away. He doesn't take Paypal and he didn't wait till he received the check let alone wait for it to clear. I guess he figures that only train people would buy the puller and that train people are honest folks.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I have dealt with Frank a number of times, he always just ships whatever I order with an invoice in the box. I send him a check and we're all happy.


----------



## J.Albert1949 (Feb 3, 2018)

I don't sell many things.
I'm not a business person and have no desire to become one.

I am also "old school, as old as it gets".
I will NEVER have a paypal account that is tied into any of my bank accounts.
_Never._

When I sell, the terms for the buyer are easy:
U.S. Postal Service money order.
As good as cash to the seller, easily verifiable.
As a buyer, you can get these at any post office.

If you don't want to do that, find another seller.
_(that is all...)_


----------



## Steve Rothstein (Jan 1, 2021)

Lehigh74 said:


> This thread got me thinking about Frank Timko. When I bought a puller from him, I called and he sent it right away. He doesn't take Paypal and he didn't wait till he received the check let alone wait for it to clear. I guess he figures that only train people would buy the puller and that train people are honest folks.


I recently bought some switches from Ken Stapleton. His web site doesn't have an order form and he asks you to email him so he can make sure you are getting the right parts. I did and we worked out the exact order and price. His business practice is for me to mail a check and then he will mail the order. I did, and when I mailed the check, I emailed him with the check number and to say it was OTW. I did warn him that our post office was not as efficient as his (he lives in Canada) so I could not promise it would get there on a specific day.

About a week and a half after I mailed the check, I received the order in the mail and I sent him a thank you note to let him know I got it. When I did, he said he had just received my check the day before. He ahd also sent the order without waiting for my check to get there. I can only assume he felt the same way about model railroaders.


----------



## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

J.Albert1949 said:


> I don't sell many things.
> I'm not a business person and have no desire to become one.
> 
> I am also "old school, as old as it gets".
> ...


I haven't actually been inside of a post office in many years, and have no plans to go. Paypay and other services make it easy to conduct the entire transaction while lying in my bed if I want. And the PO charges a fee for money orders. They are also (from a seller's perspective) one of the most commonly counterfeited instruments out there.

And there is still a lot of misunderstanding about things linked to bank accounts. Your paper check has your full account and bank routing information on it. Anyone with that check or the information on it has easier access to your money than someone trying to hack in.

And as far as sellers, I won't buy from any merchant who won't take a debit card or PayPal. Too many other options out there -- and I've never yet not been able to find something I needed. If you want to live in the 19th Century, there are plenty of people ready to move to an electronic economy.


----------



## vette-kid (May 2, 2020)

CTValleyRR said:


> I haven't actually been inside of a post office in many years, and have no plans to go. Paypay and other services make it easy to conduct the entire transaction while lying in my bed if I want. And the PO charges a fee for money orders. They are also (from a seller's perspective) one of the most commonly counterfeited instruments out there.
> 
> And there is still a lot of misunderstanding about things linked to bank accounts. Your paper check has your full account and bank routing information on it. Anyone with that check or the information on it has easier access to your money than someone trying to hack in.
> 
> And as far as sellers, I won't buy from any merchant who won't take a debit card or PayPal. Too many other options out there -- and I've never yet not been able to find something I needed. If you want to live in the 19th Century, there are plenty of people ready to move to an electronic economy.


+1000 on this. Account number and routing number are all that's needed to set up a payment fun checking account. With just that info anyone could rip you off easily. Lube I said earlier, with a check in the mail all the risk is on the buyer. Not gonna do it. PayPal is way more secure. 

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk


----------

