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Thread: How safe is PayPal

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    How safe is PayPal

    I advertised a motorbike on Gumtree and have been contacted via email by a keen buyer. He says that he can only pay via PayPal and will pay all associated PayPal costs. He wants to pay ASAP and will have someone collect the bike because he is away...out of town. Of course I would not allow anyone to collect the bike unless I was 110% sure that payment had been received but I'm not so sure about PayPal fraud? It all sounds a bit suss to me?

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    Email problem solweb's Avatar
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    It takes 6 business days to go from Paypal into your account with FNB. You could lose on the exchange from dollars to rand and you get hit with bank charges. Not worth the hassle, especially if Paypal turn round and tell you that they have reversed because it was a fraudulent transaction. Too many ifs and buts!
    Michael Vella
    Web Presence Solutions - www.solutionsweb.co.za

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    Quote Originally Posted by solweb View Post
    It takes 6 business days to go from Paypal into your account with FNB. You could lose on the exchange from dollars to rand and you get hit with bank charges. Not worth the hassle, especially if Paypal turn round and tell you that they have reversed because it was a fraudulent transaction. Too many ifs and buts!
    Thanks solweb, I agree it's not worth the hassel and I have told 'the buyer' that I'm not interested in PayPal for a purchase of this value.
    PS! The bike is here in Oz.
    PS!! Last November when I was in SA and purchased a house I opened a non resident account at FNB......geeze that's another story!

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    PayPal is INCREDIBLY safe, because you never have to give your client or buyer your account details!

    Yes, FNB is a hassle with their 6-8 working days waiting period, BUT, if you use PayPal in your business, you can accept credit card payments, without having a costly merchant account with a bank.

    I've been working as a freelancer for a few years, and I've just launched a company called Construction Media, as well as a site that teaches South Africans about online business, the Internet Business College, and I can tell you that getting PayPal is a huge boost for South African businesses - which most will realise once they understand how it makes them a global payer!

    I can understand not wanting to accept a single purchase via PayPal, and face the waiting period, but if you're talking business, you need to get it. Simple as that.

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    I always use PayPal to pay for my overseas purchases. Never had an issue with them.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Foxy View Post
    I He says that he can only pay via PayPal and will pay all associated PayPal costs. He wants to pay ASAP and will have someone collect the bike because he is away...out of town. It all sounds a bit suss to me?
    Just be careful.........this is a scam !!!! You can Google the keywords of the email.
    Martin Coetzee
    Supplier of Stainless Steel Band and Buckle and various fastening systems. Steel, Plastic, Galvanized, PET and Poly woven.
    We solve your fastening problems.
    www.straptite.com

    You may never know what results will come from your actions, but if you do nothing, there will be no results... Rudy Malan 05/03/2011

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    Diamond Member AndyD's Avatar
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    BEWARE there's a known scam with foreign buyers/ out of town using paypal and you end up with nothing. I'll look for a link and post back when I find one.

    I see Martinco beat me to it. Here's the link anyway.
    _______________________________________________

    _______________________________________________

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    Email problem Cat's Avatar
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    We've recently added paypal to our business and although we have not yet had the opportunity to se it in action - getting it to work took me 4 months. After chatting to PayPal direct and numerous FNB consultants - the only way to get the account linked was to order a (3rd) new card and get it linked up. Now I am waiting to see if/when it works and whether it was worth the hassle.

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    Diamond Member AndyD's Avatar
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    4 months
    You must have the patience of Job himself.

    Was the problem with teething troubles or lack of ability on the side of the bank. Fingers crossed, I hope it proves to be worth it for you
    _______________________________________________

    _______________________________________________

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    Email problem Cat's Avatar
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    @ANdyD - I had been under the impression it would be a quick and simple process. I activated an account and tried linking it with my FNB account as is the norm. I had error messages and constant 're-assurance' from PayPal that whatever account I was trying to link was not a valid account. I tried from my personal cheque account after the business one wouldn't work.
    What made me laugh even more was when I called the FNB PayPal helpline the consultant had no clue what I was saying and urged me to contact PayPal who subsequently reverted me back to FNB.
    After that I figured online and telephonic assistance would not help me and physically went into the bank and sat for 20minutes while they figured out the problem. 7 days later I got a new card (3rd one by the way) which linked immediately. Now I sit and wait for clients to use it - most of which use our online credit card facility anyway.

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