PLEASE BE ADVISED--Paypal says we CAN use personal/no fee PP on this site! [Archive] - The Well-Trained Mind Forums (aka Hive Mind)

lovetobehome

09-04-2009, 07:22 PM

I JUST CALLED PAYPAL---WE CAN USE PERSONAL-NO FEES payments!

I am starting a new thread, I hope this is helpful!

This is the second time I have called paypal and specifically asked this question. PLEASE, ladies, read this.
I described our forum, and our situation: homeschooling moms, buying and selling used curriculum. Getting rid of our excess, buying new stuff to try. BOTH paypal reps told me we can CERTAINLY use PERSONAL/NO FEE paypal, even though we have not 'met' each other in person. THE EXCEPTION IS IF WE ARE USING A SITE THAT HAS A PAYPAL BUTTON ON IT TO MAKE PAYMENTS. So, for example, ebay has a button to make a paypal payment. You can never use personal/no fee paypal on that site, or on any other site that has a direct paypal link.
I told him some people worried that this might be unethical (if we ask for a PERSONAL payment from someone on the board). He said absolutely not.
WE DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FEES. WE DO NOT HAVE TO FEEL AS IF WE ARE BEING UNETHICAL. This is paypal's own policy, according to both reps I have talked to, on separate occasions.
If someone wants to pay fees, go right ahead, but here they are telling us we do not need to, should not, and can keep going right on using FREE PAYPAL.
Questions? Call paypal and ask yourself! We don't need to attack each other!

Mrs Mungo

09-04-2009, 07:31 PM

Good to know! Thanks! :001_smile:

elegantlion

09-04-2009, 07:37 PM

Sweet. You might cross post this in the swap board just so it doesn't get lost as quickly.

hsmom3tn

09-04-2009, 07:49 PM

nestof3

09-04-2009, 08:03 PM

Thanks so much for finding out about this. We all appreciate your time!

lovetobehome

09-04-2009, 08:05 PM

Hsmom3tn, I am not sure that this is the case...that there is no buyer/seller protection when making a 'personal' payment. I was told that is not accurate when I called before, unless I misunderstood. I am on hold with paypal now to ask (they tell me my expected wait is longer than 15 minutes!!)....I know that regardless of what way you pay, you will not get as much protection for a payment that is outside of EBAY. But I don't think there is a difference between personal (ie no fee) and purchase (fee). FWIW, I went in to a payment made as a personal payment, and clicked to see if I could open a dispute...looks like I can. I will update as soon as I get through to the pp rep!

MomOfOneFunOne

09-04-2009, 08:07 PM

the Cathswap mods also contacted Paypal a while back and got the same answer.

MyCrazyHouse

09-04-2009, 08:07 PM

I JUST CALLED PAYPAL---WE CAN USE PERSONAL-NO FEES payments!

...
Nifty! Thanks for doing the leg (ear) work!

lovetobehome

09-04-2009, 08:26 PM

20 minutes on hold, but the answer was what I was told the last time I called...THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN THE DISPUTE PROCESS OR YOUR RECOURSE IF THERE IS A PROBLEM, WHETHER YOU USE 'personal' OR 'purchase'.
Identical process, the rep assured me.

So. There is no reason for us to think it unethical, or to think there is more risk, in using FREE PAYPAL for our transactions here.
The only reason (that I can think of) that a seller might want the buyer to use PURCHASE is that there is a link to the address and easy shipping using PURCHASE. This is a valid reason for some! But for me as a seller, I would happily take things to the PO for my fellow homeschooling mamas and save them the fees. And save fees for myself, too. Maybe it means the item won't go out today,but I will get it to the PO within a couple days. As a buyer, I am happier paying less and waiting a few more days.
I think if a seller wants this convenience, that is totally justifiable. Just know why you are paying fees...it is not because pp requires it of us in this situation. It is for the convenience of making shipping labels through pp.
I think click-n-ship might be a nice option to look into, isnt that free?

Melissa in CA

09-04-2009, 08:27 PM

Grrrrrreat! :D So, does that mean in our for sale listings we can say, 'Personal non credit, non debit payments only please?' ;)

Oh, and as a buyer, we'll need to send the seller our address because I don't think Paypal forwards that to the seller in a personal sale. At least, that seems to be my experience so far. As a seller, sometimes Paypal will send me the buyers addy, and sometimes not. I am assuming the times they don't is due to the buyers use of the personal option. :confused:

Kleine Hexe

09-04-2009, 08:28 PM

You know before the Paypal thread I never even noticed the "Personal" option.

Great to know! Thanks

nukeswife

09-04-2009, 08:31 PM

lovetobehome

09-04-2009, 08:39 PM

Cross-post here explains how to make a NO FEE payment...
http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126155

And here, Melissa, is the scoop on the address. If a buyer sends NO FEE paypal, the address will NOT be sent through paypal. So, if I am selling, I ask for no fee paypal and request the buyer's address in a private message.
If they send FEE paypal, the address will be displayed...for the price of the fee, charged to your account (I think they CAN choose to pay the fee within pp, but I have never seen anyone do that)
I accept noncredit no fee paypal, check, money order. If the buyer really wants to use credit paypal, I tell them that I would prefer that they also offer to pay the fee....but I have given them 3 other options.

Rhonda in TX

09-04-2009, 09:08 PM

If there is a disagreement between buyer and seller, will the buyer protection go into effect? That's one of the main reasons I use Paypal. Anybody know the answer to that?

Sparkle

09-04-2009, 09:14 PM

This is great to know. I haven't minded paying the fees, but I definitely appreciate being able to save the money, since they say it's OK. Thanks a lot for checking on it for us!

Tree House Academy

09-04-2009, 09:19 PM

Wow...I guess my thoughts on the matter from the get go weren't so lying, thieving, and horrible afterall. All along, it just didn't seem right to me that, in this situation, we would have any reason NOT to use Personal. Well....Whatdayaknow? LOL

Thanks so much for finding this out for us all!

lovetobehome

09-04-2009, 09:27 PM

Rhonda, see post 9 in this thread, according to the paypal reps I spoke with, the dispute process is the SAME whether we use personal or purchase.

I coudn't stand the yuckiness of the original thread, so hopefully this will bring some peace. Let's all try to keep it this way, we are a little community here, and we don't need to pick nits (or each other). Let's extend some grace, we all need it. I love being here, and I hate to see when negative stuff picks up speed. Can those of you who were upset with each other forgive and forget, can we all hug and make up??? :grouphug:

Earth Angel_79

09-04-2009, 09:57 PM

WONDERFUL! Thanks for checking on this -- I never would have even thought to check! I wish I would have known before a couple of days ago...I could have sent personal to several people I bought from.

JennC

09-05-2009, 12:05 AM

That's nice to hear what paypal feels. I do agree that if you use personal as your payment option. PLEASE send the seller your address. Every time someone's used personal to pay me (of their own doing, I'm not that worried about the fees) I didn't get their address and can't print a shipping label unless I go into the muti purchase shipping area (that's not the actual name but it escapes me at the moment)

sorry I'm to lazy right now to look, but someone did post a way to print the shipping label on paypal for a personal payment. Someone not nursing at keyboard can do it much faster than I can.

hsmom3tn

09-05-2009, 02:56 AM

tdeveson

09-05-2009, 07:40 AM

Thank you for doing the research and posting this.

tdeveson

09-05-2009, 07:43 AM

Grrrrrreat! :D So, does that mean in our for sale listings we can say, 'Personal non credit, non debit payments only please?'

Just curious, why "non-debit payment only?" Is this safer for the seller? I've never used PayPal to sell my stuff, but I've got so much stuff piled up from previous years that a sale is almost inevitable. ;)

nestof3

09-05-2009, 10:01 AM

lovetobehome

09-05-2009, 10:15 AM

Toni, thanks for pointing this out. I need to go back and edit the post...DEBIT payments are the same as CREDIT payments....fees are charged with both credit and debit.

Melissa in CA

09-05-2009, 11:54 AM

DEBIT payments are the same as CREDIT payments....fees are charged with both credit and debit.

Exactly. The only form of payments that are not charged a fee is payments transfered from the buyers bank account, or payments made from the buyers Paypal money sitting in their Paypal account. Any form of payments made with a card of any kind, whether debit (even if it comes right from your bank account) or credit, WILL be charged a fee.

I had a Paypal account that I often used when I used to sell on Ebay. I upgraded to the account that could accept cc (Can't think of the name...Premier?) due to so many people trying to use cc when buying from me. I then started getting charged for each and EVERY transaction....even those that did not use cc and transferred from their bank account! It was frustrating. SO, I made another Paypal account and kept it a basic account. I stopped selling on Ebay and began selling on homeschool boards. I told people no cc. But several times I had some who would use debit thinking that it was not considered a cc and I would have to deny payment and inform the buyer. So, I too learned that debit payments are just the same in Paypal's eyes as a credit payment. It was a learning experience.

So, if you want a completely fee-free Paypal experience....you must have a basic account (unless this has changed), you must NOT accept credit or debit cards, and the buyer must use the personal option tab. And buyers, if you do not want your seller to be charged a fee, you must do the same. (don't pay with debt, credit, and use the personal option). And sellers, if you already have a Premiere (?) account, you may want to think about opening a new basic account. Premiere accounts get charged a fee regardless of how payment is received. My understanding is that you can have two, or possibly three, Paypal accounts, so this is legal...or at least is was. I don't know all the ins and outs since the policy change. I still have two accounts though...one basic and one premeire...and have used both recently with no problems.

Anyhow, due to the policy changes things could have changed considerably in regards to the different type accounts, maybe there is only one now....I honestly don't know. :confused: So someone please correct me if I am wrong.

SLH in ND

09-07-2009, 11:11 PM

Thank you for posting this information.

Sheri

momoflotsoftots

09-09-2009, 01:54 PM

Awesome find! Thanks! We need to make sure this is known across the board.

lovetobehome

09-09-2009, 02:05 PM

Absolutely. I have had a couple moms irritated with me for asking for no-fee paypal, thinking I am being 'unethical'. I am referring people to this thread, or to call paypal themselves (just be prepared to sit on hold awhile).
I posted this thread in 3 places, but feel free to spread the word!

happyholly

09-19-2009, 12:14 AM

Thanks so much for the info.

Gillian on Orcas Island

09-21-2009, 04:07 PM

A little clarification seems to be in order...The fact is, you CAN have a Premier account and use the "Personal" payment option to send and receive funds without a fee, as long as the payments are funded by a bank account or a Paypal balance. (However, a fee does apply to any Personal payment made with a credit or a debit card. If you have a Premier account, it would be the same 2.9% fee that's assessed on ALL payments made through the "Purchases" option.)

So, it IS possible to have a Premier account (which you might choose to have in order to be able to accept credit cards), and still send and receive NO FEE "Personal" payments. And as the OP has ascertained for us, this is a perfectly legitimate use of one's Paypal account.

The breakdown of fees for Personal payments is on the Paypal website in the help section, and my experience confirms it: I've had no problem using my Premier account to send and receive Personal payments without fees, as long as they are not from a credit or debit card. Hope that helps someone. :)

lovetobehome

09-21-2009, 05:07 PM

Thanks for clarifying...this has been my experience, too. It used to be that any payment (credit or funded)received in a premier account was subject to fees. And then if you had a personal account but accepted a few credit payments to that, you would be forced to 'upgrade' to a premier account.
That is no longer the case, thankfully! It really was a mess!

kdurfee

09-22-2009, 08:07 PM

Appreciate the great info re: paypal - I never knew!

Lovedtodeath

10-07-2009, 02:17 AM

Good to know!

Ibbygirl

10-07-2009, 02:39 AM

I vote that they make this thread a sticky! :)

Amy+2

10-16-2009, 10:43 PM

:thumbup: So glad to know this!

Jonathan

10-30-2009, 07:03 AM

Just out of curiousity. What about people who only have a few feedback under the new system but have over 20 from thye previous versions of the good trade system, such as myself? Not that I plan on doing any new auctions anytime soon but just in case. I think I know the answer but Id like to make sure.
by the way,

Karen_OK

11-24-2009, 08:57 PM

Thank you so much. This has helped me understand the paypal process much better.

nukeswife

12-07-2009, 12:51 AM

Just a caution about using the personal option. If you use buy something and click the "payment owed" tab under personal then you may be stuck if the item never arrives.

I bought something from a member here on Oct 22nd, I used that tab and even put my address in the notes section (because it doesn't automatically show up when you use the personal option) and it still hasn't arrived. I was assured by the seller on Nov. 17th that it would be mailed the next day, she said she tried emailing me for my address. She did email me for my address and I responded within a few hours. Still nothing, the seller hasn't be on here since Nov. 22nd to answer my PM and has not answered the emails I've sent. So now it looks like I may be out $50 because I can't file a Paypal claim, since using the option I did makes it look like no items were purchased.

So just be careful, you may end up saving the seller a little in fees, but could be out your full amount if the items never show up.

Basketmaker Amy

12-07-2009, 10:55 AM

Thanks for researching.

lovetobehome

12-18-2009, 11:00 PM

I think paypal has changed stuff on us again. Nukeswife may be right...about no protection. I haven't called paypal, but I have heard this complaint a couple times lately. I think they may have phased in this change...ugh. Maybe I should call and check?
I am still using no fee paypal...

nukeswife

12-19-2009, 11:58 PM

I actually called about filing a complaint last week and they said no dice. The man I talked to tried to file a claim for me but because it looks like no merchandise exchanged hands the system declined it immediately.

From now on I'll just offer to pay the fees that they would charge the seller.

Lovedtodeath

12-20-2009, 09:18 PM

Thank you for informing us Kel.

jannake

12-20-2009, 10:14 PM

I, too, tried to file with Paypal because the material I ordered on October 27th has not arrived and the seller will not respond to any correspondence. I was unable to file because I used the personal option to pay. I will think twice about doing that the next time because you have no recourse if you don't get the material.

houseofrabbits

01-18-2010, 01:20 PM

This is great information. Thanks for letting me know!

Lis

stripe

02-05-2010, 07:16 PM

? This is bizarre. Why does it say if your brother buys your car and pays via paypal, you have to have it as fees? I wish they would make up their mind instead of contradicting what it says on the website. Personally I am opposed to the fees for small transactions rather than businesses (which I was flamed for the last time around!) but I think the downside is a) no protection and b) the lack of shipping via paypal. You can download the Shipping Assistant from USPS but it is a separate thing than doing through paypal. So, in sum, I think they are being unclear.

Tree House Academy

02-05-2010, 07:24 PM

[QUOTE=stripe;1477705I am opposed to the fees for small transactions rather than businesses (which I was flamed for the last time around!) but I think the downside is a) no protection and b) the lack of shipping via paypal. You can download the Shipping Assistant from USPS but it is a separate thing than doing through paypal. So, in sum, I think they are being unclear.[/QUOTE]

You were flamed? Honey, I am still smoking! :lol::lol::lol:

There is actually a "multiple shipment" feature on paypal where you can use paypal funds to ship something that was paid via personal paypal. That way, you still get the tracking number and dont' have to make the trip to the post office. I do agree, though, on the "no protection." I don't like that at all.

Since the hoopla post, I have bought and sold. I leave it up to the other person as to how they pay. When I buy, I ask the seller which they prefer. It cuts down on lots of drama...and if I want something bad enough, I am willing to pay the fees.

tiffanyl

02-05-2010, 07:29 PM

I know, it's all very unclear! And I agree with you about the fees for small transactions.:glare:

Just wanted to point out...
When someone accepts personal payments, they can still ship using paypal... they would just have to import the info. instead of them having it on file for you. But, it's still pretty simple to do.

? This is bizarre. Why does it say if your brother buys your car and pays via paypal, you have to have it as fees? I wish they would make up their mind instead of contradicting what it says on the website. Personally I am opposed to the fees for small transactions rather than businesses (which I was flamed for the last time around!) but I think the downside is a) no protection and b) the lack of shipping via paypal. You can download the Shipping Assistant from USPS but it is a separate thing than doing through paypal. So, in sum, I think they are being unclear.

lovetobehome

02-05-2010, 07:33 PM

Yes, you can ship through paypal even with no fee paypal. When you sign in, then click on the MULTI_ORDER SHIPPING (on the right). It is really simple, and now I don't ever go to the PO!
When I pay, I often ask if they want no fee. So far, everyone has been grateful to take no fee pp! And I usually trust ppl here!

stripe

02-06-2010, 11:06 AM

Anyhow I still recommend this program from USPS, there are the same (discounted) fees for delivery confirmation, and you can choose either to pay for the postage (which means you can mail from home/drop box) or pay in person at the PO.

http://www.usps.com/shippingassistant/instructions.htm

lovetobehome

03-18-2010, 01:42 PM

lovetobehome

03-18-2010, 01:44 PM

Also, I posted another thread---you CAN print labels from paypal for free, using the NO FEE PERSONAL option.

Gratia271

03-18-2010, 03:04 PM

Thanks for going to the trouble of clarifying this!

Omma

03-20-2010, 07:04 AM

Wow, I have just read through this thread and it has been so helpful. I have called PayPal twice prior to reading this and I was still confused.... until now. As a seller, I had been requesting non-cc paypal in order to avoid fees, but I couldn't understand why I was being charged fees anyway. Now I know.

My hope is that as we continue to use the good trader notification system, we will be able to trust people and use the personal money PayPal feature to avoid those seller fees. Or, should I raise the prices a bit in order to cover the fees??? I guess I need to be saying that I accept non-cc, non-debit, personal money PayPal????? Oh, how awkward!

Brenda

lovetobehome

03-20-2010, 08:29 AM

I usually say, "I prefer no fee personal paypal. To make a personal payment, click the PERSONAL tab above the box where you enter the amount. Then click PAYMENT OWED, and send me your address separately".
Glad this helps!

Omma

03-20-2010, 10:50 AM

Thanks so much, lovetobehome! I think this is a great thread to keep in the forefront as we move into this big curriculum-buying season!

Brenda

Momto4kids

07-06-2011, 10:48 PM

TN Mama

07-07-2011, 08:03 AM

lakotajm

07-15-2011, 10:36 PM

That yes you can use personal PP to pay for items on this for sale board BUT if the seller decides NOT to send your item, you are out your money. :-)

I know this is an old thread, just thought I would add my experience to the mix. :tongue_smilie:

Is this different from the issue of whether or not you can file a dispute? The OP stated you can file a dispute with personal Paypal. Is this scenario you describe outside the scope of dispute claims?

Lakota

PentecostalMom

07-15-2011, 11:07 PM

That's great that it's okay, and I'm not saying that you should or shouldn't use personal for purchases; but I just wanted to remind everyone that there is no buyer or seller protection when you use this option.

I thought this was what we were having discussions about anyway. Personally, I never felt I was doing anything unethical, I just felt unprotected.

PentecostalMom

07-15-2011, 11:10 PM

Thanks for clearing that up. It's good to know that we will still be protected.

Yes, you can still use paypal for your shipping labels, just use multi-order shipping and put in the information manually.

Thanks again :)

Thanks for this info! I simply despise going to the post office, it is worth the fees for me to be able to print shipping labels right here at home!

PentecostalMom

07-15-2011, 11:18 PM

Something is not "right" with this info about disputes. Let me explain. My husband was sent some $$ to his account, and I sent it as a "personal" payment to myself so there would be no fees deducted. After reading this, I went over to the paypal site, and attempted to open a dispute, just to see if I could. This is the message that I received:

This transaction cannot be disputed at this time. This is usually because the transaction has not yet been completed. If this is a completed transaction, please double check that the Transaction ID you selected refers to a payment that you sent. :confused:

However, this transaction shows as "completed" on the paypal site, the money was transferred a couple of days ago, and it went from pp acct to pp acct, no credit cards or bank accounts involved. I checked and double checked the transaction ID (I copied and pasted anyway).

Then I went to another payment that I received as a "personal" payment and tried again. This one was older. I STILL cannot open a dispute and get the same message. That makes me wary of the claim that the dispute process is the same.

lovetobehome

07-17-2011, 08:00 PM

I have been wondering about this, because when I called pp long ago, they assured me you COULD open a dispute even with personal paypal, but so many people here have said you cannot. When I get some more time, I am going to call paypal AGAIN and talk with them about it. I suspect when I called, they were transitioning, and now they are not allowing disputes?

nukeswife

07-17-2011, 08:16 PM

You can NOT dispute a personal payment. Paypal views personal payments as ones in which no merchandise would be changing hands, so you can not open a dispute if you use personal to pay someone and then they never send the items. I know this from an experience I had on this board.

lovetobehome

07-17-2011, 10:40 PM

I am sorry you had a bad experience here, that stinks! I believe you. I called paypal mutliple times (way back when) and they clearly told me they would still allow disputes. But apparently they have changed their tune AGAIN. They keep switching things up!
As a seller and as a buyer, I still use personal paypal almost exclusively. If for some reason I get a bad feeling about someone, I will ask for insurance or do fee paypal, or if it is a really large purchase and I just am nervous about it. But I understand there is risk involved, as there is with checks, too. There is also alywas the risk that the PO will lose or damage your package (I have had this happen a couple times over the years). I still take personal checks, and while I have had a couple bad apples over the years, by and large my experiences are so good that I figure I am still coming out ahead over buying new.

My Three J's

07-19-2011, 10:35 PM

Good information. Thanks for letting us know!

AnnetteW

07-26-2011, 12:45 PM

Has anyone recently had a personal paypal transaction randomly reviewed by paypal for "security" issues where Paypal held onto the transaction funds and neither the buyer or seller had access to them? (They placed the hold 6 minutes after the transaction went through and that was 4 days ago.)

This is a bit frustrating because we are both in limbo while they "review" it.

Can anyone offer any suggestions to help us get this resolved?

Thanks!
Annette

emmaluv+2more

07-26-2011, 03:41 PM

I know I am new here so my voice might not get much attention, but this thread concerns me immensely. I have been buying and selling on several other boards for many years and the information given here regarding Paypal rules is just incorrect. I don't know the poster who claims to have called Paypal, but I do know that personal payments cannot ever be used for the exchange of goods. Ever. Personal payments are meant to be everyday exchanges of money such as paying a friend back for dinner, giving your cousin a graduation gift, donating money to a charity, etc. It isn't a choice the seller can make. The same is true of the accompanying fees. THe fees are the seller's responsibility for using the service Paypal is providing to conduct their business. It is against Paypal policy to directly ask the buyer to cover those fees (though you can incorporate it into your asking price).

My first few purchases here really threw me for a loop. I sent my Paypal payments and suddenly had a couple ladies asking me to cover the fees they were hit with. I was greatly confused as to why they were surprised they were charged fees. I actually got into a bit of an argument with one seller because she just couldn't understand why I was so confused and I couldn't understand how personal payments were even an option (I later found this thread). Lately I have been covering the fees myself as a buyer because I refuse to send payments as personal (neither the buyer nor the seller have any protection at all because personal payments aren't supposed to be for the exchange of merchandise), but it is true that this practice is against the rules set forth by Paypal.

I have never, ever been involved on another forum that has sale/swap boards that allows personal payments or the practice of directly asking buyers to cover the seller's fees. I am actually quite surprised that the administrators here haven't gotten involved because I know through experiences elsewhere that if Paypal is notified that these rules are being broken they can and will address it with the owners/admin. of this site.

FYI: It is also a Paypal requirement for the seller to provide delivery confirmation on all packages. If I pay you and you fail to get a DC# all I, as the buyer, have to do is say that the package never arrived. If the seller can't provide proof of shipping & actual delivery then Paypal will side with me, the buyer, and refund my money. So, posters who say that the buyer CAN purchase DC at an additional cost are actually doing themselves a disservice (as well as breaking another Paypal rule).

I really hope the admin do eventually get involved in this because I think there are a lot of very confused buyers and sellers on this site. I think everyone could use some clarification.

emmaluv+2more

07-26-2011, 03:44 PM

Annette-
I think they might possibly have done this if one or both of you seem to have a lot of personal transactions. If they suspect that you are using the personal option for the exchange of $$ and goods then they might hold the transaction while they look into it. I have heard of people's accounts being flagged and even suspended for not following policy.

This is directly from Paypal

Personal Payment" means amounts sent between two individuals (not to or from a business) without a purchase. Examples of Personal Payments include sending a gift to a friend or paying a friend back for your share of a lunch bill.

Purchase Payment” means a payment received for any of the following:
• A payment for the sale of goods or services;
• etc.....

Receiving Money.
4.1 Receiving Personal Payments. If you are selling goods or services, you may not ask the buyer to send you a Personal Payment for the purchase. If you do so, PayPal may remove your ability to accept Personal Payments.

eloquacious

07-27-2011, 06:15 PM

FYI, All Paypal transactions, personal or otherwise, are now with fees. So all our discussions have been wasted. ;)

emmaluv+2more

07-27-2011, 10:46 PM

That is inaccurate. Receiving and sending personal payments (not necessarily related to personal accounts) is free unless the sender used a debit or credit card. All debit/credit card payments incur fees. ;)

https://www.paypal.com/helpcenter/main.jsp?locale=en_US&_dyncharset=UTF-8&countrycode=US&cmd=_help&t=solutionTab&ft=browseTab&ps=solutionPanels&solutionId=11927

lovetobehome

07-31-2011, 09:50 PM

In 2009, I called paypal several times because there was a lot of discussion and accusations on the board over this issue. At that time, I pointed the 2 separate paypal reps TO THIS VERY BOARD and asked about using personal paypal, I was assured it was totally legit. I was also assured we could open disputes (and I actually did open one). However, all that appears to have changed.
I just called PayPal this evening (July 31, 2011) to ask the question again. The rep was not sure, when I described our board. He said if we are running a business, you must use the regular fee paypal, but he was not sure about homeschool moms selling old curriculum. I had him check with a supervisor in the Payments department. PayPal HAS changed their policy from the info I received and posted here back in 2009. That info was accurate at that time, but is inaccurate now.
Here is the scoop...at this time, paypal does not allow disputes on PERSONAL transactions. This is just as several of you have described. Also, if we are buying or selling, their policy now is that we need to use the fee option. I have no interest in cheating paypal, I don't think anyone here wants that. What I was told back then no longer holds. Fee paypal is now the way we should be doing things, unless we are friends with someone and then we can use personal. Stuff changes! I have been using paypal for many years, and they went from completely free, to having a Personal(free) account or a Premier (business) account, to how things were in 09 with the options, to how things are today. As a business, I am sure they have to change with the times in order to make things work. It has been confusing for us to keep up with the changes, but hopefully this clears things up for now.

lovetobehome

07-31-2011, 09:51 PM

I can't edit my original post to direct people here, it is too old. Wow, that was TWO YEARS ago!!!

AnnetteW

08-01-2011, 07:02 AM

:grouphug:

Much thanks lovetobehome for all your hard work and diligence over the years to help us homeschool moms get the best opportunity out of a service that has been infitinely useful in buying and selling curriculum. Most of us only have one small income to work off. (You can only stretch a dollar so far and still pay ever rising postage costs ;))

And thanks for going through the history and explaining the changes in Paypal property. People new to the board certainly couldn't really have known about the specifics unless they diligently kept up with Paypal policy changes and exceptions made to our board in the past. (Thank-you Paypal!)

Especially thanks for patiently explaining things so as to keep harmony and integrity on the boards!

Homeschool Moms are the best! :grouphug:

Clover11

08-02-2011, 10:59 PM

It would be nice for a mod to edit the title of this thread in case someone doesn't bother to read through to the end.

HiddenJewel

08-02-2011, 11:07 PM

FYI, All Paypal transactions, personal or otherwise, are now with fees. So all our discussions have been wasted. ;)

This has not been my observation and I use Pay Pal a lot. I have seen the sender charged a fee (not the receiver) if he used the Personal tab paying with a credit card. But a Personal payment from a bank account has not had a fee on either end.

Beth93

08-03-2011, 04:54 PM

Thank you Lovetobehome for the information! I'm glad I read through to the end of the thread. I agree with Clover11, it would be helpful if the title of the thread was updated.

chickadee

08-08-2011, 05:00 PM

Here is the scoop...at this time, paypal does not allow disputes on PERSONAL transactions. This is just as several of you have described. Also, if we are buying or selling, their policy now is that we need to use the fee option.

My husband spoke with someone at PayPal just this afternoon, and he was told the same thing: personal PayPal is for getting money to someone you know, not for making purchases from another individual (even if that individual is just a mom selling used curriculum, not running a business). And there is no buyer protection on personal transactions.

Hunter

08-08-2011, 11:38 PM

Sometimes my BANK is charging me a fee when I use personal. I don't want to use personal anymore, because I don't understand exactly what is happening, or what my final cost is going to be.

HiddenJewel

08-09-2011, 12:04 AM

Sometimes my BANK is charging me a fee when I use personal. I don't want to use personal anymore, because I don't understand exactly what is happening, or what my final cost is going to be.

The charge actually showed up on your bank statement? Wow!

I have heard of someone paying on the personal tab with a credit card and the sender being charged a fee by Pay Pal.

Sweetbeebie

08-30-2011, 10:03 PM

I knew I saw something in the past about paypal not covering personal payments so I looked under their user agreement.. Here's the cut and past of it stating buyers protection can't be used for personal payment. I did see they have it for business or personal accounts.. maybe the rep confused them?? Personal payment is the last one on the list..since this thread is so long I'll repost separate so people are aware..

13.3 Ineligible Items. PayPal Purchase Protection only applies to PayPal payments for certain tangible, physical goods. Payments for the following are not eligible for reimbursement under PayPal Purchase Protection:

Intangible items, including Digital Goods
Services
Real estate, including residential property
Businesses
Vehicles, including motor vehicles, motorcycles, caravans, aircraft and boats
Custom made items
Travel tickets, including airline flight tickets
Items prohibited by the PayPal Acceptable Use Policy
Items which you collect in person, or arrange to be collected on your behalf, including at the retail point of sale
Items that violate eBay’s Prohibited or Restricted Items Policy
Industrial machinery used in manufacturing
Items equivalent to cash, including prepaid or gift cards
PayPal Direct Payments
Virtual Terminal Payments
Personal Payments

Even if your payment is not eligible for PayPal Purchase Protection, you can file a Dispute and try to resolve the issue directly with the Seller; however, PayPal will generally not find in your favor if you escalate a Dispute to a Claim for an item which is not eligible for PayPal Purchase Protection.
All this was directly from the paypal user agreement..

I JUST CALLED PAYPAL---WE CAN USE PERSONAL-NO FEES payments!

I am starting a new thread, I hope this is helpful!

This is the second time I have called paypal and specifically asked this question. PLEASE, ladies, read this.
I described our forum, and our situation: homeschooling moms, buying and selling used curriculum. Getting rid of our excess, buying new stuff to try. BOTH paypal reps told me we can CERTAINLY use PERSONAL/NO FEE paypal, even though we have not 'met' each other in person. THE EXCEPTION IS IF WE ARE USING A SITE THAT HAS A PAYPAL BUTTON ON IT TO MAKE PAYMENTS. So, for example, ebay has a button to make a paypal payment. You can never use personal/no fee paypal on that site, or on any other site that has a direct paypal link.
I told him some people worried that this might be unethical (if we ask for a PERSONAL payment from someone on the board). He said absolutely not.
WE DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FEES. WE DO NOT HAVE TO FEEL AS IF WE ARE BEING UNETHICAL. This is paypal's own policy, according to both reps I have talked to, on separate occasions.
If someone wants to pay fees, go right ahead, but here they are telling us we do not need to, should not, and can keep going right on using FREE PAYPAL.
Questions? Call paypal and ask yourself! We don't need to attack each other!