Paypal fees discussion

I don't mind people calculate in fees for the final price of the item.
But I DO mind if they tell me to add extra 4% as covering fees for Paypal or anything.
Same result in the price but generate different feelings.

 

Bottom line, you shouldn't be asking for it - not ever. It's in your agreement with Paypal when you set up an account with them. You know it's against their rules, so trying to justify it is pointless. It's in your agreement. With that said, there is no reason you couldn't include the cost of doing business by adding it in to the initial asking price. Then the buyer can decide for themselves if it's worth your asking price and you aren't breaking your contract with Paypal.

Lets say you want to make X on an item (whether you are putting it up for auction or asking a set price) just add the 2-4% to the amount you are asking or what you hope to make in an auction. This way it's the buyer's choice if they feel your price is reasonable or not. Now if an auction goes beyond your wildest dreams and fetches much more than what you are estimating, then you feel the need to ask for even MORE MONEY from that buyer - that is frankly, extremely greedy, against your contract with Paypal and unethical.

I personally would never buy anything from people that ask for Paypal fee's.

 

i personally just the bullet. it's safer to get paid and to pay through paypal, so a small fee for knowing that the money is going to make it isn't much. though i'm always thrilled when someone gives a little extra to cover the fees, i understand if they don't. that being said, i'm selling it so i think that i should cover the fees. i could ask for check or money order and not deal with the fee, but the fee is worth the lazyness ^^

 

I do not charge PP fees for items I am selling on eBay or on the boards.

I have paid them depending on how much I want the item.

If someone does me a favor and picks up something at an event....I expect to and offer to pay the PPfees.

For group orders and splits....I do charge the PP fees. It seems most GO/splits do. Reality check....most people will not run GOs or splits and take a financial loss. GO leaders are already donating their time and effort to organize things. GO and splits are not my 'business'. The point of GO and splits is to save everybody money including the one running it. Group orders can run $1000.00+ and PPfees be $30.00-$40.00+ depending on the kind of account the organizer has. Would anyone do a GO or split then? Not likely. If someone wants to send me a money order and not pay the PPfee....that's fine too....but factor in the cost of the money order, mailing and waiting....depending on the item involved....those costs and the PPfees could be about the same.

Just my 2 cents....LOL.
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Yeah I don't think it's right to ask buyers to add the fees - and I don't think we should have to work at buying something. They should just add the fee to the price they display if they wanna charge fees. I mean I'll pay 'em if I have to, but it irks me.

I don't really know how it works but who's "fault" is it that a fee is charged with cc payments? The buyer's or seller's? If it's the seller's, then it's REALLY unfair!

 

I wouldn't charge paypal fees unless it was on a group order, and could cause me to lose money.

Like other people said, thats a part of paypal. If the person is concerned about losing 20 bucks off a 800 dollar doll, maybe they should find another way to receive the money, maybe by check or money order. Paypal is the safest way, and of course it wouldn't be a free service.

 

It depends on what type of account that they have. A personal account a person doesn't have a fee for a non cc paypal payment but a 4% fee on a CC payment though. Premier members have a straight out constant fee that is less than 4%. You can decide yourself whose at fault.

 

I originally had a NO FEE personal PayPal account 8 years ago. I could only receive balance and bank transfer funds. When I started selling a few higher priced vinyl dolls to thin the herd, some buyer's wanted to use their credit cards to fund their payments. I really would have preferred not to upgrade but at that time PayPal required it to be able to accept those CC funded payments. Now I pay fees on every cent of every payment received. Upgraded PayPal sellers pay a fee regardless of whether funds are from a cc, PayPal balance, or Bank funds transfer. Fees are higher for international transactions.

I think sellers with personal accounts can now receive a limited number of CC funded payments each year without upgrading, but they are also charged PPfees on those payments. So if I went to the effort of opening another PayPal account, kept it a Personal one, and opened another bank account....there would still be fees for CC funded payments.

So whether one has a Personal, Premier, or Business PayPal account....all sellers pay fees for CC funded payments.

IMHO....ultimately it's the credit card companies that are behind the fees which have been passed on by PayPal. With every purchase we make by credit card, the CC companies get a percentage. PayPal then passes the fees onto the sellers and probably makes a little bit with every selling transaction.

Years ago I worked in a gift store for about 6 years and the owner told me that Retail stores pay the CC companies fees of 2%-4% depending on which cards the retailer accepts. Back then most stores preferred Visa and Mastercard over Discover and American Express. I'm thinking it is still the same today. Take a look at the stores and websites where you make purchases. Some still only take Visa or Mastercard and the fees are the reason.

Just another 2 cents....LOL.

 

I buy more than I sell here on DoA, and as a seller I never tack on the PayPal fee. I have a personal account, so I state "No CC" just to be safe and avoid any possible conflict.

When I am browsing the Marketplace for something to buy (which I do on a nightly basis!), if I see "4% to cover PayPal fees", I immediately skip that particular post. It's like when people try to recoup their shipping costs or sales tax, and then blatantly say so! Sorry, not buying from you. Figure out what you need to charge to cover all of your costs, and just post it as that. DoA has a "no price policing" policy, so people cannot challenge you if they think your price is too high.

 

The only thing I want is that my doll will arrive in my house safe... I will pay all tax they want.. I just want my doll...

 

I ask for PayPal fees when I run group orders. I think that's fair. If people have a problem with that, they do not have to participate in mine. As for individual selling, the only real selling I have done has been in real time at meets with cash. *shrug* I assume that my prices would include Paypal fee loss from the beginning...I would not ask for them afterwards.

If I am buying a large-scale item from a DOA seller such as a doll, I do not mind paying the fees for them. Why? Because it is MY convenience to use PayPal. I pay instantly, the person has the money instantly, and I get my doll faster. I don't have to go to the store and get a money order, nor do I have to pay wire transfer fees. I think people are looking at this from the wrong direction, the selfish one. PayPal is not just for the seller's convenience, but for yours. And in the case of such a high-ticket item as a doll, the seller should not have to give up a large chunk of what the doll is worth simply for your convenience.

 

I don't like the idea of being charged extra to cover paypal fees. It just doesn't really seem fair to me as a buyer. I understand why paypal charges their fees. So that they can make money off of sellers making money through them, but why should I have to shell out more so that the seller can profit more?

Meh, I usually think twice about it when I see that I've got to add more money to my total than originally thought.

 

HI, I have a question but I dont know where to ask, I hope is ok...

I need to order a doll from a company... but... I dont want that they will sent the doll to my home... (My parents would not tollerate all these money for a doll) anyway Im bigger enogh to do what I want with my money... but I will prefer the doll will be delivery to my friend's home... (note: I will not mark my package value down !!)
now the problem is this:

The company wants a telephone number for EMS's and EMS Premium services...
I dont want to gives to them my home telephone number, but my friend 's phone cell number .. (he will receive my package at his home)...

Is possible give to them Cell phone number, instead of home phone number?
And do you think that if I will give to them my friend's cell phone number and for the customs here in Italy they probably would call him for request copy of the paypal's versament (the paypal account is mine) so they will need at any cost my cell phone number or is ok even if they call at this friend of mine and my friend then will tells to me to send to them the copy of versament of paypal even if he's not the titolar of the payment of paypal?

Sorry I dont know how to explain this.. is a little complicated......

 

Be warned, some companies do this anyway without asking. I was a little surprised. As for the cellphone part, I think a cellphone number is ok. I personally do not even have a house phone...but I'm in the US and looking at it from a US point of view. My doll made it though customs in a matter of hours.

 

The one issue I have with paypal (note that personally I have a business account and pay 2.9% on each and every transaction) is that while a credit card company will charge any retailer up to 4% (not just paypal... I mean like in stores as well), if that same retailer takes a DEBIT card, they are only charged a flat rate of like $0.25 - $0.50 cents.

However, paypal does not give you an option to pay with a DEBIT card and not have the receiver have to pay the 4%. I mean ok, fine... the money's still coming out of my checking account, but the person i'm sending the money to doesn't have to wait 3 business days for the transfer to clear if I use my debit card. But then sellers ask me NOT to use my debit card, because paypal treats it as a CREDT card and charges them 4%. It just doesn't make sense... paypal should let you specify if it's a debit or credit card.

That prolly made no sense at all... so ignore my ranting. It's just something that's been irk'ing me about paypal for years and years.

 

soulcalibur33 - you have nothing to worry about. Just tell them to put the name and address of your friend and his cell phone number and the package should arrive just fine. If customs calls, then he can let you know about it. If you need to present a Paypal receipt, then just print it out and present it to them, though I think it's kind of odd that you need to do that; maybe the laws are different in Italy.

 

DiSpy, I agree. They should have a way to differentiate between Debit and Credit cards.

 

Pay Pal fees are a part of doing business for the seller not the buyer. As such they should not be passed on. Ask your accountant. Same with eBay fees. And both sites will tell you that those fees are not to be passed on to your customer.
Now with group purchases - well that is another matter.

 

Now this I agree on. This is the only time I think anyone should charge fees. I don't think it's fair the G.O. organiser should have to eat the fees for everyone else's stuff either. Otherwise, it's part of the business (like being charged by the banks to be allowed to use/accept credit cards in a store) and you should just bite the bullet or up your prices to cover it.

LM