paypal warning sending "gift" payments

[Ancients]

paypal warning sending "gift" payments,

though thanks to some scammers on here at the mo people should be aware of the following

I recently sold a rifle I'd advertised elsewhere, mentioning "PayPal + 4%".

Buyer was a 'newbie' with 3 posts, all on my ad.

The buyer's offer included paying me the £300 as a PayPal 'gift' payment to save himself the 4%.
I accepted this and he duly paid me, entering his name & address in the PayPal comments box.
When the payment arrived via PayPal email, there was no 'Postage address - confirmed' as you get with a normal 'purchase' payment as opposed to a gift. A confirmed address shows that the buyer has been verified at the address shown.
It also came with the following standard warning:
"Reversals:
Please be aware that your payment can still be reversed, (e.g. if it is subject to a chargeback), even after you have posted the item to your buyer. Complying with PayPal's protection programmes and following the trading guidelines, in our Security Centre helps to protect you from things like chargebacks."

I telephoned PayPal and they told me that as the payment was a gift there could be no goods changing hands in PayPal's view and so I would not be protected by PayPal's seller protection policy if the 'sports equipment' (as I told them) went missing. Additionally as there was no verified address sent with the payment (because there's no need for one as no goods are being sent in PayPal's view!) the buyer could have paid with a stolen credit card, using any other non-verified address he cared to. Even if not stolen he could still claim a charge back to his card and I could not dispute via PayPal as there cannot have been any goods involved in a gift payment.

I advised the buyer, with respect, that this could be a scam and was about to ask for him to pay the proper way with PayPal, as a purchase adding the 4%, when I thought that this would still be a problem if the rifle went missing as how could I claim for a rifle when PayPal would close my account if I mentioned that I'd had payment for one. This is similar to using Parcel Force, who don't carry air rifles, and then expecting to be able to claim if one went missing.

In the end the purchaser was very understanding, accepting he was a newbie, drove down and paid cash so all was well.

The moral?
1) Don't accept PayPal gifts unless you know and trust the person paying. You can send the item and then they receive a charge back to their card.
2) Be aware that in any dispute you cannot involve PayPal with any 'restricted' item in their eyes, i.e. airgun.

[jaajaa]

good info , this should be sticky.

[Ancients]

well if mod's like it and put it as sticky , than its fine for me

[AuZ]

[Jog]

[AuZ]

[Ancients]

Stop Spam My Threat ' AuZ '

[AuZ]

[Rad]

thanks for info

[1221]

some ppl are still honest tho

[Ancients]

bump

[1221]

word