Your Pay Pal experiences

[Sporkin]

For peace of mind and ease of use I suggest using a Ubuntu Live CD or if you're more technically savvy, QubeOS Live. The Ubuntu live CD is one that is bootable into a basic configuration of Ubuntu complete with networking and browser, you can't install stuff on it, and on next reboot everything is brand new again. Its really easy to use: download, burn and boot. This is also how you should do banking stuff on a foreign computer, e.g hotel's business lounges, you never know whether those machines have key loggers installed, intentionally or not.

QubeOS is interesting, its basically VM all the way, your host is not user touchable, your user modifiable stuff is organized into workspaces and each workspace is a separate VM.

[sgal83]

I use paypal for most of my online purchases, especially for purchases in ebays.

[sgstrait]

Anybody use vPost and/or those POPStations?

Sent from my bottom using High-Powered-Air[TRADE MARK SIGN]

[x9200]

VPost = Speedpost, and I found them very unreliable (unless something has changed in the meantime).
The POPStations, I used it few times (or better say was forced to use) and the experience is positive so far - I mean, it works as it supposed to work.

[sgstrait]

Ah didn't realise vPost and Speedpost were the same bunch. I have heard good things about vPost but not about Speedpost service

Sent from my bottom using High-Powered-Air[TRADE MARK SIGN]

[toorak_girl]

I've had sub-par experiences with Paypal, freezing my account arbitrarily a few times and requiring all sorts of personal information before they would return me my money. All pretty high-handed and unfriendly.

Though all that's sorted out now, it still leaves a bad taste in the mouth, and I avoid using Paypal as much as I can, mainly because I don't trust them more than they don't trust me.

Anyway with the new Verified by Visa feature (3D Secure, where they send you a One-Time Password to your phone), using my credit card online is a lot safer than it sounds. Besides, these days banks are quick to replace your card the moment they sniff a possibility that your card has been compromised anywhere in the world.

Besides, I'm careful where I use my card. At smaller online stores, I'll use my debit card instead - that way if it's ever leaked, my downside is limited to a relatively small amount.

[PNGMK]

I agree Paypal is pretty bad but I haven't had issues for awhile. However they will or are running more and more into the money laundering regs and I'm pretty certain they will become more difficult to deal with in time as a result.

[sundaymorningstaple]

So far so good with PayPal. The few issues I've had were with sellers and PayPal has always found in my favour. I'm speaking not as an occasional user but as one with well over 800 transactions in the past 7 years.

[lucassmith]

Yea likewise I've had fantastic service from Paypal and would try to pay via them as a consumer.
Most people dont know that paying through paypal provides an additional layer of consumer protection.

Also to prevent situations like toorak_girl's, I'll just attach a creditcard to my paypal and not have any funds left inside.

[x9200]

Yea likewise I've had fantastic service from Paypal and would try to pay via them as a consumer.
Most people dont know that paying through paypal provides an additional layer of consumer protection.

Funny enough, most of the Singapore sellers doesn't seem to know about this and they lose any dispute by ignoring the PayPal's requests to respond. Also the bigger fish in Singapore online shopping ocean (e.g. Lazada, Qoo) seem to have problems with PayPal in dispute situation - they are either ignorant or their internal communication sucks - still can argue failing to notice that the refund was already made. PayPal is excellent from the buyers' perspective. The only situation PayPal is less helpful is if the goods are above certain price level and shipping them back costs some money - PayPal requires proof of shipment to refund you the money.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Reviving this thread instead of starting a new one......Fairly long but all good.

Ebay experiences for me have always been rather easy. In all cases (not all that many - 3 or 4) found in my favour. This week is number 5 and concerned a Stanley SW low angle Jack Plane #62. This is a high end Stanley plane and retails a bit over $200 USD but you can get them from an Factory Authorized Outlet for around $134 NIB. So I bought one about 2 weeks ago and it arrived on Tuesday afternoon (6th) and I got to it when I got home around 8 pm but didn't open it until after dinner so around 9pm.

When I get more costly goods from overseas (eBay or any other retailer) I tend to take photos with my phone of the arrival box, and progressive pictures when I open it (just in case). Glad I did in this instance. The outer shipping box was in perfect shape. The Inner box was also in perfect shape. Upon opening the box, the plane was wrapped in a waxed paper and the whole thing inserted in a clear vinyl bag. All in good shape.

When I unwrapped the waxed paper from the plane I turned it over to look at the sole of the plane and was greeted with a long stretch of sole with a nice nick/gouge on the left side of the sole edge near the throat of the plane that caused a bump in the bottom of the sole about 1.5mm high, making the plane unusable. Sooo. I got on skype and called the seller's hotline in Ontario, CA. Pleasant conversation and they took my email and then immediately sent me an email created a case number and asked for details and photos of the damage which I duly sent them (16 photos in total). As it was getting near midnight, I shut it down for the evening and when I awoke I had a message from them. To which I replied and then they sent me another reply which said......

"We do greatly apologize for any inconvenience. This unit was shipped using the eBay Global Shipping Program. For any damage claim you will need to contact the GSP directly at 877-322-9227 to receive a refund.
Regards,
Matthew Shaw | FAO Marketplace - Max Tool"

Now they were fully aware that is wasn't damaged in shipment and the damage was probably sustained at the factory before it was wrapped up and boxed for shipment to the suppliers. I don't like the GSP program by Pitney-Bowes so figured I would be having some problems, so I didn't call as I wanted all in black & white, so off to the GSP program site I went. Eventually after a lot of reading, you get redirected to eBay Resolution Centre. :-/

So, armed with the photos I'd already sent to the seller, I sent all of them to eBay as well as images of the email correspondence I'd already had with the seller. (this was Wednesday afternoon). Here's what happened and what I sent & received from eBay.

"Dec 07..................You created a return
Reason for return.......Arrived damaged
Comments
I bought this high end Stanley low angle Jack Plane as an heirloom for my son, as my G.Father did for my Father and my Father did for me. It was supposed to be new but it is obviously been damaged in such a manner that it cannot be used as a plane due to the sole of the shoe having been struck apparently extremely hard in order to damage the sole causing a protrusion below the level of the sole. This means the shoe can not plane properly at all and for all intents and purposes it is a piece of junk. I have attempted to contact the seller with photos and such but they tell me I have to get a refund of my money via the GSP (shipped using the Global Shipping Program by Pitney-Bowes). (see attached PDF files of eMail correspondence complete with photos of packaging (undamaged) and sole of plane showing damage. The seller claims that once the GSP program accepts the package all reimbursements must come from them. The problem is not a shipping problem but and piece of defective merchandise from the seller. But I would have to pay my own shipping back and they would only reimburse original costs less a 15% restocking fee. That is a lot of money for something that is not the fault of the buyer. The problem is that the Pitney-Bowes page refers me to eBay so here I am. Respectfully, Ken Meals
Address
5798 Ontario Mills Pkwy, Ontario, CA, 91764-5116"

Last night (Thursday) I received a second email from eBay with my return being cancelled because the seller had requested eBay to step in and help out.

"Hi SMS,
factory_authorized_outlet has asked us to step in and help. We'll make a decision within 48 hours.
We'll get back to you within 48 hours."

This morning I received the following two emails....

"Dear Sundaymorningstaple,
eBay ruled in your favour in your dispute case, and a full refund of $134.99 USD was sent to your PayPal account for your purchase from Factory Authorized Outlet. It may take 3-5 working days to receive the refund in your account. eBay will then consider the dispute closed. If you have any questions, please go to the eBay Resolution Centre."

Dear Sundaymorningstaple,
eBay ruled in your favour in your dispute case, and a full refund of $27.48 USD was sent to your PayPal account for your purchase from Pitney Bowes, Inc. It may take 3-5 working days to receive the refund in your account. eBay will then consider the dispute closed. If you have any questions, please go to the eBay Resolution Centre."

The upside to this is the whole thing only took 3 days to sort out (albeit I had all the details & Photos) AND I've got a plane that is only worth half of what I originally paid for it but once the gouge hump has been filed down and the sole lapped it should still be a very usable plane. But I got all my money back as well.

I've never had a problem using eBay/PayPal and the fees that they charge, well, to me it's the ease of handling of legitimate problems to equitable solutions that make it worth while.

I wonder what type of feedback I should give to the seller???

SMS

[x9200]

Good to see Ebay/Paypal was willing to rule in your favour for such rather expensive item and without the need to ship it back to the seller.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I reckon that between the 30 USD they had to reimburse me for plus the $134 for the cost of the plane and the probable 30 USD they would have to cover AND the cost of refurbishing said plane so it could be sold as a used/damaged but workable plane wouldn't be worth spending the additional monies for. I'm pretty sure eBay took the same line with the seller as well. But I have to admit, I was a little surprised as well. Pleasantly surprised, to say the least.

[x9200]

Your case was fortunately clear and possible to reasonably prove beyond any obvious doubts, but I had once problems ordering nespresso capsules from the UK where the seller send me some expired sh*t without any coffee taste. I won the case without major sweat but the refund was made conditional, subject to sending this h*t back to the seller. With a 2-3kg package this made no sense at all. Since then, I avoid buying anything more heavy and expensive at the same time (I think the threshold is ca SGD30).

Few years ago it was possible to send registered surface mail. This was reasonably cheap, but singpost does not provide this sort of service any longer.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Neither does the US, but Canada still provides surface mail and it takes around 3 months to get here! (one of my other experiences with using the eBay resolution centre - successfully as well).