Paypal? Please help

05blasterkid

New Member
Apr 24, 2010
460
2
18
Corning, NY
I am trying to sell my ps3 and I put an add on craigslist for it. Someone emailed me saying they want it but are out of town so they would give me the money via paypal and I would ship it out. What I am writing this about is that I don't have a paypal. How does a paypal work? How do you get your money in cash? Or don't you
 
Be very very wary of letting someone pay for something like that with paypal.

There are a bunch of scam warnings about taking online money services for stuff and then shipping out the product and then a few days later the money is gone...

If someone truly does want the PS3 and really is not right around local, demand a phone number to talk to them in person. Also, suggest a postal money order (postal money order has to be payed for up front before it's issued and is guaranteed by the postal service) for payment. If they all of the sudden want to back out of the deal, RUN!!!!!!! it's a scammer.
 
Ok well thank you for that scivic. I will do that and see what they say. The person said they would pay it right now before I even ship it out. Like they emailed me lastnight saying they were interested and I emailed back then they emailed back asking for my paypal. Like it was that quick. And can anyone tell me how paypal works?!
 
Payal is an online clearing house for electronic payments. They transfer money around to pay for things online, they make their money by charging the "seller" a small percentage.

It's almost like having a digital bank account... when you sell something (typically on Ebay) the buyer pays you out of money through paypal. They have a bank account or credit card linked to paypal and paypal drafts the money from their funding source. When you get the money in paypal you can either spend it directly from the paypal account (to buy other things) or request paypal transfer the money to your other account (or to a paypal debit card).

The problem with these scams is, they're using bogus credit cards as the "funding source" so it looks legit. People feel paypal is more secure than these other forms of money so they agree to the deal. Everything looks legit for a few days, you even have the money in your paypal account, until the credit card company realizes what's going on and issues a stop payment on that charge. Once that happens, a cascade of ripoffs occurs. First paypal sees where the transaction was bogus so they pull their end of the transaction. Then they pull the money out of your account so your balance goes to zero... there really isn't anything you can do about it because you've probably already shipped off the product. Once it's gone, it's gone.
 
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No I haven't shipped it out. I don't have a paypal so I don't know what I'm going to do with that person. And now that you are saying that, I don't really trust a paypal at all. But basically they send money from there bank account/credit card via paypal and then it sends to your paypal and you can choose to just spend it online, get it on a debit card or put it in your bank? Did I get that right?
 
You got it right. Paypal is simply a clearing house for transactions. They don't directly handle cash, they just tranfer it around electronically.

Tell the person you do not have paypal but you will gladly accept a postal money order. They're like a check drawn on the post office. They're payable as cash immediately upon receipt by the assigned owner. The trick is, they'll only accept hard money at the buyers end in order to make a money order so you know the person actually payed for the money order.

If the deal is legit (and sometimes they are, I've bought things before from non-local craigslists because it was a good enough deal) the buyer will be more than happy to run by the postoffice and get a money order for you.
 
Ok so a money order is basically a check that te buyer pays for up front and when It gets to me it comes basically as a check? Lol did I get that one right?
 
Yep, only instead of being written on a bank with the "faith" that the person has enough money to pay for the item (which is not always the case and referred to as a "bounced" check), the post office only takes in hard money and then writes the postal money order.

When you get it, it's basically a counter check in your name cashable at the post office. Make sure the buyer puts all of your information on the postal money order correctly, otherwise they won't cash it because they check your identification for a positive match before cashing it. But unlike some of the other money order services, when the post office pays out, they pay out cash and while they're paying out cash, you can go ahead and take the package in there to be shipped off....
 
paypal backs buyers not sellers SO even know they will pay NOW they can still make a claim after they get the unit and your SCREWED. i would keep it local cash only deal unless you ebay it or something like that. then you would have a little more backing
 
Hmm that sounds like a deal. When they email me back I will suggest a money order and see what they say. The postal money order seems like it would be the best thing to go for. I'm only 16 so all this is new to me
 
Neonnight is right, paypal backs the buyer because of years of crooked sellers.

Obviously local (and cash) is better but I wouldn't simply write off someone who isn't located right near by legitimately wanting to purchase your gaming system either. If they're not trying to screw you, they'll do everything they can to make sure you get money in your hands.

If they start to back away when you suggest a more secure method of transferring money, run like the wind.
 
if those 2 didnt cover it above, do not do the paypal deal via emails and paypal, it is more than likely a scam
being in a rush to get loot for your bike, and/or a rush to assemble your bike is a sure way to miss sumthin, take your time, think it out and it'll turn out good

and as for getting my cash from paypal, i applied for and have the paypal debit card, costs me a dollar to extract my loot at any atm, no waiting, no transfer fees
 
Paypal does not give account information in emails. If you get an email from paypal telling you that the money is on hold and need a shipping number to transfer the money, IT'S FAKE!!!
 
Paypal isn't bad, I've had several hundred transactions through them with no reversals. You just have to see what level of protectionthey offer from that buyer, like if they have a confirmed address that means the card they are using is linked directly to that buyers and and address and more than likely they aren't scanners. That's about the only way I buy anything is through paypal, im not sending a check nor am I accepting one. Ive almosst been scammed on money orders. I usually talk to whoever im buying from on the phone anyway before I send or accept money
 
i like paypal. but CL is full of scammers man!! i sold a R6 part to a guy all the way in florida and im from RI via paypal only bc i knew he wasnt a scammer. i get sh*t like "hi im over seas and really like..." "Hi, my son is in africa and willing to pay an extra 200 to ship there. i'll pay all cost" and so on.. i get pissed off when i get emails like that and now they make emails that was made by an automatic hack software that doesnt make NO sense. i had a blaster part up and received an email saying "bike was in accident, thanks,4376688998" one time i played along to see how they did it, they send me a bogus paypal email saying the money was in my account. asked me to log in from the email. haha nice try.. so i log into the REAL paypal. no recent deposits. so i reported that email to them. SMH
 
Paypal will back the seller as long as you ship to the address associated with the persons account and KEEP THE TRACKING NUMBER AND DELIVERY CONFIRMATION. I had someone try to scam me on ebay this way recently. Bastards even had the nerve to leave me positive feedback on ebay saying the item was received and as described and then filed a claim through paypal. I had to submit my info to paypal and they released the hold on the funds to me. Still a pain in my ass but atleast I didnt lose my money.
 
IF you do the deal remember to box it up the right way. and shipped from a carrier that you can TRACK THE PACKAGE with a tracking number also insure it for replacement value this way if there is anything wrong with it when it get there you have covered your ass. PP will ask for all this info if the buyer makes a claim and if did cover all avenues the buyer will get his money back. i would also call the buyer and talk to him personally before doing the deal. i dont know how much money were talking about but that really does not matter. just be smart about it and if you feel something is shady walk away