Using PayPal as your payment option.

[tony41]

I think this is only a problem for eBay sellers who are forced to use PayPal, and only PayPal, as a payment option. On other sites, such as eBid, we have the option to drop PayPal if they abuse us. I dropped Google Checkout because of a botched transaction and no support. I'll do the same with PayPal if they start playing games.

The last I heard PayPal was eBid's biggest source of income, so I think we will continue to be treated fairly. I have NEVER had a problem with PayPal, and I've never seen an eBid seller report such abuse either.

Is this a USA thing. Here on EbayUK sellers have to offer Paypal but can also offer other payment methods.
I believe that Ebay sellers in Spain are not compelled to offer Paypal at all.

[TiasTreasures]

The responses got me to go check back on eBay. Haven't looked for a while. And I am sure these may be different in other countries than the U.S.

A couple of years ago there was an uproar on the eBay Forums when one of eBay's new rules required all sellers to use PayPal and ONLY PayPal. I just checked and it appears they've loosened it a bit. These are now allowed: PayPal, ProPay, Skrill and a credit card or debit card processed through the seller's Internet merchant account. I've never heard of ProPay or Skrill, if I ever sold on eBay again I'd investigate them. A seller's internet merchant account is only practical for large companies. I set one up for a website once, and it's expensive and complicated, not practical for a casual seller.

Checks or money orders are only allowed for some categories. Unfortunately, the links in their help pages to identify those categories don't work, so I don't know what they are --- if in fact there really are any. And since they got rid of all the old Discussion forums, and the old threads that might have had the answer, I don't go there any more.

PayPal accounted for 40 percent of eBay's profits in 2012, and recent articles have said that percentage is going up. A lot of that profit is coming from sales outside of eBay.

[JaBek1]

I've never had a problem with a PayPal hold, but then I have a business account. I also believe that in Florida they limited to 10 days since as a money transfer agency they are required to deliver the money to its recipient in that time. I believe that requirement varies from state to state.

As far as I know, sellers on the bay in the USA aren't required to accept PayPal, but the other approved forms of payment are somewhat pricey.

[Tallshrew]

I am considering selling on eBid. I am so aggravated with eBay at this moment. When you collect a payment through your PayPal account that you have had for months or years, does PayPal hold your payment for 7-14 days? This is what happens at eBay to PayPal payment options. I would appreciate any comments on this topic! Thank You!

I've had that happen once on ebay when a buyer opened a dispute (without contacting me actually but let's not go into that) and Paypal automatically put a withdrawal hold on the payment until the ebay case was sorted out which in the event was about 1 day. I was surprised at the time that they could do that or even had a right to do it but I think it is only possible because ebay and Paypal are the same company. I doubt if they could do the same with ebid (for example) where they have no involvement in the sale and are only handling the cash transfer between buyer and seller.

On one other occasion an ebay/paypal payment was held for about a week because the buyer didn't have sufficient funds in Paypal or their paypal payment method to cover it and Paypal default processed it as something called an echeque - on that occasion Paypal advised me not to post the item until payment cleared.