Ebay no longer safe for worldwide auctions.

[julian]

I used to sell things of value on internationally on ebay, and spotted an issue with their TOS -

You now *have* to accept paypal on all auctions.

Paypal will only consider contesting "chargebacks" (when a credit card is 'bounced') from the uk / usa.

You can not decline paypal from anywhere, if you specify worldwide shipping.


The *only* way to be able to sell on ebay now, without opening yourself right up to fraud, is specify "uk/usa only" and "no pickup possible"

(pick-up only auctions have a similar flaw - no proof of shipping, so paypal wont contest any chargeback.)

Any other auction is open to uncontested chargebacks through paypal. Ie you ship, the payment is *very* easily bounced (three words - "Not As Described", theres no protection at all).

I, for one, can not open myself up to that possiblility of fraud.


(and, yes, 20 mins on the phone to ebay / paypal and theyll, eventually, confirm this)

[Lighter Thief]

Why don't you stop picking on lil' ol' Ebay and Paypal, eh?

[wheezer]

Was it ever 'safe'? I mean, there is a degree of risk you carry when using services like these - I'm sure everyone that has used the service more than once can tell a story.

[julian]

If i sell somthing, someone pays me by cheque, drawn on a uk bank account, i wait 6 days, or whatever the "point of no return" is in the clearing cycle, and then send the item, as far as im concerned, as a seller, thats a safe transaction.

If someone pays me with paypal, and the transaction is covered under all the many terms of their "seller protection policy" that too could be considered "safe", all be it possibly requiring much hassel.

If someone pays me with paypal from a country that doesnt allow me cover under the "seller protection policy" (ie all but 4 countries) all they need to do is utter 3 words to their credit card company, and the money is taken back from me with no recourse.

Because previously, i did not have to accept paypal payments when running international auctions, whilst ebay uk now stipulates that i must accept paypal on all auctions, the safty of running international auctions, for me as a seller, has fallen. Fallen to zero.