Paypal or postal money order--which is safer?

[chargers 10+ year member]

I'm about to make a deal tomorrow for a 15" avalanche from someone on another forum, not here. The guy has no feedback, but his dad has plenty of eBay references and has a 99.8% rating, so he said he will have his dad make the deal. I told him to contact me through eBay using that ID just to verify that his dad does own that eBay ID, and his dad will do that later on tonight because he wasn't in.

I checked the ID history on his dads eBay account, and his other name listed has a name in it, not saying what the name is, but take bjohnson for example. I asked him what his name was, and his last name matched the other eBay ID. Everything sounds legit so far, and his dad will contact me later through eBay to verify it is his account.

First and most importantly, am I safe in making this deal? Secondly, should I send payment by paypal or money order?

Click to read more...

 

[sanmarcosZfreak 10+ year member]

paypal is quicker, with MO u risk it getting lost in the mail

 

[80INCHES 5,000+ posts]

paypal for teh win

80

 

[imaspaceguy90 10+ year member]

Id say papayal is safer, becuz if someone tkaes your money, you can claim it and then they ahve to proviede tracking, unlike MO where they can usually just run with your money. Just my 2 cents, GL with the transaction!

-Imaspaceguy90

 

[88Vette 10+ year member]

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/imo.gif.3a57bcc70a4835dc53e86ffae1a0b041.gif

I'd go with PayPal.

At least if you don't get your stuff you can file a complaint with PayPal and TRY to get your $$$ back.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[PhatTonyDeMarco 5,000+ posts]

PayPal generally wont help you unless the scammer has the funds in their PayPal account to refund you.

But with a Postal Money Order you get Federal protection, they scam you and they are federally fucked //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/naughty.gif.94359f346c0f1259df8038d60b41863e.gif

 

[smd4life 5,000+ posts]

pay pal is quicker and safer if you send money order and you recieve wrong/damaged/BLOWN item it's up to the guy you sent it to to send it back 9 times outta 10 it ain't happenin

 

[ss3079 5,000+ posts]

with MO u risk it getting lost in the mail

Should spend the extra buck or two to get expedited delivery + signature and delivery confirmation anyway.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

If someone tries to scam you with a postal MO, it's a federal offense...

If someone takes your money with Paypal and closes their account, you're SOL...

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

If the dad has an extennsive eBay history ask to see if they will make an eBay listing with your eBay username as the only person authorized to bid on the auction so there is inarguable proof that the deal was done as there will be the record of you placing the bid on eBay's servers then the record of your payment on PayPal's servers (probably the same servers as they are the same company) in the unfortunate event that you have to make a claim later (hopefully this won't happen but yanno - just in case....)

 

[chargers 10+ year member]

PayPal generally wont help you unless the scammer has the funds in their PayPal account to refund you.
But with a Postal Money Order you get Federal protection, they scam you and they are federally fucked //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/naughty.gif.94359f346c0f1259df8038d60b41863e.gif

That's what I was thinking. I've read a bunch of stories about people getting screwed over by paypal. I don't remember who got screwed over more--the seller or the buyer.

 

[trevor87 5,000+ posts]

I use paypal

 

[psych0ticnemes1 5,000+ posts]

edit, double post

MO is safer as far as scamming goes, paypal is quicker

 

[psych0ticnemes1 5,000+ posts]

If someone tries to scam you with a postal MO, it's a federal offense...
If someone takes your money with Paypal and closes their account, you're SOL...

good point... and no fee, if we are considering +'s and -'s

 

[chargers 10+ year member]

If the dad has an extennsive eBay history ask to see if they will make an eBay listing with your eBay username as the only person authorized to bid on the auction so there is inarguable proof that the deal was done as there will be the record of you placing the bid on eBay's servers then the record of your payment on PayPal's servers (probably the same servers as they are the same company) in the unfortunate event that you have to make a claim later (hopefully this won't happen but yanno - just in case....)

Yeah, that's what we're doing. The dad has plenty of eBay transactions and we agreed that we would be doing a private auction set up where I would choose to buy it now.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

Well, there's a fee, but it's usually under $10 if you get a domestic MO with every sort of extra tacked on //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Slammed 5,000+ posts]

paypal

but Ive been screwed with both.....mo and pp

 

[Tirefryr 10+ year member]

If someone tries to scam you with a postal MO, it's a federal offense...
If someone takes your money with Paypal and closes their account, you're SOL...

Which is exactly why I use this method for high dollar transactions. The USPS doens't mess around. IF I get screwed, you can bet, I want the ******* to get screwed even worse.

 

[psych0ticnemes1 5,000+ posts]

Well, there's a fee, but it's usually under $10 if you get a domestic MO with every sort of extra tacked on //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

oh, i thought it depended on the amount?

 

[Raisedin305 5,000+ posts]

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/imo.gif.3a57bcc70a4835dc53e86ffae1a0b041.gif Paypal