posted on October 29, 2000 08:40:33 PM new
OK...I HAVE USED PAY PAL NOW FOR A WHILE...I DON'T LIKE THE FACT THAT THEY ARE CHARGING...AND I'VE BEEN READING ALL OF YOUR HORROR STORIES! I AM LOOKING TO CHANGE TO A DIFFERENT COMPANY. ANYBODY OUT THERE HAVE SUGGESTIONS? LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THE OTHER COMPANIES. WHY OR WHY NOT TO USE THEM!
posted on October 29, 2000 10:23:52 PM new
Try PayPlace
I have started to use PayPlace and so far
like the fast service. Especially the auction
logo which puts your name on the customer's sign up form, so you can get the $5.00 referral fee.
I have taken ExchangePath off my auctions as they haven't followed thru on giving me credit for my referrals.
posted on October 30, 2000 07:24:34 AM new
Try 'em both (PayPlace and ExchangePath). Add Yahoo PayDirect. Give your buyers lots of choices.
gaylene -- I've had no problems with referral money. There is a hitch -- you have to enter their email address on the ExchangePath site (rather than just link to the site). I haven't tried sending a money request to the buyer, and don't know if that works for referrals or not. This method is awkward, but doesn't take all that much time really.
posted on October 30, 2000 07:35:29 AM new
CleverGirl
I did exactly as you mentioned.
ExchangePath sent me an
email saying the credit would be posted by
6pm October 25th. But it didn't happen and the credit still hasn't appeared on my account.
posted on October 30, 2000 08:52:01 AM new
When Paydirect first started, I was afraid to use them. After all, Yahoo is known for their complete lack of customer service. Now if you check the Yahoo section of this forum, you will discover that my fears were justified. When a paydirect customer does a charge back, Yahoo charges back the amount with even giving the seller the opportunity to respond. On Yahoo's seller zone, one seller complained that he has already had three charge backs when he has proof of delivery but was never asked to show it. It looks like the Y! scammers have found another way to rip folks off. Just pay with Paydirect and then charge it back. "Use Paydirect - it's fast, it's easy and it's free - after you charge it back, no questions asked."
Right now I'm pleased with Payplace, Moneyzap, Exchangepath and Achex. I wouldn't use Paydirect if you paid me, because you can just take the payment right back. http://www.ygoodman.com [email protected]
posted on October 30, 2000 09:22:20 AM new
I've transferred some cash to PayDirect... or more accurately I should say I've tried to transfer some cash to PayDirect. I expect them to make a bit off the float before it becomes available but they withdrew it from my bank on the day I initiated the transfer and it still held as pending 7 business days later. That's already twice as long as a transfer with PayPal takes me.
PayPlace won't accept my bank account for some reason, the same one I've used with several pay services. So I'm going to have to get them to snail mail me a check, and that sucks.
MoneyZap I listed on my auctions for months and I've started taking it off this week. Not a single buyer has used it. MoneyZap also has a chargeback fee of $10.00 should a buyer change their mind or not be satisfied with the item.
ExchangePath I've tried and tried to get information from without success. On their web site they had a 'merchant account' link and I emailed how much their merchant account fees were... no response, repeated emails, no response. They've unceremoniously removed the 'merchant' link from their home page so I guess they just aren't saying.
PayMe.com has been down for weeks, when you log on to your account it says they are doing maintenance. Must be some serious maintenance to cause them to shut the site down for at least 2 weeks now.
I've never tried Achex
I've never had any problems with PayPal and will continue to offer it, mainly because it is what the buyers use. As a buyer I find it is offered on most of the auctions I pay for.
posted on November 1, 2000 07:17:21 AM new
I have received all referral and bonus money from ExchangePath.
uaru - You probably know this by now:
Everyone can join ExchangePath as "consumers" .... somewhere down the line
they may do like PayPal and separate the
business members and start charging, but for now it is a Free service.
Other than having problems getting my referral money credited they have been great. No doubt some of this is due to growing pains from so many new members!
posted on November 1, 2000 10:41:17 AM new
I've used ProPay. They offer true merchant accounts that protect the seller and the buyer! Much better option.
posted on November 1, 2000 05:00:07 PM new
I use ExchangePath and BidPay. Tried to register with PayPlace recently but couldn't register with them because my e-mail address "contains random letters and numbers" and they suggested changing my e-mail address. What is "random" to them, is not random at this end and I've used this address with my customers and my ISP for several years. I thought it rather arrogant on PayPlace's part to suggest that I confuse my established customers, change my primary e-mail information at a whole host of sites or risk lots of confused billing by creating a "secondary" e-mail address (which would be the primary one as far as PayPlace is concerned), etc. just to register with them. No thanks. It just isn't worth it.
posted on November 1, 2000 07:12:05 PM new
I spoke to an exchangepath person and told him that if he checked my account, he would see that in one week ten people signed up at my referral and after that, though about ten people a week paid me with it, there was not one referral. He confirmed that due to a bug in their software, the referrals often stop at $50 instead of $100. He checked the list of people who had paid me through them and credited my account for $50. Try getting Paypal to do that.
To stop using EP because you don't get referrals is just plain dumb. You don't get them from Paydirect, Achex or most of the others. PP requires the customer to verify a bank account, which most wont do, so you wont get it from PP. Then take a look at what you do get. We all heard the PP horror stories. The ones coming out about Paydirect are just as bad. Charge backs made without the seller even being given the change to respond. There can be no charge backs with Achex. I'm still waiting for an EP horror story. So far, they're number one in my book. http://www.ygoodman.com [email protected]
posted on November 1, 2000 11:02:41 PM new
yisgood, can you tell me if Achex and MoneyZap are free payment services for auction sellers? Also have you tried
EnergyFlow?
posted on November 2, 2000 07:07:15 AM new
Moneyzap is free right now but in the future they will be charging a fee. I believe it will be $2, divided between buyer and seller.
Achex is free. Some people are confused because the site mentions fees for merchants. I wrote them and they told me that they currently define merchants as businesses who specifically contacted them and asked to join their merchant program. For everyone else, buyer and seller, it is free. They may decide to charge folks who go over 30 transactions a month, but they will email well in advance of any change of policy. Achex is the fastest service. The money was in my account in about 2 days. It can not be charged back because it is bank account to bank account. Some customers like the fact that they dont need a credit card for this one. However, most customers still like to use a credit card and want the protection of a charge back if the seller sends nothing.
Just to set the record straight on the problem with most payment services:
Yes, fraud is a problem. So you take steps to reduce it. The first step is making sure that the address used to create the account matches the address of the credit card used. The second is sending the seller the cardholder's address with a note to ship to that address only. This will cut down about 95% of the fraud and certainly the big fraud with the stolen credit cards.
Since the buyer has chosen the seller and investigated the seller's ratings, the buyer should take all risk and consider it like a cash payment. Or allow charge backs according to standard credit card rules. This means you contact the seller and ask for proof of shipping BEFORE you do the charge back. So far, I dont think a single one of the services is doing any of these and that disturbs me. http://www.ygoodman.com [email protected]
posted on November 2, 2000 09:21:09 AM new"Moneyzap is free right now but in the future they will be charging a fee. I believe it will be $2, divided between buyer and seller."
I've never seen a proposed price on MoneyZap, but the buyer will pay the fees when they are imposed. When writing MoneyZap about future fees I was only told it would be on a per transaction basis and prices hadn't been determined yet, and would depend on data they got from usage and amounts. MoneyZap also has a $10.00 fee on any chargebacks. I listed MoneyZap on my auctions for about 2 months... not a single user (and that's while its free to the buyer). The chargeback fees don't make any difference to me, but some sellers will panic over that.
posted on November 3, 2000 07:02:55 PM new
If most of you were conducting your businesses legally, you could write off the lost money from fraud. This is a tax deduction! Get a clue and stop whining! Fees are also a tax deduction, it is a valid business expense!
posted on November 3, 2000 07:29:30 PM new
Thanks, cmcginne. I'll alert Target, WalMart and Toys'R'Us that they can take the theft prevention tags off their merchandise and remove the sensors at the doors because cmcginne says fraud is a write-off!
I'm sure they'll take your advice to heart and have it all taken care of by the time the holiday shopping season is in full swing.
posted on November 3, 2000 08:22:25 PM new
So, are you saying fraud isn't a write off? Are you saying fees aren't a write off? Sounds like you need a better accountant!
posted on November 3, 2000 09:58:12 PM new
Write off! Do you understand what a write off is? You do not get the money back! You do not deduct it from your total tax due! You simply use it as a tax deduction in only certain cases! And that the write-off must be proven. Lets say you have to "write-off" a $100 item. You tax rate is 15%. Do the math! What you receive is a $15 deduction in taxes on a $100 loss! I guess if you figure one should not complain about a $85 loss, then you must have too much money on your hands. Send me some of it! Now, lets take for instance, one has a small business. Like 90%+ of new businesses, it is operating at a loss(very normal) Now, if you know anything about how taxes work, you would know that any deduction at an operating loss affords you absolutely no tax deduction as you are already at a loss. So as in most cases, the "write-off" does you no good. So, if you think that a small business should not complain, then again, send me some of your extra money! I will give you a contribution write-off.
posted on November 4, 2000 06:07:21 AM new
cmcginne:
"So, are you saying fraud isn't a write off? Are you saying fees aren't a write off? Sounds like you need a better accountant!"
No, I'm not saying that at all. If your business is profitable, fraud and fees are a write off. But if you let this attitude control your business, you won't be profitable for long. I'm not in the habit of losing a dollar to get back 28 cents.
