Any decent options other than paypal?

[Popcorrin]

I sold something on ebay and was paid via paypal, and on a transaction slightly over $100 they took $5.
Seems ridiculous to me.  I was wondering if there was a reliable way to send money that was cheaper?

Paypal has given me alot of problems since I started using it and I am fed up with them.  I thought about not having paypal on my auction but it seems like that would detract potential bidders.

[shardian]

You are required to use paypal if you have less than 100 feedback. Considering that almost no sellers leave feedback now, good luck with that. 

Ebay also has a policy to not allow any other 'paypal competitors' as payment. Your auction will get shut down if you try it.

[ClubNinja]

I once got shut down for saying "Paypal in advance or cash at pick up is acceptable" for a large, pick up only item, because "cash" is an illegal option in eBay land.

[shmokes]

Ebay also has a policy to not allow any other 'paypal competitors' as payment. Your auction will get shut down if you try it.

That's got Sherman Antitrust written all over it if you ask me. 

[ChadTower]

Possibly only if you consider Ebay a monopoly?  Ebay dominates the marketplace but they aren't doing anything to prevent competition like the phone or railroads.

[shmokes]

Well . . . I do consider Ebay a monopoly and I think it's only a matter of time before regulators decide to treat it as one (especially with Ebay seemingly trying to get itself regulated).  But you actually don't have to have a monopoly to get slapped for anti-competitive behavior. 

Considering the existence of Mac OS and Linux, I'd say Ebay has as much of a monopoly as Microsoft.  This is classic bundling.  Ebay is using its monopoly in one market (online auctions) to force consumers to use it's product from a different market (banking or money transfer or whatever market you would say Paypal is).  It's no different than what Microsoft got hammered for when it had to pay Netscape (AOL) a billion dollars, or when it had to pay SUN (Java) a billion dollars.  And those were just individual civil suits.  If President Bush hadn't been elected Microsoft would have got the AT&T treatment.

[protokatie]

What Protokatie is saying about schmokes:

I agree with him. What ebay is doing is tantamount to anti-trust. They are requiring that you use their "banking" system (that they can lock for no regulated reason) to handle transactions on their "laundering" erm I mean auction site...

There needs to be some gov inquiry into ebay/paypal. If not ebay (that isnt the problem), it MUST be paypal (as a psuedo banking and holding firm).

[ark_ader]

I like the email I got from paypal about the time it takes transfer UK funds to a UK bank account (normally 4 working days) is between 5- 78 days.

78 days?

I live in the Uk not on the International Space Station. 

[Popcorrin]

I just got my invoice from ebay for the same auction and they took over $5 of the $89 it sold for.  So between ebay and paypal they took over 11%!   

Maybe they had to raise their rates because of their high fuel costs. 

Another thing that ticked me off is that when I listed the item I got a message from ebay that my shipping costs were too high and they could shut my auction down if they chose, even though my shipping costs were $4 cheaper than it ended up costing to ship the item.

It would be nice if there was decent alternative to ebay but they have a corner on the online auction market. 

I try to use craigslist for most things but items like motherboards don't sell that well, if at all, locally.

[Dermbrian]

I once got shut down for saying "Paypal in advance or cash at pick up is acceptable" for a large, pick up only item, because "cash" is an illegal option in eBay land.

I just bought a vinyl lp from a seller for 99 cents with reasonable (less than $4) shipping by US Mail.  He accepted personal checks, so that's what I used.  I would have also considered a postal money order, which he also would have accepted.

I was tempted just to toss a $5 into the envelope instead of the check.  He wasn't a 'power seller'.  So I guess that's not legal tender for all debts, public or private, anymore?

If Ebay is going Pay-pal only, like I've heard, I will have bought my last item.  What a shame.

Brian

[retrometro]

Well . . . I do consider Ebay a monopoly and I think it's only a matter of time before regulators decide to treat it as one (especially with Ebay seemingly trying to get itself regulated).  But you actually don't have to have a monopoly to get slapped for anti-competitive behavior. 

I know craigslist isn't an auction site but I've used it to buy my two mame cabinets as well as buying and selling tons of computer, photography, and game related items.

I guess its not as useful if you don't live in a large city

[facesmiths]

maybe craigslist need a region based on country instead of states or cities? I don't' know if it does but I think it is going to be much more popular now thanks to ebay's new policy's.
Do they have a country based region ?

[protokatie]

Well . . . I do consider Ebay a monopoly and I think it's only a matter of time before regulators decide to treat it as one (especially with Ebay seemingly trying to get itself regulated).  But you actually don't have to have a monopoly to get slapped for anti-competitive behavior. 

I know craigslist isn't an auction site but I've used it to buy my two mame cabinets as well as buying and selling tons of computer, photography, and game related items.

I guess its not as useful if you don't live in a large city

Craigslist is useful for wider areas if you use google to do the craigslist search. Not as effective, but great for finding rare items. (Such as apartments in the portland maine area... They tend to be rather rare commodites).

ps. My attempt to have Shmokes alter his sig met with udder failure. Moo.

[SirPeale]

eBay is actually going to do away with paper payment methods (check/mo) and a LOT of sellers are up in arms about it.  eBay says you can still accept them - BUT - you may NOT advertise the fact in your auction, or they'll suspend you.  You must let the customer ask if it's okay.  If eBay finds out that you're taking too many paper payments, they'll suspend you.

That's just wrong.

[DantheApe]

and they just lost me to craigslist

i wasn't an active ebay-er anyway but now, no thanks

[Todd H]

I just sold something on eBay (it had been a while since my last selling auction) and was shocked at how much both Ebay and Paypal took out. I think that's my last eBay auction ever as a seller.

[ChadTower]

eBay is actually going to do away with paper payment methods (check/mo) and a LOT of sellers are up in arms about it.  eBay says you can still accept them - BUT - you may NOT advertise the fact in your auction, or they'll suspend you.  You must let the customer ask if it's okay.  If eBay finds out that you're taking too many paper payments, they'll suspend you.

That's just wrong.

It's all about making sure Uncle Sam gets his cut.  That's our IRS for you - the only people that can legally commit extortion and armed robbery and it is actually legal.

[billf]

EBay to cut 1,000 jobs, will buy Bill Me Later

[shardian]

EBay to cut 1,000 jobs, will buy Bill Me Later

Ummmm... did you see all those acquisitions?? Once again, how is ebay not a monopoly?

[shmokes]

ps. My attempt to have Shmokes alter his sig met with udder failure. Moo.

Generally that line is reserved for people who say things about me that make me laugh.  Thus, if you agree with me you're unlikely to find yourself quoted there.  Also, the novelty of it wore off so I'm not very diligent about updating it these days, unfortunately.  The current quote has been there for far too long.