Teach me PayPal safety.

muninn

So I have decided to dive into the wonderful world of ebay shopping, and in order to do so, I will need a PayPal account. So far I have been reluctant to sign up, since I have heard horror stories of people having their funds frozen, their bank accounts over drafted due to some scams and general tomfoolery.

So I am here to ask for advice of proceeding with the sign up, and anything that I should be careful of. I hear that best bet is linking your bank account to your paypal one for "verification". Is there any harm in doing so?


Teach me how to paypal.

ASimPerson

Call me paranoid, but I made a checking account specifically for using with Paypal so they can't access my real checking.

zepherin

Use your paypal account as a pass through for your credit card. Don't let paypal withdraw from your bank account, which is your default option. You can do a charge back if pay pals "dispute process" fails, and visa is much friendlier.

Djeet

Some sellers will only play ball (or say such) with verified paypal accounts. That said if you're a buyer, then in my experience there is very little risk to you. It's usually the sellers who get fucked by using paypal to accept payment.

DivideByZero

ASimPerson wrote: »

Call me paranoid, but I made a checking account specifically for using with Paypal so they can't access my real checking.

If you can, use a checking account at a bank where you have no other accounts. That way if Paypal dings you the bank can't claw money from your savings.

Foomy

99% of the PayPal horror stories are from people selling things on Ebay, as they pretty much automatically agree with the buyer in any dispute. Or from people accepting donations.

So if your just buying a few things your going to be just fine.

But to be completely safe if your still paranoid, just use Paypal with a credit card instead of a bank account, then they can't mess with you much.