Paypal No Longer Safe for Selling Airguns (Scammers Have Won)

[kaylaindy]

There is no way to sell an air rifle using PayPal anymore. I sold an air rifle for $3500. The transaction was eligible for seller protection. I insured the package for $3000 and required a direct signature from the guy himself, Joseph. The package was delivered by UPS and signed for directly by Joseph himself with proof from UPS.

Joseph is a scammer and he already knew he was getting my gun for free. And he did. They have it figured out now. He actually claimed he never got the package. Even with all that proof, he got away with it. (I just gave some criminal a 9mm Full Auto Evanix Max for free.)

Don't sell a gun and accept payment through PayPal unless you are willing to lose it. As of January of this year PayPal changed their policy so they can do this to you. They did not get me because before they could charge me, I changed my bank account number. But now I have no PayPal account which I have had for 20 years.

If you really want to sell a gun sell it on ebay. Or you can do a buy/sell transaction through ebay it's just 12%. You can also accept a credit cards payment through Square.com ...not sure how that is protected now but I'm guessing Visa/Mastercard would not let a merchant get scammed.

 

[shambozzie]

Your beef is with The Joseph character, He has your gun. Pp is the third party in this. Sorry for your lost . Any other incident in 20 yrs with pp?.

 

[rangur1]

If this is accurate then paypal will take a big hit. How can they not protect sellers? I have been hearing about new paying options emerging that will rival paypal and have less political lean. I'll try to find them and post.

 

[mh]

This a sad state of affairs.
I bought a tool thu Paypay and was charged several hundred dollars to an Islamist charity. Paypal wanted me to negotiate with the vendor. My credit card did step in an cancel the order for me.
I am not technical enough to understand all this, so I closed the account.
Sorry you have to go through this.

 

[woogie_man]

Well yeah..if he did friends and family or you put down that it was an airgun. The vast majority of us all know that paypal isn't firearm friendly, or anything with "gun" in it.

There are other things you can do rather than whine about paypal to get your funds.

 

[kaylaindy]

I did not want to go in to how the scam works exactly. But trust me PayPal is at fault and I agree that their business model will not last long if they cannot protect their sellers. If you want to know how the scam works out of curiosity you can email me.

 

[kaylaindy]

Well yeah..if he did friends and family or you put down that it was an airgun. The vast majority of us all know that paypal isn't firearm friendly, or anything with "gun" in it.

There are other things you can do rather than whine about paypal to get your funds.

Friends and Family? Cmon man. I have sold 300+ guns with no problems. It was goods and services

 

[kaylaindy]

And no it was not listed as an air gun. I listed the model and brand name only. If it would have been a guitar the same thing would have happened. Just wait you guys. Anyone who doubts me will eventually get scammed. It's like the classified section on this site is a free gun giveaway, if your a bad guy.

I am as internet savvy as they come. I did everything right. I hate to think how easy it would be to rip off someone less experienced.

 

[coastal drifter]

If the word (gun) is mentioned PP will not protect you from what I understand.

 

[coastal drifter]

Friends and Family? Cmon man. I have sold 300+ guns with no problems. It was goods and services

If it was a friend or family I wouldn't need PP

 

[ThomasT]

There is no way to sell an air rifle using PayPal anymore. I sold an air rifle for $3500. The transaction was eligible for seller protection. I insured the package for $3000 and required a direct signature from the guy himself, Joseph. The package was delivered by UPS and signed for directly by Joseph himself with proof from UPS.

Joseph is a scammer and he already knew he was getting my gun for free. And he did. They have it figured out now. He actually claimed he never got the package. Even with all that proof, he got away with it. (I just gave some criminal a 9mm Full Auto Evanix Max for free.)

Don't sell a gun and accept payment through PayPal unless you are willing to lose it. As of January of this year PayPal changed their policy so they can do this to you. They did not get me because before they could charge me, I changed my bank account number. But now I have no PayPal account which I have had for 20 years.

If you really want to sell a gun sell it on ebay. Or you can do a buy/sell transaction through ebay it's just 12%. You can also accept a credit cards payment through Square.com ...not sure how that is protected now but I'm guessing Visa/Mastercard would not let a merchant get scammed.

Hello @kaylaindy

I am sorry for your loss, but I am surprised that you are still dealing with PayPal. Not only on this Forum but the others that I am a member it has been shown / stated over and over that PayPal will screw you over.

Couple of years ago I ALMOST got screwed by PayPal and so did the buyer. I was fortunate that my buyer is an honest person and he worked with me for over 6 months when Pay Pal was trying to screw both of us. I got with my Bank and BLOCK ALL Transactions with PayPal and canceled my PP account.

Hopefully everyone will get wise and not use PayPal.

Again sorry for your loss,
ThomasT

 

[Chief Ten-Beers]

And people ask Me why I prefer Post Office Money Orders. The Problem is "immediate gratification". People expect everything "Now"! lol I have never been Burned with a Money Order.

 

[coastal drifter]

And people ask Me why I prefer Post Office Money Orders. The Problem is "immediate gratification". People expect everything "Now"! lol I have never been Burned with a Money Order.

so does the buyer wait for shipment while you're waiting for the money order?

 

[Chief Ten-Beers]

so does the buyer wait for shipment while you're waiting for the money order?

Yes. And if the purchaser fails to send it in a timely manner you then let second in line have it. The Gun Forum I was on, most all trusted one another. I would sometimes send the Package the same day I was told the Money order was sent. But things were much more Trustworthy then.

 

[FLgunner]

Sadly, it seems you can't trust anyone anymore, not even the company entrusted to transfer the funds! I was burned through PayPal on a purchase once, but fortunately, I used a CC as the source of funds and was able to dispute the change through my bank. As a seller, you don't have that as an option.

 

[maxtrouble]

@kaylaindy - Sorry you were scammed. At this rate USPS money orders like @Chief Ten-Beers mentioned or in person deals now seem to be the only way to not get burnt.

 

[WNYBill]

Never ship till the money is in hand. A personal check usually clears in 2-3 days, bank or USPS money order. Tell them you will do a Face to Face, even if you can't. If they turn down the FTF it probably is a scam.

 

[SilentSquirrel]

I am a long time PayPal user
But must admit they have become too big for their britches
I just don't see any viable alternatives that protect the sale.
Thieves can now present sellers with fake Cashier's Checks & USPS Money Orders.
And buyers get no protection from Venmo (owned by PayPal) or ZELLE (throwing money away).
What's left?
Using a credit or debit card or and putting your personal info and finances at risk?
For me the solution has become to buy only from trusted persons I have dealt with before, or to buy local. inspect the goods, and use cash.

Edward

 

[kaylaindy]

Guys, Thanks the sympathy. I didn't actully get stuck for the $3500. I did loose my Paypal account but I got the $3500 initially, spent it on stuff, and now Paypal says I owe them $3500, which they won't get. Fortunately I don't worry about my credit score so it's all good to me. I'm a little sad to loose my Paypal account, but it's for the best I'm sure. I have been taking credit cards through Square for over 10 years for my Junk Removal business. I'll probably try that.

Mainly though:I will only sell to established AGN members with a track record!

When Paypal says there is a dispute, just know that you will loose no matter what. You will have about 1-2 months to change your bank account number and cancle any credit/debit cards attatched to your Paypal account, while the dispute gets processed through. Then Paypal will get stuck with the bill, not you. You will loose your Paypal account.

 

[kkarmical]

Guys, Thanks the sympathy. I didn't actully get stuck for the $3500. I did loose my Paypal account but I got the $3500 initially, spent it on stuff, and now Paypal says I owe them $3500, which they won't get. Fortunately I don't worry about my credit score so it's all good to me. I'm a little sad to loose my Paypal account, but it's for the best I'm sure. I have been taking credit cards through Square for over 10 years for my Junk Removal business. I'll probably try that.

Mainly though:I will only sell to established AGN members with a track record!

When Paypal says there is a dispute, just know that you will loose no matter what. You will have about 1-2 months to change your bank account number and cancle any credit/debit cards attatched to your Paypal account, while the dispute gets processed through. Then Paypal will get stuck with the bill, not you. You will loose your Paypal account.

While I respectfully can understand the solution, being first and foremost you're not stuck with a $3500 loss, just letting the real criminal here, the Joseph not face criminal charges of a felony theft by fraud, I just don't understand.

Your real beef should be with UPS and Joseph, and that MF should have to answer for federal crimes, I hate resolutions where the real problem is not using the legal system, and I get that it's a major PITA, but there's legit legal resources that aren't being tapped into, and Joseph is walking away all good right now, while you and PayPal are getting screwed over..