Power Sellers Unite

swanlake5315 · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 1

OK, I'll be honest, I signed up on this board in order to vent! :evil:

Having been a Powerseller on ebay for nearly 5 years and using Paypal exclusively, I am now BEGGING for input from any of you for the BEST way to rid myself of Paypal and info on the best merchant account available to me.

Paypal, as I have written to them (albeit an excercise in futility to be sure), have pulled their last stunt with me.

This last one they pulled actually had to do with me buying something on ebay in early December. The item arrived with noticeable stains that were not listed. This was not a cheap item, rather a designer item. I filed with Paypal as the seller was being a stinker. Paypal dragged their feet for nearly 60 days and then told me to return the item to the seller, provide a tracking number, and then I would receive my refund.

I did all of that. I use Stamps.com exclusively and provided the tracking number to Paypal. I mailed the item first class, as had the seller originally to me, on 2/5. Not even a full business week later, I receive an email from Paypal in the wee morning hours on 2/12 stating my tracking number is invalid and the case is closed! I again entered the tracking number at usps.com and it worked fine for me. They just haven't given enough time for the package to arrive back to the seller! That doesn't mean the tracking number is invalid!

Has anyone had Paypal drag their feet for this long on a claim and then slam the buyer in less than a week's time for invalid tracking number?

Anyway, anyone with information on a viable option outside of Paypal would be greatly appreciated! My ebay sales are $6000-$8000 per month if that helps with the picture of who to go with.

Thank you for reading my vent!
Marie

angelsolutions · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 9:52 am Post subject: Re: Need best Paypal alternative

Marie,

I'm not a powerseller by any stretch of the imagination, but I've watched the smaller payment companies like alertpay and all the others and never really trusted them as they didn't gain favor from buyers. Bidpay returned on the scene alas at the time that Google Checkout finally came out.

I know you're asking for a merchant account. I was actually searching for one myself as I was wanting to totally rid myself of the beast after closing my ebay store last summer. I chose Google Checkout as there are no processing fees. They extended it through 2007 and are actively promoting for customer signups.

My store isn't totally geared up to sell with it, but I've still had some sales with it. I LOVED IT!! Easy, fast and $$ in my bank within 4 days. No issues.

Have you read up on Google Checkout? It may be worth a look for you at your level of sales, for the fees alone!

sylvia

xbaystores · Joined: 30 Oct 2006 Posts: 549

As far as price, Bidpay is the best alternative on eBay, but expect to lose a lot of sales by not accepting Paypal. You can use Google Checkout on eBay if you are crafty... If you use Marketworks for example, you can offer to accept only credit cards and specifically state "NO PAYPAL" and Marketworks is integrated with Google Checkout. For this year, GC is free and Marketworks will charge 3% of your sales.

You can also take the chance others have been successful with and say in each listing that your CC invoice will be emailed to the buyer after they have won the auction, and send the invoice through Google Checkout. Either way, you cannot mention GC at all or you could risk being suspended.

About your Paypal claim, you should be able to appeal the decision. If there isn't a button, I'd give them a call ASAP about it and raise cain until someone helped.

knappschiles · Joined: 25 May 2005 Posts: 4026 Location: Wi

I don't sell much on eBay any more, but this pre Christmas, I did sell more than 25 items there and had most of the buyer use Google Checkout.

We've talked about it here in several other threads, but you need to turn OFF checkout at eBay and take out your PP addy from listings. Then you can add the line about "your CC processor" if you want. When you get an EOA email, uyou use the info in it to send the buyer a GC invoice.

I know it's a bit clunky and not as fast as letting them pay right away thru PP, but it does work. That extra contact also gives you a chance to send the buyer to YOUR web site for special "upsell" offers. That works too.

Your own web site can use GC several ways. Some of the carts out there have mods for GC already. I'm working on converting my web site from PP buttons to Mal's Cart buttons. So far I only have a fraction done but I got a real nice order last nite thru the Mal's/GC set-up and it seemed to work flawlessly on my side.

Carol

nopaypal · Joined: 23 Feb 2006 Posts: 2008

i LOVE bidpay! it's like paypal, but with actual customer service.
:lol:

only thing i've complained about to em is their lack of an invoicing feature...i think they'd do much better with one.
:idea:

Binarywebs · Joined: 12 Sep 2006 Posts: 1401

I concur. Google Checkout is the only way to fly. Lots of lil mom n pop shops out there (that can easily disappear with your loot at the blink of an eye) ... Best bet is to stick with name recognition, and with Googles name on it, you cant go wrong. (Not to mention the fact their free for another year)

UrbanRedTag · Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 200

I double concur. Google Checkout is the truly SAFE & SECURE payment method.

terrif · Joined: 28 Mar 2005 Posts: 57

I use StormPay. They offer very low fees.
$1 per transaction or LESS.

http://www.stormpay.com/?973&psfeb

angelsolutions · Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 2:05 pm Post subject: Re: Need best Paypal alternative

Stormpay has kindofa "shady" rep? Wasn't there something about them? it's been awhile since I checked them out.

Sadly, Bidpay is for auctions only, or I'd offer them on my webstore as well.

That still leaves....Google Checkout as the only contender for getting away from Paypal.

Even on my auction listings, as I go forth this year branching out, I will only offer PP and Google Checkout....with the Strong preference for Google checkout.

I've been pondering a way to rewrite my auction listings to say I accept GC & PP in the listing, but not marking PP in the Payments accepted. Then sending a GC invoice as Carol does.

sylvia

printingskree · Joined: 04 Feb 2007 Posts: 23

How can I integrate google checkout into my webpage? Is there a place where it is step by step layed out?

angelsolutions · Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 11:28 pm Post subject: Re: Need best Paypal alternative

You need to sign up with Google Checkout if you haven't already & follow their instructions. They have instructions there for using buttons on web pages.

sylvia

missmolly · Joined: 23 Jul 2006 Posts: 28

I use CheckFree for balance transfers. It's used a lot in Europe. I've had customers think they bought a money order from their bank, and the bank actually just transferred the funds to my bank account.

I use ProPay which is Wells Fargo. It's a lot like PayPal but has customer service and no Attorney General needed! :) You need to send an invoice to your customer but it works smoothly. Fees are lower than PayPal. They have a debit card also. There is a 2-3 day wait for your money.

I used CCNow for awhile. There was a 30 day wait for your money and they had extremely high fees.

I offer Google Checkout, but have not had any takers yet! But, then again, my Store isn't full steam and I didn't offer it on eBay.

I took checks on eBay and never once had a problem.

I take money orders. Am considering going the USPS money order only route; not sure yet.

I made Powerseller on eBay and did not offer PayPal; 2,864 auctions without PayPal. I probably had 3 or 4 people ask and I explained my problems, AG and class action lawsuit and they were fine paying another way.

nopaypal · Joined: 23 Feb 2006 Posts: 2008

Quote: › docWrite("quote")Sadly, Bidpay is for auctions only, or I'd offer them on my webstore as well.
let them know that, sylvia. they actually do read yer suggestions!
:D

knappschiles · Joined: 25 May 2005 Posts: 4026 Location: Wi

printingskree,

For your web site you need to get signed up with GC and have your bank
account verified.

But then you need to find a cart that has a working mod for GC. The GC buttons
are not workable for a web site. They aren't even very workable for Base. Unlike
the PP buttons are agrigate items in a cart and allow you to add a shipping
matrix, GC buttons are for 1 item slaes and do not add shipping. Very dumb.

The solution is to have a cart that does the agrigating and ads the shipping and
tax if you do that. Then the cart sends the TOTAL to GC.

What has worked for me is to go with Mal's cart. It's much like the PP buttons.
The buttons take the customer to Mal's secure site where they fill in their info and
then they pay with their choice of what you have set-up. I had my Mal's set-up for
both GC and PP until today. Due to my eBay problems, I didn't trust PP to not tie
up my account, so I took PP out for now.

The buttons are really quite easy and it does work well with GC.

Carol

angelsolutions · Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 8:52 pm Post subject: Re: Need best Paypal alternative

Quote: › docWrite("quote")let them know that, sylvia. they actually do read yer suggestions!

REALLY? or are ye just funnin' me? :D

sylvia