Deposit as family and friends?

[BArlenka]

Guy that I am buying a bike from is asking to put 200 dollars as deposit on paypal as family and friend. Any idea why? If he does try to scam me and not give me the bike, can I get a refund if I transfer as for "friends and family" or do I have to do it as a buyer? He seems like a legit seller though and not a scammer, any idea why he wants family and friends transaction?

[DPCreations]

This would be a scammer, not a legit seller.

It is strictly against PayPal policies for a seller to ask a buyer to pay as family/friends. 

One reason a seller would do this is to avoid paying fees.

Another reason would be that, since the payment would be as family/friends/gift, there are no goods/services associted with the transfer.  That means you have no recourse if the seller doesn't provide goods.  You can't dispute with PayPal as there were goods to go with the transfer.

It's very important the you really know the otther party; "seems like" is not even close to a trustworthy relationship.

You need to investigate the seller and seller web site.  There are many ways for a seller to scam a buyer.

It is also very important to really understand PayPal policies and terms of use.  Click on the "legal agreement" at the bottom of the page for more information.