Paypal Scam: Friends and Family Payment for a goods transaction

[kcflanders]

Has Paypal ever assisted anyone who was scammed by being asked for Friends and Family Payment for a goods transaction?

Paypal is very aware of this scam, for the average user the first time they've even heard of this time of transaction is when another member asks for them to send them money in that form. Usually something like "hey, can you send the money as friends and family? I can drop the price a couple bucks since I won't be charged the fee." 

Paypal can easily eliminate this problem by requiring a person to check a box acknowledging, 

1. This payment is not for a good transaction. 
2. I am aware I have no ability to dispute this transaction once sent.

So why has Paypal made this so easy for scammers?

What actions will Paypal take if there is a problem?

What are the chances a State Attorney General might take some action to make the two bullet points above happen?

[2wheelin71]

Ok lets me say I have used Ebay and Paypal for many years and paid all the fee's in my last business.  But when it come to sell private items where the buyer comes through to me other then Ebay. I like said before joined a group on Facebook selling items only friends can see my posts closed groups why not get paid through Family and friends option aftrer all they are vertual internet friends with like interests.  Would that break Paypal rules??

[kernowlass]

@2wheelin71

If you are 'selling' and accepting friends / family payments then you are breaking paypal rules.

You pay paypal for a 'service' in processing those payments for you, why should they do so for free?

[2wheelin71]

That seams a contedtion Eg;  I have a friend 200 away he asked any body got a small dineing table I called him telling I had one going spare for£50.00 because I know him I would be willing to send it by post and only when he is happy with the table then to pay me through paypall as F&F what else is this option for.  In the past my brouther paid for my car repairs as I was short, which was £150 he had a car radio for sale £50 so  I sent him £200 covering what I owed and payment for the radio again is this against policy if so I don't see when it is acceptable??.

[kernowlass]

@2wheelin71

The friends / family option is for sending 'gifts' of payments to close mates or family for eg birthdays or christmas etc.

If you are sending it to get something back again ie selling then you are breaking paypal rules.

Why not just ask them to pay cash on collection or bank transfer instead?

[Smfsmf]

I had to pay an extra $4.95 to process the payment they are still making money and I am out of my money.

[Vinayawasthi]

PayPal is now preferred platform for scammers... PayPal is charging $17 for $600 transaction ;family and friends) and accepts no responsibility... as if money went out as wire... I will never use pay pal I have also reported PayPal scam to be IC3 and FTC

[Thumper84]

Exactly!

[mishy1950]

A person can be elderly, sick and ...ignorant.  There was no intent to cheat Ebay of fees.  NOW I realise and have learnt painful lessons costing thousands of dollars!  I don't even know what OP stands for.  I didn't realise that paying for a listing wasn't like a Buy Now - I didn't realise or think about the fees issue or have intent to cheat anyone.  Which is more than I can say for the 5 so far in just the last few days, sellers of Thermomix machies (not a luxury for me but due to losing my teeth in a car accident).

Ebay need to be alerting unsuspecting buyers - they probably do somewhere about new seller listers - but the mass of written communications these days has everyone, not just the sick and elderly - in my case recovering from major ear surgery, my husbands heart attack and the fire (the reason I was trying to replace this machine) and all this in the past month or so!  ..this mass of written words, overwhelms everyone in this communication age.

I also trusted PayPal and Ebays supply of this sellers non ebay email address.  I was communicating 9 times with them via the Ebay supplied email so just did not think about them losing fees.  The real issue is to avoid more an.d more people in bad situations, eg. pensions like me, from falling in to these costly pits.  Surely it is simple for PayPal to have a red warning for new time, ignorant people like me to see when they are having trouble executing a payment, warnings that make it loud and clear that they will not be covered by F & F payments.  It really is a case of awareness and I have contacted the radio and current affair programs.  My own ignorance and regret should not stop me from helping some one else in a similar position.  I thought, foolishly now, that as I had been supplied the 2nd personal email address with Paypal for this Aaron Moran, that that could somehow become a 'friend '.  SO silly of me.  Old and sick people should just suspend jumping in waters they know little about.  And there's a lot of us out there, struggling in a foreign world and not slick IT savvy young people.

[MidwestLuxury]

"There was no intent to cheat Ebay of fees"

Puhlease.  You are actually the one scamming by arranging a payment outside of the intended purpose in order to avoid paying fees.  PayPal's fees are clearly posted.  Part of what you buy with that money is buyer protection.  It costs money for PayPal to have someone review your case, gather information and evidence from both sides, review the evidence, fact check information and finally review the evidence objectively and make a decision.  Why on earth should PayPal offer you those resourses when after you've intentionally gone outside of their system offering them zero compensation for the services rendered in hearing your case and obtaining a refund.  You tried to scam PayPal, you got scamed instead, you're crying that PayPal should do something about it and offer you protection after you were the one trying to **bleep** them over orginally.  This all seems pretty obvious to everyone but you, who is still content on **bleep** on everyone whilst telling them it's raining.   

[Smfsmf]

How is it cheating? It still costs $4.95 for me to give the money. I did not know it was my first purchase. PayPal claims that people are verified they should be able to contact them and get the money back etc.