Seller tells me to send money through family and friends

[thebeatles1228]

Hi, so as the title says the seller wants me to pay through friends and family and I do want the item very very badly and urgently but I have read that many people have been scammed using this option instead of Pay for goods and services and that you shouldn't use this option unless is a friend or family you know personally and that is very close to you. I do have to say that this same seller I have bought from 1 other time in December of 2018 when I wanted to buy another thing from him and he said the same thing about paying through friends and family and that first item did arrive very well and I do have it in my hands but I was new to friends and family at that time and didn't really know the difference and I didn't got scammed. The problem is that with this same seller I told him if he could wait for me a few weeks (like a little bit more than 5) to get the money for another item because I didn't have USD with me right now and I checked on eBay and he listed the same item he was going to hold me and sell me up for auction. Also it is a collectible item and he made it and it is unique (it is an action figure) and he was going to sell it to me for $230.00 USD but then a few days ago he told me he could sell it to me for $200.00 USD and also he made this action figure for me as a request I made him. I got angry with him when he listed the action figure for auction because I didn't understand why he did that but he said to me that it needed to be sold and 1 week ago I got mad at him but like I finally said to him sell the figure and it had 1 bid on it from another person but he still ended the auction before time and gave me an opportunity to buy this from him. But on Wednesday I said that I can buy it because I found out that I did have $200.00 with me and he was going to give me a few days to pay for it. Then this weekend I said to him I was going to pay one of these days (I haven´t paid yet) but since I have read about that friends and family is not for buying and selling I am afraid that I send the money and going to get scammed for getting angry at him 1 week ago. He does not seem angry right now but I don´t trust him like the first time I bought from him when I did trust him. I also forgot to say that at one point he did get offended because I told him that friends and family doesn't give me protection to me and he did reply to me saying if I was trying to offend him to which I said no but that I was just reading about the friends and family option. I do know now that paying for goods and services is the right option for buying and that it does not charge me for sending him the money and offers me protection but he only accepts me sending him the money through the friends and family option because he says that pay for goods and services charges him high taxes. He ships from Rome, Italy but I am in Texas and don't know what to do that´s why I come here to ask this. And also sorry if this is very long but I felt that I needed to describe every detail for this to be solved. What do you think should I NOT buy from him and forget him for good or should I PROCEED and pay him the $200.00 USD through Friends and Family? One thing is that he discounted me $30 USD and that gives me a little bit of trust in him and also that I have bought from him before but I am still 90% unsure if I should pay him with this option. This would also be the second time I buy from him and probably the last one but I really really want this unique action figure. I do know that I can´t dispute friends and family because I am the one agreeing to this option thats what makes me 100% unsure about all this.

Update- Even if I decide to not buy from him I will still accept answers. All answers will be greatly appreciated 

[sharpiemarker · Accepted solution]

@thebeatles1228 

No, do not buy from any seller asking you to pay as Friends and Family, there is no purchase protection.

[thebeatles1228]

Thank you for your fast reply this helps me decide to not buy from him thank you 👍

[Me_To0]

I think It's time to change PayPal policy because I'm a victim too.

I was told to transfer the fund by using a friend/family because I want to buy the item by the seller through the app. The app has a policy too and quite safe but the seller doesn't want to pay the fee. So I helped him out beside he will sell the item cheap so I sent the fund as we both agreed for the price.

The next day, I found out that the seller never ships the item and never responds to all my texts nor answer calls. I reported to Paypal but it authorized was denied because Paypal policy stated: "your responsibility when making a transaction". If that so, then, tell me how do we feel safe by using Paypal?

I think it's time for Paypal to change that policy: when we send the fund by using family/friend reasoned, however, we STILL have that authorized to put on HOLD/PENDING money. So that transaction can hold/pending up to 3 days until we authorize it or deny it.

That way we feel safe to send the fund to buy the item by the seller. Even when you shop at Flea Market or any store. Am I making sense?

Time for Change. Help Us Stop the thief.

We can't be a victim anymore.

#METOO