Friends & family

[Monaghan6]

Through Facebook I have found a rental apartment for holidays . They have asked me to pay and select friends and family and to send a screenshot when the payment is made. Have I any comeback if I pay and it’s not letgitimate . Surely a business shouldn’t ask to pay like this . Any advice ?

[kernowlass]

@Monaghan6 

A friends / family (or gift payment) is intended as a transfer of funds from family or friends to one another. For this reason, there is no processing fee when payment is made with bank or PayPal balance.
However as it is a gift payment, there is also no buyer protection as no goods or services should have been exchanged.

If he was not a close mate or family member you should never use that option as it enables the seller to evade paying his Paypal fees and negates your buyer protection at the same time.

You would also not be able to open a dispute (apart from one citing an unauthorised transaction), which would be automatically closed as you did authorise the initial payment.

Be careful as using that option for purchasing goods is against Paypal rules and can lead to account limitation.

Its also against the rules for the seller to request payment using that option.

[Monaghan6]

Thanks for that . I don’t know the person at all and thought it seemed suspicious when they asked me to pay that way . Think it’s a scam