Question on Payments and Fees when Paying a Vendor

[tomoffinland17]

I was frustrated because a vendor said he only accepts Venmo or Zelle. I don't use either of these. When I emailed him asking to pay by Paypal, he responded he only accepts Zelle. He didn't say anything about sending him a check. So, I payed him by Paypal. Typed his phone number in and the email and phone number came up for the business. However, the payment said completed immediately. Is that because I used my debit card? There is no way to cancel a payment in error? So, the vendor says he told me he only accepts Venmo or Zelle or check. But, he never wrote check in his email to me. He immediately called me and was mad because he told me he doesn't accept Paypal since they charge him. Now, he wants me to pay the $28.71 fee Paypal charged him and says I still owe him the balance. Is this ethical as in his email he never said I could pay by check? Should he just "eat it" as a business rather than angering the customer? Is this a tricky way for Paypal to make more money by denying the refund of the processing fee? 

Thanks for any advice.

[kernowlass]

@tomoffinland17 

He is not allowed to use Zelle for selling stuff and as you would have 0 buyer protection best not to use it.

However you should not use a payment option a seller does not allow.

If you are not allowed to pay the way you want to then buy elsewhere?

So the best way to resolve things is to ask him to part refund minus the fee element as you should not have paid that way?

[tomoffinland17]

Thanks, it was for services that his workers did on an electrical panel. I assumed he was going to show up, but had his two workers show up instead, then when I called him, he said he'd invoice me. No problem there, but when got the email invoice, said only accepted zelle or venmo. I emailed him I don't have either. He emailed back saying the same thing, nothing about alternative payments. Why would his business show up in Paypal if he doesn't accept it. If I had known he wasn't going to show up and that he only accept those two payments, probably would have gone with someone else. It's better when the vendor  shows up and the customer pays on the spot by credit card to the worker who did the job or vendor directly. Either way, he should have told me upfront of the payment options, as I've payed Paypal or credit card or check several times with no issues