Paypal security question...

**Law Dawg (ret)** · 10-18-2010, 10:40

Recently I ordered a WBBB hammock with a bank check because I don't do Paypal (security issues, enough said) and the transaction was slow (shocker no?). Since most if not all sales done with vendors and private parties here use Paypal and I plan to shop further, I have begun my research to open an account. So do ya'll have tips for making these accounts more secure or am I making a tempest in a teapot here?

I note a security key can be purchased from Paypal and that simply strikes me as odd that they would directly charge me to upgrade their own security. How much trust do you have in your Paypal accounts?

My WB 1.7 double will be here soon and then the insulation/tarp/etc deep research and purchase will begin in ernest. If Mrs Law Dawg likes it may even involve another hammock set up for her. This could get fun.

P.S.
I did a HF search and found nothing related, hope it fits here.

**Lonely Raven** · 10-18-2010, 10:44

I've been using Pay Pal for over 10 years now. I've had *thousands* of transactions with Pay Pal, and only one bit me in the arse (some kid used his mommies CC without her permission and I had already sent the part - only out $40, but it still pisses me off).

As long as YOU are smart about your account, you'll have no issues.

You sound like you're scared of Pay Pal doing something bad with your info...it's only bad sales you have to worry about really. And they have ways of helping you with cheats and scammers.

Edit to Add:

I try to only Pay Pal with "Pay Pal Verified" sellers/buyers. This means that Pay Pal has verified they are who they are, by matching a home address and bank account to their name and online info. It's not 100% fool proof, but it's a huge leap above sending out checks in the mail...which really seems archaic and unsafe to me!

I try to only sell to people/forums I'm familiar with. If I see someone selling something in the For Sale section and they've only got 2 posts under their name, I'd ask for references, other forums they frequent, eBay name so I can follow up on their online reputation. If they can't provide some sort of background, I just don't go through with the sale. People with poor reputations or poor shipping/customer service skills don't last long online. Word travels fast when you've paid for something and not received it 3 weeks later.

If the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Just avoid it.

Edit to add Part 2:

Some things to be aware of.

Pay Pal is a big company, and like any other big company that pretty much has a monopoly, their customer service has gone down the toilet.

Pay Pal will nickel and dime you to death if all you do is small deals. Little fees here and there, it just kills me. And when you take into account that eBay owns Pay Pal, if you make a deal on eBay and use Pay Pal to pay, they are double dipping into your sale!

And the biggest ding against them...they are very anti-gun. If you Pay Pal for something and it has *anything* to do with guns...even if you send Pay Pal and the note says "for 40" tactical belt", then there is a good chance they will lock out your account and send you a nasty letter.

But, they are the defacto king of safe, secure, and fast online payments. So I take the bad with the good and just live with it.

**lori** · 10-18-2010, 10:56

If you verify your paypal account you have a protection plan from them (does not cost money to do this, it mainly consists of them verifying your address on the account is the same as your address on your credit card). I have recovered funds from a fraudulent Ebayer who did not send me my purchased item (partial, there was not enough in his account to recover all) some years ago. I suspect their protection plan now is better than it was then.

Part of the security of online transactions is exercising judgment to not get into arrangements that will result in a bad situation. I have used my credit card via amazon auctions once with a vendor I had no knowledge of for extra protection and been glad I did - they sent me the wrong edition of an expensive textbook and would not refund even though I sent the book back, and where amazon did nothing, my credit card stepped in and recovered the money. On places like ebay I buy only from vendors with a lot of positive reviews and often ones that have a physical presence in the world, like the computer store in Irvine I got a keyboard from.

I would paypal any of the popular hammock cottage gear guys in a heartbeat. Adam, Paul, the Jacks, Brandon, MacEntyre, any of them.

Which is to say, the danger is not from paypal itself, it's from the guy you're sending money to. If you are worried about the online transaction itself being hijacked... I have been online banking since the early 90s and using paypal almost as long. I have never had money hijacked nor has anyone else I know who uses online financial software. I have however possibly had my information hijacked from the online California job website, after which they sent out a letter explaining we would have to log in all over again.... but that's a different kettle of fish.

**Lonely Raven** · 10-18-2010, 11:01

Originally Posted by lori

I would paypal any of the popular hammock cottage gear guys in a heartbeat. Adam, Paul, the Jacks, Brandon, MacEntyre, any of them.

Which is to say, the danger is not from paypal itself, it's from the guy you're sending money to. If you are worried about the online transaction itself being hijacked... I have been online banking since the early 90s and using paypal almost as long. I have never had money hijacked nor has anyone else I know who uses online financial software. I have however possibly had my information hijacked from the online California job website, after which they sent out a letter explaining we would have to log in all over again.... but that's a different kettle of fish.

Lori said all this better than I did.

**G.L.P.** · 10-18-2010, 11:13

I never had a problem with PP .....
Like others have said.....it's only as safe as YOU make it

**more** · 10-18-2010, 11:14

Set up a separate email account (gmail, yahoo, whatever) with something instantly recognizable to you, like "[email protected]", and don't ever use this email address for anything other than paypal transactions. This will keep your transaction notices completely walled off from your personal email.

You can achieve the same effect through filtering rules that you set up on your mail client, but I think that having a separate account is easiest and bombproof because it doesn't matter how you have things set up from computer to computer.

**Cannibal** · 10-18-2010, 11:14

I don't use PayPal for anything beyond a swap of funds. I don't leave any money in PayPal; far too many horror stories about doing that. I use my bank account to fund any transactions and if there is a credit in my PayPal account, I immediately transfer the funds to my bank account.

Financial institutions are much more secure than PayPal and are subject to more rules regarding their liability for your money. Plus, I can go get in someone's face at my bank should bad things happen. If you want even greater piece of mind, use your credit card/debit card in lieu of your account number. VISA's chargeback policy is a thing of beauty for consumers. Banks don't like it so much because it gives all the benefit of the doubt to the consumer, even if they're too stupid to live. Ask me how I know.

Worst case with a VISA card, your money will be floating around for 30 days as they do their 'research'. That is not the norm; usually your funds are back within 10 days (depending on the bank's policies where your account is kept).

PayPal is very handy, you just have to approach with caution.

**pizza** · 10-18-2010, 11:18

Originally Posted by Lonely Raven

And the biggest ding against them...they are very anti-gun. If you Pay Pal for something and it has *anything* to do with guns...even if you send Pay Pal and the note says "for 40" tactical belt", then there is a good chance they will lock out your account and send you a nasty letter.

LOL...are you serious? That is lame!

**Law Dawg (ret)** · 10-18-2010, 11:29

Originally Posted by Lonely Raven

You sound like you're scared of Pay Pal doing something bad with your info...it's only bad sales you have to worry about really. And they have ways of helping you with cheats and scammers.

Scared? No, careful. I have risked my very life to make the money I may send you so scared of a computer geek...not.

So Paypal is it, no other online system? As to their gun politics well...(insert snoring sound here).

My concern is mostly with hacking into accounts. Reading potential criminals is easy when one has been doing it for 32+ years. Lori, very good info from the consumer side. My first thought was to primarily buy from HF vendors and shop the classifieds here with a hairy eye to post count etc. Ebay...nah. Second is to transfer funds only for the amount of purchase and then keep whatever minimum the account requires to remain active (if any). How does that sound?

**SamD** · 10-18-2010, 11:29

I am one of the early PayPal users, and have had no problems from PayPal.
From deceptive sellers on Ebay yes, but never from PayPal.
Ebay member since 07/98, PayPal since 07/01.

No minimum balance requirements in PayPal accounts.