Buyer Beware

[SHOOT1SAM]

Is there any info on using ApplePay or GooglePay?

Sam

 

[AlexanderA]

Comments on using PayPal:

1. PayPal has a known antigun bias. Nevertheless it can be useful if you don't flaunt the gun-related nature of the transaction. This works, for example, if you're buying parts, peripherals, and accessories.

2. PayPal is much friendlier to buyers than it is to sellers. In disputes, they always give the buyers the benefit of the doubt.

3. If you use "Friends and Family" (intended for gift transactions), you give up your buyer protections. Some sellers insist on this. Don't get caught up in it.

 

[wiscoaster]

PayPal's acceptable use policy forbids transactions for firearms. Discovery of policy violation results in immediate account termination.

https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/ua/acceptableuse-full?locale.x=en_US

 

[GAF]

For me, No buying firearms online ever. I like to handle the merchandise before I pay.

 

[whughett]

I’ve used PP since it’s inception. I’ve made several private purchases of non regulated types of firearms, never an FFL required purchase. Have no idea if PP’s policy applies to those non regulated items or not. Don’t really care either. I don’t keep monies there in an account, nor do I use their credit card, so what’s the worse they can do beyond suspending the account. It’s a convenience and works for me so I use it when every it’s available. It all comes out of several credit cards on file with them.

 

[Zahn]

I wish I'd taken a screenshot of it, but a year or two ago I found a PayPal FAQ or help article that said, "PayPal members may not buy firearms" with no mention of using PayPal to do so. Not that I couldn't use PayPal to buy firearms - It was basically saying that I couldn't even have them at all and be a PayPal member. I went back to this web page two or three times over the next few days and read it again, I was so amazed at their anti-gun stance. I figured at that time my PayPal account was toast and subject to seizure at any moment. I no longer keep a balance in my account. I had long removed my bank account from being tied to my PayPal account, and in fact I'd changed banks recently. I took off my debit card and left one credit card tied to the account which had a tiny available balance. Now that eBay has a new payment system that bypasses PayPal I will probably drop my PayPal account entirely.

It seems they've since revised or replaced that page because I can't find it. Now they say that we can't use PayPal to buy firearms as others have noted.

Edit to add my PayPal story. Years ago, probably around 2000 or so, I bought a big Cisco router off eBay, and used PayPal to pay for it. Back then eBay and PayPal didn't have good fraud protections, and sure enough the seller took my money and didn't ship the router. I got a sob story from the "girlfriend" that said her guy had taken the money and the router and there was nothing she could do. She sent $90 cash, 10% of the balance, which took the local sheriff off the case because "she" was making an effort to make it right. So I'm out $810. I tried to get PayPal to make it right and they refused. So I went to my credit card, told them the whole story, and they reversed the whole $900 against PayPal. Soon after that PayPal had new terms and conditions that denied accountholders the ability to do that.

 

[Elkins45]

eBay allows the sale of firearm parts, magazines, etc. eBay requires sellers to accept PayPal. Does PayPal specially prohibit only firearms themselves or does it extend to accessories as well? That’s quite a catch 22 if it does.

 

[Golfanaticshooter]

Paypal had 2019 revenues of $17.7 billion. I'm sure that not one red cent went toward any effort to erode our rights though. I don't use them or any known anti if at all possible. YMMV.

 

[CZ-75BD]

Even considered that PayPal is antigun company, I never had any issue buying or selling using PayPal. Faster than money order or certified check. Sold several rifles and handguns via GunBroker with no issue. Bought guns and ammo and had no issue.

 

[JeffTC]

Beware, I've had negative experiences with PayPal. I was warned too about them years ago and didn't listen. Sure enough, PP without explanation suddenly decided to freeze a $600 transaction. It was a funds transfer from me to my mother. Multiple calls to PP customer service, they refused to release or tell me why the funds were being held up. Finally after about a month and a half and threatening legal action and a letter writing campaign to every major news outlet about how they were screwing over a disabled vet and his mother, they relented. Once the transaction cleared and my mother had cash in hand, I dumped PP. In that process, while waiting for the last transaction to an ebay seller to clear, PP tried to withdraw funds from a bank account I had removed from my PP account, resulting in over $100.00 in insufficient funds fees from my bank. After again wrestling with PP, they promised to put through the transaction again to the proper bank account and AGAIN they attempted to withdraw from the same bank account that I had previously removed. $100+ more in fees to my bank. AGAIN I went 10 rounds with PP customer service. Finally they got it right and I demanded that my PP account be closed. Never again. Oh yeah, PP outright refused to reimburse me for the insufficient funds charges. Out of respect for the High Road Forum I will not disclose the words I would very much like to use to describe PP. For that, you can use your imagination.

 

[coondogger]

I've been using PayPal since it's inception and it's the safest way to transfer money in a transaction like you describe. In order for the seller to use PayPal, they have to have a confirmed account, which means PayPal has their banking information. PayPal also has a lot of consumer protections associated with it, and if there are issues with any transaction, they are very serious about your protection as a consumer. If anything, I would trust a PayPal only transaction over and above just about anything else.

I sold something on Ebay and I'm still waiting for Paypal to send me my money. That was three months and many emails ago. So . . .

 

[rust collector]

I have no interest in supporting anti-2a companies even if they are convenient. Doubly so when they have determined they do not want gun-related business.

 

[wiscoaster]

.... Does PayPal specially prohibit only firearms themselves or does it extend to accessories as well? That’s quite a catch 22 if it does.

Yes, it does, though the language is quite general with regard to exactly what, giving them wide latitude for assigning terms of use violations. Quote from PayPal "Acceptable Use" agreement list of prohibited transactions (linked in my post above):

(j) ammunition, firearms, or certain firearm parts or accessories