PayPal has become a preferred payment option for many online shoppers and individuals looking to send money. Its popularity is growing as more businesses embrace the platform and more people recognize its benefits. If you haven’t used PayPal for payments yet, we will provide you with important information to ensure the security of your purchases.
PayPal offers numerous guarantees that protect you in case of any deception, such as receiving the wrong product, non-delivery, or being scammed. In most cases, you can get your money back, provided you can provide sufficient evidence to support your claim. Fortunately, gathering evidence in these situations is usually straightforward, and PayPal’s buyer policy is designed to protect you.
If you pay like that, you won’t get your money back
However, there is an important aspect that you may not be aware of if you haven’t been informed or encountered the need to know. There is a specific way of sending money through PayPal that offers no possibility of recovering it under any circumstances. Unless you involve the police and they support your case, which can be a frustrating and lengthy process with uncertain outcomes. PayPal does not provide any assistance in such cases, and the reason behind it is quite straightforward.
You may have been advised to use the “Send to a friend” option to avoid paying fees, and the recipient wouldn’t have to cover any fees either because there are no charges associated with this type of transaction. However, this method does not come with Buyer Protection, which means that if any issues arise, you won’t receive any support or assistance.
If you wish to make a purchase while ensuring that Buyer Protection is in effect to safeguard your transaction, you will need to switch from the “Friends and Family” option to “Products and Services.” You can easily do this during the purchase process by selecting the payment option and switching it to the new one after confirming the amount and payment method.
If any issues arise with the transaction, such as damage or loss of the item, you will be eligible for a full refund if you have used the appropriate payment option that qualifies for Buyer Protection. However, the challenge lies in the fact that many sellers prefer to avoid paying the associated fees and may try to persuade you to use the “Send to a friend” option. They might claim that you will have to cover the fees if you choose the other payment method, leaving you completely unprotected as a buyer.
In some cases, sellers may encourage the use of this payment method as a tactic to scam buyers on platforms like Wallapop, listing sites, eBay, or others. They have no intention of sending you the item you purchased. Therefore, it’s crucial to exercise caution when considering this type of payment on PayPal, as it is far from secure and can potentially lead to deception, scams, or difficulties in recovering your money if something goes wrong.
It’s important to note that these types of transfers are primarily designed for sending money to family, friends, or individuals you trust, rather than for online purchases or transactions with remote businesses. PayPal does not charge commissions for such transfers, but it also does not provide protection for these transactions since it assumes that you are not making a purchase but simply transferring money to someone close. Therefore, if you want your online or in-store purchases to be fully secure, it is advisable not to use the “Send to a friend” option when sending your money.
