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Nils Luehrmann · 08-01-2005, 02:49 PM

As Linda mentioned, eBay sellers are not allowed to charge extra for PayPal payments - so not only shouldn't you have to pay, but I think notifying the seller that he is not complying with the rules should cause him to drop the practice all together, or at least wont trouble you for the added fee.

If a seller wants to avoid PayPal fees they can refuse credit card payments. PayPal doesn't charge a seller a transaction fee if they only use a personal account which doesn't accept credit card payments.

In fact, it is even illegal for any retailer to charge a customer more if they pay with a credit card. The way some avoid this is by charging more, but offering a discount (~3%) if the buyer pays by cash or check.

In the electronics business, this is quite common. For instance if a Panasonic dealer places an order for $100,000 worth of electronics and pays by check or wire transfer, they are given a discount of $3,000.

Bottomline: You should not have to pay the fee, even if you did not contact the seller. If the seller is not following the rules as clearly stated by eBay then you are not responsible if the transaction doesn’t go through. In this case, the seller probably doesn’t want to make a fuss as it will only draw attention to his breaking the rules.

I would send him a link that Linda provided and explain to him that you are not responsible for that fee – only he is. That should put a quick end to his demands and allow you to resolve the transaction.

I’ve heard that most eBay sellers inflate their shipping & handling costs in order to compensate for payment fees, but even that is against the rules stated by eBay – although that must be much harder to prove which is why it is such common place.

08-01-2005, 02:49 PM	#8 of 12
Nils Luehrmann Join Date: Mar 2001 Local Time: 05:20 AM Local Date: 12-05-2008 Posts: 3,410	As Linda mentioned, eBay sellers are not allowed to charge extra for PayPal payments - so not only shouldn't you have to pay, but I think notifying the seller that he is not complying with the rules should cause him to drop the practice all together, or at least wont trouble you for the added fee. If a seller wants to avoid PayPal fees they can refuse credit card payments. PayPal doesn't charge a seller a transaction fee if they only use a personal account which doesn't accept credit card payments. In fact, it is even illegal for any retailer to charge a customer more if they pay with a credit card. The way some avoid this is by charging more, but offering a discount (~3%) if the buyer pays by cash or check. In the electronics business, this is quite common. For instance if a Panasonic dealer places an order for $100,000 worth of electronics and pays by check or wire transfer, they are given a discount of $3,000. Bottomline: You should not have to pay the fee, even if you did not contact the seller. If the seller is not following the rules as clearly stated by eBay then you are not responsible if the transaction doesn’t go through. In this case, the seller probably doesn’t want to make a fuss as it will only draw attention to his breaking the rules. I would send him a link that Linda provided and explain to him that you are not responsible for that fee – only he is. That should put a quick end to his demands and allow you to resolve the transaction. I’ve heard that most eBay sellers inflate their shipping & handling costs in order to compensate for payment fees, but even that is against the rules stated by eBay – although that must be much harder to prove which is why it is such common place.