PayPal won't refund you if it costs them a dime. If there's no money in the account of the person to whom you sent the money, they freeze the account with a negative balance, but you don't get anything unless the person funds the account somehow.

If you're curious about horror stories, just google "Paypal Sucks." There are whole websites dedicated to it, though mostly from a seller's POV.

I do think it's a little funny how the OP says suggests to do business with paypal accounts that are verified and have a track record....isn't that what we are suggesting to do on this board....but we call them gold traders.

Anyone who has spent time looking through the DVD Exchange forum should have a good idea of how things tend to work around here. Being a trading newb, I knew that I would have to ship first to a Gold Trader because I don't have a rep. I think it makes sesnse that money would work the same way. If we were talking face to face, it would be different (obviously), but if you're the new guy, you have to understand and accept the way things are done around here. You can try to do thing different, but I'd just say good luck with that. I have a blistering two transactions on this board, so I'm planning on having to ship/pay first for awhile, but I accept and understand that.

Some people aren't that patient, and while that's not necessarily a bad thing, it just means that they should probably go elsewhere to sell/trade dvd's.

Spoken like a true prodigy Mink-e.
Unfortunately, not everyone thinks the same way.

Billyspunk, that other thread you have up on the board, for all 4 seasons of "24", you have a post on Ebay, under your name you gave, pooh-pal, for the same exact thing. What's up with that? What if someone offers to take it on here, or do you have 2 different sets of this series? What I don't understand is why do you have the same price, when you'll obviously be getting more taken out from Ebay fees over there (probably what, around $7-$8, give or take,) when over here all you'd incur is Paypal fees? I figuered you'd have it a bit higher over there to make up for the money you'd get taken out. But I don't know your concept. I sell over there myself, so I was just wondering.

It says on Ebay that you're from Massachusetts? So am I, I'm in the Worcester area, how about you?

Yes that is the same set that I have for sale here. There seemed to be some confusion if I was a real seller, so I placed the set in my Ebay items also so people can see I am for real. I will be listing alot more on here, the 24 set was just my first try....

I think it's rather shady that you have the same thing listed on here that you do on eBay. You hardly gave anyone here time to even respond before you decided to list it somewhere else. This seems to be another problem we have been running into here lately. I'm a bit boggled, to say the least. My concerns/questions are essentially the same as Giallofan's, and I don't think they were really addressed...

Just as you people are..I am also very weary of selling on here. I could not think of any other way to prove to people I am legit so I posted the same set on Ebay. I am only selling one set and when it is sold, either on here or on Ebay I will post another message. As of right now this set is available..

Listen, I am getting emails galore about my attitude. I am not selling this set because I just feel like it, I am selling this set because my family and I need the funds. That is why I cannot ship first, we are need of immediate funds. What else can I say?

But that's just the thing--I think you listing the set on eBay brings your legitimacy into question moreso than it did before. What if someone buys the set via eBay but someone else sends you the funds via PayPal through your thread here at DVDTalk? If you're going to try and sell here, I'd suggest either selling here or selling on eBay, not trying both, at least not simultaneously.

I know this comment has been responded to enough by now, but wow. That quote couldn't be more wrong in every way. One of the main reasons that people get cheated is because they actually buy into that BS, and I hate to see it happen. It doesn't help matters at all when you are going on and on spewing that type of false information, even if you've never personally been done wrong by the PayPal system.

People get pissed off over PayPal and done "wrong" by them every single day. Plenty of posters at this very board have been screwed over by all of that.

Like I have said...I am new here in terms of selling, I just wanted people to know who they were dealing with. Giving them my Ebay name and showing I did indeed have the set (picture shown in Ebay ad) I felt this was what was needed for people to feel safe dealing with me. This 24 set is the only item I will offer here and Ebay. Any future items will be offered here. They don't sell here I will sell them on Ebay..I hope this explains my situation...

I've never thought that it should even be allowed to post a link to eBay feedback with the purpose of convincing people that you are a legit and stand up seller. I've personally seen that be done before online, and it ended up that the person was just lying about the eBay account even being there's. The ONLY way that I'd accept such a thing is if the seller, once they agreed to sell it to someone (say here), then posted a private auction on eBay under the same account that they linked to the feedback, and do the transaction that way.

The seller would, of course, eat all of the costs of having to do so as well.

Yeah that is effed up.

Billyspunk, where in Southeastern Massachusetts are you from/around?

Not quite sure I've earned it yet, but thanks for the praise GialloFan

It seems to me that Billyspunk has really unintentionally rattled a hornet's nest here. I didn't know that scamming was so prevalent here, but as a new guy watching his reactions, I can't say I wouldn't react the same way. It's not as if (AFAIK) he opened the auction, then posted here. If I had people questioning me, I might make the buck or so investment to create an auction to prove that I have it, only to take it down. Ok, I probably wouldn't, but it really doesn't seem all that unrealistic a step.

I don't know if he's a scammer or not and I know I wouldn't be comfortable buying under these circumstances. I do know that if he is honest, thanks to this thread there's no way anyone will buy from him and he may as well keep the auction up to sell them. I think this is a valuable discussion and it has really helped me in the "buyer beware" area, but I think it should really be kept to threads where trickery has been confirmed.

I could also be totally wrong and this guy could be a complete sleezeball. It's just my $.02

I'll now bow out and join in with 12thmonkey

The trade guidelines aren't new, Mr. Spunk. Why would you bother attempting to trade if you didn't agree with them?

New Bedford/Fall River area...I am getting offers to sell on Ebay, I will most likely sell there. At least my honesty is not questioned there, I spend over 6 years building a solid reputation there, there is no way I could ever do the same here, too many scammers it seems..Good luck people..

Ok, so why the new thread telling everyone what you're going to do? Just post your list, tell everyone you're a new trader with great prices, but you won't ship first because the guidelines of the site you chose to join are stupid. You know how that'll look.

As for your guarantee, it's only as good as the person or company that makes it. As a new trader, you're telling everyone to take you on your word that they can take you on your word. I'm sure Lewis Black could do ten minutes on that, pointy finger and all.

Absolutely, he could have unintentionally opened/rattled a hornet's nest, and it seems he did. But yes, Mink-e, although I haven't been too active on the forum lately I do keep an eye on it a few times a week, and unfortuntely, the scammers have been out here more than usual. And actually, when I was trading/selling/buying out here, actively, for a good 6-7 months or better, I did'nt see really any problems with anyone getting ripped off on this forum. It seemed to go really smooth out here. It's only as of the last couple of months or so that I've noticed it happening more & more often. So it goes both ways with people's apprehension. I can certainly understand the sellers point of view, but he's got to be willing to understand ours as well. I understand he's gone out of his way to show us that he's legit, and as you said, he could be, but how are we to know that? Gold Traders have established our credibility on here when we were newbies, by voluntarily "shipping first", as suggested by someone who's a gold trader, because we put trust it their credibility out here, why should anyone else be any different? Credibility on Ebay doesn't suggest credibility on here, no matter how you cut it. Anyone could pick out an Ebay name and go with it. Although I know the OP tried to show us his credibility by doing what he did. And unfortuntely, it's a sucky way for the guy to start out on here and because of this topic he's probably already tarnished himself without even realizing it.

Well of course your honesty is not questioned on Ebay, that's where your credibility lies. That's what building a reputation is all about. Same goes on here. No ones cutting you down because you're trying to sell some dvd's, it's the way you're unwilling to do it when you have no status on the board. That's all. How are you getting offers for selling it on Ebay when all you have is a straight buy it now, not a "best offer" option on it?

By the way, my brother just moved out to New Bedford where his girlfirend lives.

I agree wholeheartedly. It just seemed like Billyspunk was getting stomped on and trashed and nobody was even acknowledging the other possibility and I felt like I needed to get it out here. That's all.

I hear ya mink-e, I totally relate to your post above. I can understand the poor guys frustration with all this. But people have really been on their guard as of late. But the way he came across, telling people to go look somewhere else if they don't like his rule of paying first, even though he has absolutely no status, obviously touched a nerve with alot of people.

But you have to think about what you said here: "but I think it should really be kept to threads where trickery has been confirmed."

If we keep it to where trickery has been confirmed, then that more than likely means another victim has gotten ripped off. But then again, trickery could also be someone trying to come under a different name and getting bagged for it. So don't mind me, it's time for me to shut up now.

It's sad but he said alot of stuff alot of the scammers would and have said out here. About selling box sets for great prices, NOT willing to ship first to confirmed gold traders, or anyone for that matter, being a couple of them. That's a red flag. How are we to believe we will be guaranteed pleasantly surprised by dealing with him just because he says that?

As Shallow Hal says above: "As for your guarantee, it's only as good as the person or company that makes it. As a new trader, you're telling everyone to take you on your word that they can take you on your word."

That don't fly my friend, sorry.

Ok, I posted waaaaaay too much. I've added my .02 plus some. I'll leave it at that.
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HOLD THE PHONE: UPDATE:
I just noticed this on the OP's thread for the 24 sets: He says: "I am a Paypal VERIFIED seller with over 1000+ successful transaction. My Ebay name is pooh-pal and my feedback rating is 99.9% positive with 5900 POSITIVE feedbacks".

NOW, on this thread he says this:
"I am a verified Paypal seller (well over 500 transactions) with a Ebay feedback rating over 3600. If people do not want to send payment first for some great deals I will have, then they should look elsewhere. The first person who does deal with me will be pleasantly surprised...GUARANTEED.."

Ok, some of this is true. He has 3745 positives from different sellers or whatever, and a total of 5944. But why change them up & why the big difference all of a sudden with the Paypal transactions? It says he has well over 500, but then he says he has over 1000+.

Just a thought???

Yeah, this is looking shadier by the minute. Regardless, I think his thread sparking this discussion is really going to help a lot of new people understand exactly what is expected and what is the norm. Nobody has the excuse to come back and say, "But I didn't know...". Of course, they WILL, but they have no excuse. I promise, I'm done now too.

Interesting. It's not the first discrepancy I've noticed with Billyspunk. He mentioned in one of the DDD thread about how bad they were and that he'd never deal with them again. But in another post on a different forum a user with the same username stated that they were thinking about getting the Planet of the Apes Boxset - Apehead, so I posted about it but he never responded.

I don't blame him for wanting the $$$ up front but to expect it everyone to blindly trust him is asking a bit too much. I'm +5 on the good trader's list and have always expected to ship first. In all but one occasions the other party shipped at the same time. While I appreciate it I never felt it was appropriate to ask or demand that they ship the same time. At this point in time if I arrange a trade with a brand new poster I would expect them to ship first, if they didn't agree then I just wouldn't do the deal. But in trades with gold traders I have no worries about shipping first.