Fifty-one cents

nope, I never got a call like that, but it sounds like my troubles with PayPal.

My bank was able to track it down, it was PayPal, over and over again, for very small amounts.
PayPal was (and still is) unresponsive. My bank back charged them.
yep, I suppose someone could be spoofing PayPal...

Peter Ehlert, post: 364662, member: 60 wrote: nope, I never got a call like that, but it sounds like my troubles with PayPal.

My bank was able to track it down, it was PayPal, over and over again, for very small amounts.
PayPal was (and still is) unresponsive. My bank back charged them.
yep, I suppose someone could be spoofing PayPal...

If I had repeated fraudulent charges, no matter how small, I would change my account and cards.

imaudigger, post: 364703, member: 7286 wrote: If I had repeated fraudulent charges, no matter how small, I would change my account and cards.

my banks block them, so no issue for me... this only happens with PayPal using Credit Cards for Ebay purchases, but not with ATM cards.
when a Credit Card transaction is refused by Ebay/PayPal (same company I believe) my bankers check and find some sort of "malformed" submittal. they (PayPal) have an option to "link" my bank account to them, but I don't trust that anymore so that account got closed.
The Credit Card account what got pounded was closed...
My bank suggested a workaround: now I use a separate ATM account that I only put money in when I want to use it, and only enough for that single transaction.
After many phone calls, and many emails with PayPal I never was able to get past the call center clerks... supervisors are "unavailable"

Peter Ehlert, post: 364712, member: 60 wrote: they (PayPal) have an option to "link" my bank account to them, but I don't trust that

I don't trust that, either. I have a credit union account linked to PayPal, but I keep very little money in it, typically less than $500. I use a credit card for all PayPal transactions.

My memory is telling me that paypal started basically as a subsidiary of ebay to facilitate payments, but the two have since become supposedly separate entities.

I have sold a fair amount of stuff on ebay. I have bought a few things there. I do not trust the majority of the sellers and should not trust a portion of the buyers.

I truly wish an online selling forum would come along and get strong enough to rattle the cages at ebay and paypal. Ebay has morphed into something many sellers are very dissatisfied with.

I have found Many sellers will accept a paper check sent by postal mail... if I ask (maybe not permitted by Ebay?) those that don't usually I skip and but from another vendor that will.
I use ebay a lot. In general it works great for me. unfortunately they are either still the same company as PayPal or maybe still closely linked. prior to their separation (a year or two ago) all was fine. when they changed is when it all went to hell.
I had several small recurring donations going with PayPal (here and other places), but those failed and required me to allow them to set their hooks deeper than I like... so now most of those donations are made by check (bank bill pay, automatic). unfortunately a couple don't provide for any method other than PayPal so I had to drop them ([USER=1]@Wendell[/USER] are you listening?)

sorry for the rant

John, post: 364716, member: 791 wrote: My memory is telling me that paypal started basically as a subsidiary of ebay to facilitate payments, but the two have since become supposedly separate entities.

They started as separate entities, but ebay bought PayPal in 2002. ebay spun off PayPal in 2014-2015 under pressure from Carl Icahn.

Oh, was he not the former owner of both eBay and PayPal?
Interesting guy.

Jim Frame, post: 364728, member: 10 wrote: They started as separate entities, but ebay bought PayPal in 2002. ebay spun off PayPal in 2014-2015 under pressure from Carl Icahn.

Thank you for the clarification. Let's see if I can update my faulty memory now 😛

BOA credit cards have the reputation to tack on these little pesky charges and assign a name to them other than their own.
Stopped using their card and maintain an account because it is would take a 90min phone call to change the auto pay on my insurance and it probably would not get done right the first time.
The few problems I've had with PayPal was taken care of, it did take a long wait to get things resolved.
Now I only use a Debit Card with Credit Card abilities, either way it is a direct pay.

All of this adds to my contentment in not having any plastic whatsoever in my name. None. If you don't want real money, you don't want my business. Somebody else will get my business.

I seemed to have more problems with little tack-on charges when I had a CitiBank card. You can contest them, but it seemed like they made me do it in writing. I now have a credit union card, and if I ever want to contest a charge, I can just call them up and tell them. They might have wanted an email on it too, but they took action immediately.

Contesting is good. The bank actually goes after them and I think I heard that it costs them (the ones who charged) time and money. The bank does all the work and the put a hold on the charge. (I know we got slightly off-topic. I have never had someone use my name on a small 51å¢ charge)

I had a charge of $1.01 by American Airlines (I flew with them once about 5 years ago) posted to a card at 11:59 P.M. on Dec. 31. I called my bank and they cancelled my card and issued me a new one before I could complete my second sentence. It was quite apparent that I was one of many...

Holy Cow, post: 364740, member: 50 wrote: All of this adds to my contentment in not having any plastic whatsoever in my name. None. If you don't want real money, you don't want my business. Somebody else will get my business.

So you don't use Amazon and never buy anything you are not touching or looking at? Would never work in a small town like mine...

I now use Patelco Credit Union and Mission Federal Credit Union for "most things" that need electronic payment and deposits.
I use Cash for 95% of my cash flow. (yes I know that Cash is also just an illusion, just little IOUs that get passed around... End The Fed!)

"So you don't use Amazon and never buy anything you are not touching or looking at? Would never work in a small town like mine..."

I do not shop Amazon or the other similar places. If I really think that is the only possible source I will have someone else place the order. That is extremely rare, however.

Buy local.

I have heard that if you have a bank account tied to the Paypal account, Paypal can close your account and seize the contents of the bank account for 180 days while they close out your paypal account and make sure any customers get refunds from that money.

Sounds like something you want to avoid.
Credit cards sound like the way to go because there is no money to seize.

My brother lives in a very remote mountainous area. It is a 2 hour drive to town. If he needs something, he orders it from Amazon prime and it shows up the next day many times (free shipping).

Kind of crazy.

I work with a person (and have met others) who don't carry cash. None. At all. Only use credit/ debit cards. Then there are times the guy at work needs cash.... then winds up going to a local ATM at a convenience store and lets his bank charge him $3-4 for the privilege of accessing his own money. This particular work guy feels that carrying cash is "safer" in case he gets robbed. Obviously has not heard the stories of robbers holding a gun to someone's head and saying "take me to an atm, you will withdraw money, now lets go to the next atm....." .... Oh, that won't happen..... (hint: it has. and people have been shot to death in Baltimore for not carrying enough cash)

My brother apparently uses his cash back credit card (gets like 2% back on Everything... yes, every single purchase). Got the impression he does not carry cash.