PayPal vs. credit card payment vs. fake online shops

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Forums › Finance and wealth management › PayPal vs. credit card payment vs. fake online shops

Aloha

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#20459 27-Mar-2008 11:14

Hi, I need your opinions:

I am trying to purchase something over the internet from abroad (Hong Kong).

I tried to buy a product with my Visa card, but they said that Worldpay (their service provider for credit card payments) rejected the transaction and they are asking me (the online shop) to send the money via PayPal to them.

Should I be suspicious or this is normal and they are trying to avoid any credit card payment frauds?
I tried this in two different online shops in Hong Kong and I had the same reply from both: use PayPal.

I am just afraid about those dodgy fake online shop websites and I have read so many bad things about PayPal too.
How can I check if an online shop is not fake in the easiest way?

I is a kollege stoodent. Bee nice.

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tchart

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#119025 27-Mar-2008 12:33

Hi,

Im not sure what or where you read about PayPal having problems. Ive had an account for over 7 years as I buy a few things off Ebay. Ive never had a problem with it!

I also know that for payments (to online merchants) you can pay using Paypal and not even sign up for an account (ie they just handle the credit card stuff for the merchant and dont retain any of your info).

Trevor

nate

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#119034 27-Mar-2008 13:10

Paypal is your best option, as a least you have options to reverse the transaction should you need to.

No real way to see if a shop is fake, it's not hard to forge those "Certified by [3rd party provider]" icons you often see on websites.

freitasm

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#119058 27-Mar-2008 15:03

Paypal wouldn't be any different of you hading over your credit card details over the phone - if they were bad guys they would get the information one way or another then....

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Aloha

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#119096 27-Mar-2008 17:04

tchart: Im not sure what or where you read about PayPal having problems.

www.paypalsucks.com

I is a kollege stoodent. Bee nice.

gehenna

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#119102 27-Mar-2008 17:20

isn't Paypal owned by Ebay now?

Either way, I use paypal a lot. Some people use it as a type of bank just for their online business dealings. It's a great service and of all the ones that have come and gone, Paypal is still here - that has to say something.

Aloha

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#119103 27-Mar-2008 17:23

To Mauricio and others:

You are probably right and if they are the bad guys they will get my details in one way or another.

But!
I didnt tell you the whole story, the PP vs credit just one question I wanted to know, because I dont understand why someone is pushing PP that hard and doesn't accept credit card when they have adverstised both payment options.

I paid so many times with my Visa card over the internet I dont know why now there is a problem with it. I asked my bank and they said they had no problems. It was the merchant who denied my payment with credit card and forced me to pay with PP.

So let me tell you the other part of the story (maybe I will extend the name of the topic):

I tried to buy an RC heli from www.walkera.co.nz and tried to pay with my Visa card, which was denied by them and they asked me to send the money using PayPal. They said they are a Hong Kong based online shop.
Okay, I thought I will try later after my money comes back to my credit card account, because Worldpay debited it immediately.
Few hours later I've got my money back on my account.

Meanwhile searching the web I found another online store www.ehirobo.com (based in Hong Kong of course) and here comes the twist in the story.
I tried to buy my heli from them using my credit card and exactly the same happened as above. Exactly.
Looking closer at both webpages I found out that both webpage has the same design and if you click on both webpage the About us link they have the same telephone number for customer service and fax.
The twist in the story that I asked www.walkera.co.nz customer service if this website belong to them and they said: NO.
What the hell??
I asked them if they are the same company and I've got no reply.

Would you buy from them anything?

I is a kollege stoodent. Bee nice.

willnz

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#119107 27-Mar-2008 17:39

I swear by PayPal. If someone gives me the option, I'd rather pay by PayPal than handing over my credit card details to the store. I've had only two problems with merchants not sending goods that I've bought, and in both instances PayPal investigated thoroughly and reversed the charges without question.

Either way, if someone gets your card details and uses them for fraud, you should be covered by your bank anyway, regardless of the third party that charged your card on behalf of the merchant. If you're not, I would seriously look at going to another bank.

Westpac covers me for 100% of the fraudulent transaction on my titanium card - I know there are some other banks that say "only pay the first $50" or something - but why should you have to pay anything at all if it was a fraudulent transaction?

willnz

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#119108 27-Mar-2008 17:43

as for answering your actual question Aloha, if your gut feeling is to not buy from them, then don't. I'm sure there will be other places to get what you need that may give you a better first impression - have you had a look around?

Aloha

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#119111 27-Mar-2008 17:45

willnz: I swear by PayPal. If someone gives me the option, I'd rather pay by PayPal than handing over my credit card details to the store.

You don't give your credit card details to the store in this story! They use a 3rd party service provider called Wordpay (similar as PayPal) for credit card payments. Wordpay is legitimate and owned by the Royal Bank of Scotland.

I is a kollege stoodent. Bee nice.

Aloha

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#119113 27-Mar-2008 17:46

willnz: as for answering your actual question Aloha, if your gut feeling is to not buy from them, then don't. I'm sure there will be other places to get what you need that may give you a better first impression - have you had a look around?

I've had and so far they are the only ones who have what I want and for the price I want... :)

I is a kollege stoodent. Bee nice.

willnz

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#119114 27-Mar-2008 17:50

Yeah sorry, I wasn't refering to this particular case, and I do also like WorldPay. You mentioned that the funds were actually debited from your card - so obviously worldpay did accept the transaction but then reversed it? Have you tried asking them directly what the problem was?

Aloha

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#119115 27-Mar-2008 17:58

willnz: Yeah sorry, I wasn't refering to this particular case, and I do also like WorldPay. You mentioned that the funds were actually debited from your card - so obviously worldpay did accept the transaction but then reversed it? Have you tried asking them directly what the problem was?

The only info I have that Wordpay accepted my tranzaction but sent it to the store with a "warning" and then the store cancelled my payment and told me to pay via PayPal! I dont know what kind of "warning" was that. I asked my Bank and they said everything is fine with my account (fully paid btw). Neither Wordpay nor the store are able to tell me about that "warning".

I is a kollege stoodent. Bee nice.

Aloha

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#119118 27-Mar-2008 18:02

Regardless the payment issue, what do you think about two websites, which have a similar design, both selling the same stuff, both based in Hong Kong, both share the same phone number for customer service and fax but they do not know each other???

I is a kollege stoodent. Bee nice.

freitasm

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#119132 27-Mar-2008 19:12

I wouldn't go there, just in case...

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peejayw

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#119134 27-Mar-2008 19:25

Use Paypal often, never had a problem.
Have you tried googling the name(s) of the stores involved to see if anone has posted comments about them?
Just a thought.

I'm supposed to respect my elders, but it's getting harder and harder for me to find one now.

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