Pay Pal, anti gun?

[quartermaster]

I sold some dies to a guy on Ebay a few months ago and he didn't want to use PayPal to reimburse me. He claimed that they are are big anti gun supporters. I was thinking that there may be some truth to it, as Ebay won't let you list much of a selection of reloading items except for tools.

I was just wondering if anyone had any info to verify this. I see many FS posts on this forum that except Pay Pal. If in fact they are anti gun supporters, possibly we should all consider other means of payment. I personally try to avoid them, being as cheap as I am, to avoid their usage fee.

 

[Derek Zeanah]

Paypal pretty much meets the definition, yes.

 

[OARNGESI]

Theyll close both of your accounts for using it for anything related to firearms

 

[Pilot]

Yes, they are anti-gun.

I forgot that you can't use them for firearms transactions, and sold a gun to a guy, and accpeted Paypal for payment. They closed my account, and put me on "probation", and I had to call them and explain it was inadvertant.

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

it would be more accurate to say they are anti litigation.

 

[armoredman]

Anti anything firearm or firearm related - shut down a raffle I was doing for a holster, a piece of folded and stitched leather. Won't ever use them for anything again.

 

[dogtown tom]

OARNGESI Theyll close both of your accounts for using it for anything related to firearms

Not true. Only certain firearm parts and accessories are prohibited. Anything with "AR" is subject to scrutiny for example.

I've been selling parts, grips, holsters and stocks for years with no problems.

cassandrasdaddy it would be more accurate to say they are anti litigation.

This.

armoredman Anti anything firearm or firearm related - shut down a raffle I was doing for a holster, a piece of folded and stitched leather....

You getting "shut down" had nothing to do with a holster and everything to do with using PayPal for a raffle........you didn't read their policies did you?

6.involve gambling, gaming and/or any other activity with an entry fee and a prize, including, but not limited to casino games, sports betting, horse or greyhound racing, lottery tickets, other ventures that facilitate gambling, games of skill (whether or not it is legally defined as a lottery) and sweepstakes unless the operator has obtained prior approval from PayPal and the operator and customers are located exclusively in jurisdictions where such activities are permitted by law

 

[Old Fuff]

My experience with Pay-Pal didn't involve guns, but it was so bad I quit them outright. If I am buying something over the 'net that doesn't take credit cards, or requires Pay-Pal I ask the seller if they will accept a Post Office Money Order - which usually the will. If they won't I go on to something else.

In my view Pay-Pal is a racket to get money into E-Bay's own inhouse bank.

 

[USAF_Vet]

I've bought and sold firearms related items via PayPal.
I sold a muzzleoader and got paid with PayPal. All done without a problem.

 

[Cesiumsponge]

Ebay bought paypal years ago. If you're going to boycott Paypal, might as well boycott ebay too (unless the convenience of ebay outweighs the lengths you're willing to go on political stances). I never understood why people on ebay bitch about paypal's gun stance. It is one in the same.

 

[JohnM]

The reason I won't use Ebay any more.

 

[Zach S]

Ebay bought paypal years ago. If you're going to boycott Paypal, might as well boycott ebay too (unless the convenience of ebay outweighs the lengths you're willing to go on political stances).

Done. And done.

I've lost sales on other boards, for car parts, because I wont accept paypal. I've also missed deals because the seller insisted on it.

 

[chieftain]

Ebay bought paypal years ago. If you're going to boycott Paypal, might as well boycott ebay too

Haven't used either for years.

Supporting folks that actively work against your interests is not smart. The term Karl Marx used for folks who worked with them/him to destroy their own rights and country was/is "useful idiots".

It applies to much these days.

Go figure.

Fred

 

[rellascout]

Ebay and Paypal are both have relaxed their restrictions on gun related items last time I looked into it.

Ebay now allows most gun parts with the exception of recievers and magazines with a capacity over 10.

Go onto Ebay and do a search.

 

[armoredman]

Oddly enough, dog, I remember them shutting me down with threats of suspension and frozen account over the fact that it was a FIREARM accessory. This was a few years ago. This led me to the worse disaster of GunPal, where it took me slightly less than a year to get my money back.

 

[rbernie]

Paypal and eBay are California companies, and as such both reflect the social fabric of their locale as well as the laws of their locale. That's not surprising, and it's certainly not personal.

it would be more accurate to say they are anti litigation.

I think this is the best summary. Do their policies support the RKBA? Nope - not at all. But it's not specifically about being anti-gun; it's about wanting to be a viable business in the state of California. Their policies will likely change over time (for good or ill), as the political and legal climate changes in California.

If that's onerous to you - then it's probably best not to use them in any way that furthers their corporate goals (e.g. allows them to make a profit). I, and many like me, make that choice on a daily basis. Other choose to use them, and so long as they stick within their published rules they will likely experience few issues.

This led me to the worse disaster of GunPal, where it took me slightly less than a year to get my money back.

And that was an example of something that probably WAS personal - somebody purporting to support the RKBA who was by all public accounts also fleecing many of his customers.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

There should have been no problem with those reloading dies.

Transactions involving firearms and certain firearm parts have been against their TOS for years. Are you just now finding this out?

In my 2008-9 firearms selloff, I sold a number of accessories (no firearms) via PayPal, and they greatly facilitated those. That included some members here.

 

[rellascout]

I agree with Cdaddy that the reason Ebay and Paypal did not take payments for firearms related stuff is fear of litigation. This is the same reason that craigslist does not allow firearms to be listed.

However much of the info and comments being made in this thread are not up to date.


Run a search on Ebay http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...&_nkw=1911+magazine&_sacat=See-All-Categories

1600+ listings for 1911 magazines most if not all of them will accept paypal for payment.

 

[dsb1829]

I've not had any issue buying gun parts and have been paid for a firearm I sold. Maybe I was just under the radar.

 

[25cschaefer]

The founder of Paypal, I assume before it was bought by Ebay, is a libertarian. In fact he is working to develop floating libertarian communities in international waters. Ebay and Paypal are definitely anti-sue-me.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I've not had any issue buying gun parts and have been paid for a firearm I sold. Maybe I was just under the radar.

For the firearm, you were.

 

[rellascout]

I've not had any issue buying gun parts and have been paid for a firearm I sold. Maybe I was just under the radar.

There are ways to get around the rules. People often leave off the details of what the payment is for.

 

[Derek Zeanah]

There are ways to get around the rules. People often leave off the details of what the payment is for.

Or ask you to call it a "gift" to avoid fees, which also removes all protection that might have existed otherwise.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

People often leave off the details of what the payment is for.

Or use clever euphemisms.

 

[rellascout]

Or ask you to call it a "gift" to avoid fees, which also removes all protection that might have existed otherwise.

There are really no protections. If you read the terms and conditions you will quickly find that their role as a third party payer leaves you every little recourse outside a Ebay transaction.