Can't use PayPal to pay for guns?!

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jlg

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I never knew this, but apparently PayPal says you are not allowed to use PayPal to send or receive payments for firearms, firearm parts or accessories, ammunition, weapons or knives.

I'm an FFL and up until today have been using PayPal to compelte 95%+ of my transactions. Then I got this email from PayPal today...

"The PayPal User Agreement states that PayPal, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to limit an account for any violation of the User Agreement, including the Acceptable Use Policy. Under the Acceptable Use Policy, PayPal may not be used to send or receive payments for firearms, firearm parts or accessories, ammunition, weapons or knives.
We are hereby notifying you that it has been determined that you are in violation of PayPal's Acceptable Use Policy regarding your sale of firearms. Therefore, your account has been permanently limited.
You will need to remove all references to PayPal from your website(s) and/or auction(s). This includes not only removing PayPal as a payment option, but also the PayPal logo and/or shopping cart. We thank you in advance for your cooperation. If you have any questions, please contact the PayPal Acceptable Use Policy Department at [email protected]."


Does anyone have any recommendations for other good venues to send and receive money? I liked the fact that PayPal protected both the buyer and the seller in the transaction.
 
What's a tried and true method for financial transfer for firearms and weapons deals?
 
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I spoke with Paypal a long time ago about this issue.

I spoke with a high level supervisor and the response I got was, " we do not want to open ourselves up to law suits by overzelous attorneys who are looking for someone to sue over something.

Basically, the thinking is, If we (paypal) allow you to use our service then if you buy a gun and missuse it and lawsuits fly, we could be named in a suit.

Since they own the company, they can make the rules as to what they will and will not do.

Not like a bank.

There are other pay services that will do guns and do so gladly.

Snoop around on Gun Broker.com and Auction arms.com and you should find some info on it.

best

Snowy
 
I never knew this, but apparently PayPal says you are not allowed to use PayPal to send or receive payments for firearms, firearm parts or accessories, ammunition, weapons or knives.
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Not exactly. PayPal's Acceptable Use Policy may be found here, and states in part:

You may not use the PayPal service for activities that:

1.

violate any law, statute, ordinance or regulation
2.

relate to sales of (a) narcotics, steroids, certain controlled substances or other products that present a risk to consumer safety, (b) drug paraphernalia, (c) items that encourage, promote, facilitate or instruct others to engage in illegal activity, (d) items that promote hate, violence, racial intolerance, or the financial exploitation of a crime, (e) items that are considered obscene, (f) items that infringe or violate any copyright, trademark, right of publicity or privacy or any other proprietary right under the laws of any jurisdiction, (g) certain sexually oriented materials or services, or (h) ammunition, firearms, or certain firearm parts or accessories, or (i) ,certain weapons or knives regulated under applicable law
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As far as I know, PayPal has never allowed their service to be used for firearm sales, but many firearm parts, firearm accessories, and knives, are perfectly acceptable.
 
Yup. PayPal and eBay are cohorts in everything, and this includes not selling or paying for ANYTHING firearm related. I got from eBay as a seller, "We follow California's laws when it comes to firearms."

I was trying to sell a pair of handgrips for an AR-15.

That's alright, I bought an EOTech 511 on ebay before they took that down. :p
 
Paypal will not allow any transactions for guns or even gun related items.

Paypal and Ebay are both extremely anti-gun.

My Ebay account was suspended because I sold a scope and mentioned in the description that I had it mounted on my AR-15. Ebay sent me a message telling me that I couldn't sell items connected in any way with assault rifles and suspended my account.

The truth is these are private companies and they have the right to impose any sort or ridiculous policies they want. So the choice is simple, either abide by their policies or choose to take your business elsewhere, I chose the latter.
 
But on the plus side, eBay and PayPal have lifted all restrictions on buying pornography and other "Adult" items and services on eBay. Now you can use PayPal to buy all the dirty movies you want, and earn eBay Bonus Bucks for doing it. Isn't that nice? :D
 
Paypal and Ebay are both extremely anti-gun.
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Once again... unless you would like to say they are racist too because you can sell or buy Native American artifacts it's best to look at the facts.

They do no allow a entire list of items to be sold or purchased on their website. They want to cover their own a** more than anything, and they'll say "no" to anything that can potentially land them a lawsuit... especially with some of the stupid lawsuits that end up on the front page in today's world.
 
Meg Whitman "now retired" was the CEO of ebay, which bought Pay Pal several years ago. She stopped the sale of firearms on ebay, "which was because she has political aspirations, as you may know she spent over 100 million, of her own money running for Govenor, of "a state that eludes me right now". But she wants to buy her way into the white house, so she made sure she distanced herself from guns, and anything to do with making it easier to obtain one. Although they still allow gun related accesories sold on the site, like holsters and optics, which I find hypocritical being that you need a gun to have a holster. It's the political nonesense of how you appear to be, rather than how you are. I think she actually may own a gun, I read someware.
 
Once again... unless you would like to say they are racist too because you can sell or buy Native American artifacts it's best to look at the facts.
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The fact is Ebay and Paypal have anti-gun policies, that's a lot different than calling them racist because they choose not to allow the sale of Native American artifact. Keep in mind that the sale of Native American Artifacts is an illegal activity, the sale of firearms and firearms related items is not.

They choose to have these policies because they don't want to face any lawsuits and because they are a private company they have every right to make that decision. Whatever the reason it doesn't change the fact that they have anti-gun policies and while it bothers some people other people completely understand. My personal view is that it's OK for Ebay and Paypal to have an anti-gun policy but they enforce it a bit too strictly. I can completely understand that Ebay doesn't allow the sale of firearms and ammo but they go way beyond that. However all the people that get turned away from Ebay end up going to Gunbroker.com and I see that as a good thing.
 
This is odd because I have and still use Paypal to buy ammo, reloading equipment and have not had any problem. I just received a box from Hodgen for powder using the paypal card and never had any problem.
 
As for the OP, there's a site called gunpal. I have no idea how it works and have never used it, but I have seen sellers on gunbroker making reference to it. Might be worth checking out
 
It must be selectively inforced since i purchased brass cartridges from "once-fired-brass" and the only method of payment they accept is paypal
 
There is a strange twist of irony in my post as I post this from my place of work (PayPal, but not in CS, physical security). I have had similar problems with another hobby (airsoft, yeah yeah) in which eBay and PayPal state is acceptable for sale and transaction. Basically it amounts to this: PayPal does not require you to state specifically what it is you are sending money for, so don't. The restriction on certain accesories deals with regulated items, as in federal regulation, itar for international items, etc. So if you must use paypal, communicate with the seller/buyer and let them know to leave out key red flags for firearm purchases and you will be hassle free. Dirty, yes, against their Terms of use, no.
 
Exactly, if someone brings it to their attention they will act on it. I am usining Ebay for over 12 years now, they just seent me a congardulatory letter, apparantlly I sold over $2000.00 worth of stuff this year. If you have stuff you think is junk, look on ebay, it may suprise you to see what people pay for other peoples junk. Old cameras, records, or even clothes. I got out my Vynal collection, that is next. Old records, one old album, "they sent me the name of", went for $1,500.00. Just a rock album. nothing earthshaking. But holsters I have bought many. And cheap. $2.00 for an uncle Mikes #2. Where are you going to see that?
 
As for the OP, there's a site called gunpal. I have no idea how it works and have never used it, but I have seen sellers on gunbroker making reference to it. Might be worth checking out
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Be very, very careful. Last I heard the FBI had labelled this company a Ponzi scheme. There is a sticky in the feedback forum with links to more information in it.

I have no personal knowledge of how Gunpal/GPal is run, but I've seen enough to stay away.
 
I've used Paypal several time to pay for gun purchases....just didn't ever include the specifics of what is was for. The key is to be very discrete.
 
DO NOT USE GPAL/GUNPAL.. myself & many other dealers have been frauded out of thousands of dollars by gpal. They still run a website & claim they have fixed the cash transfer problems but dozens of dealers are still waiting for payment. Some have been waiting for months. AuctionArms.com was allowing gpal to set up payment buttons on the auctions, then had to issue warnings regarding payment problems.. GunsAmerica.com also sent emails warning dealers not to use gpal for payments
 
I sell my handgun safes on EBay as well as my own site. I haven't had any problems with them other than I dont like them holding my funds for up to 21 days per their policy. Also it costs me more in fees EBay/Paypal when I sell an item there.
 
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