Gift Payments and Seller Fee Etiquette

[bluerose9978]

It definitely is the seller's responsibility to pay the fees. I just don't understand why this topic keeps coming up! I have NEVER asked a buyer to pay the fees and I have NEVER asked a buyer to send as a gift. It leaves them unprotected and I don't want them to feel any way unsafe in a transaction. I have lost money selling bait ponies cheap, but that is the price of doing business in my opinion because I do this as a hobby. I make it up later selling some rarer ponies and it all balances out. And when buyers chip in a little bit to help the fees, that is just a bonus to me. I never expect it, it's just a nice thing that some of them do and I really appreciate it.

Sellers just need to suck it up and pay the fees. It's the price of doing business.

[partypony566]

If the seller has it posted to cover paypal fees as well as shipping there should be no question who should cover it. If its a big sell I don't mind paying the fees. But when I sell I don't charge gas or bubble wrap, tape, packaging, tracking, ect. and everything else that costs to mail. I don't mark up the prices to cover the fees because to me it just sounds "hidden or sneaky" I let the buyer know up front what to pay to the exact penny. I don't care if it is sent as a gift but prefer the fee just be paid to cover both parties. I do the same for others that I buy from too. Im happy to pay the fees when buying something that don't cost a lot. I think a lot of people don't sell because of the fees included & I don't blame them.

The part I bolded is a very good point. I NEVER charge for that stuff either and often end up out of pocket because of that so forgive me but if I start charging buyers for a bubble mailer, my address labels, printing and bubble wrap its going to double the cost of your pony.

[NovelNerd]

Mm well  I do charge for supplies because I honestly don't think I should have to be out if that. Now if I have good boxes and bubble wrap I can use then I don't. If I have to buy new supplies though I do sit and calculate how much each thing is, but I also have it written down that I charge for it. I've never charged for gas since I only visit the post office one day a week (it's close to 20 miles sooo gotta make it count). I figure though if people don't like it they can just buy from someone else.

[MikeysGrrrl]

I think I can understand why the topic keeps coming up, everyone seems to have a different opinion on how it should be done. Some sellers are up front about fees etc..., others aren't.

I would say for the first 5-8 purchases I made on here, I was asked or told that it was my responsibility to pay the fees or to pay as a gift. I do remember requesting that sellers send me an invoice, some did (which gave me paypal protection, no worries about whether it's a gift payment or not) and some just ignored and kept saying if you're interested then send the payment to this ____________ email address.

I actually didn't know any better, I never knew that I wasn't covered if I paid as a gift until about 6-7 weeks ago.

I think I just automatically started paying that way because I was told by so many people to do so.

I really did find it quite confusing in the beginning lol.

Now I have a better understanding of how everything works.

As far as supplies go, my husband and I buy and sell on ebay regularly, not to mention all of the ponies I've bought on the arena, so we have tons of boxes, bubble mailers, bubble wrap etc... we NEVER factor in shipping supplies, time etc... but that's just us. We also don't drive, the post office is a 15 walk/5 minute bike ride from our home, so we don't pay extra for that.

[kaskurgi]

Yeah I just stay away from people that ask to pay as gift or those that ask to cover the paypal fees. Unfortunately have encountered this the same as Barbed. Get towards the end of sale then "Oh pay as gift or pay my paypal fees." I usually just say no thanks. I have also seen people post it in threads about paypal fees and I just skip them. I try to use recycled materials as well so I tend to not charge for supplies UNLESS it really needs a lot of thick big bubble wrap then I factor that into the price. I tend to go to the post office when I get a few orders to save on gas or when I am driving by so it's not really money out of my pocket that way.

[Doedeardarling]

Well, I've asked a buyer if they could cover paypal fees a couple of times I think, and that's because as a buyer I'm almost always asked myself. I don't really mind either way, but I feel it would be better if there was a rule or a guide line about this here in the arena, so no one would be the one to pay all the fees.

[NovelNerd]

Well, I've asked a buyer if they could cover paypal fees a couple of times I think, and that's because as a buyer I'm almost always asked myself. I don't really mind either way, but I feel it would be better if there was a rule or a guide line about this here in the arena, so no one would be the one to pay all the fees.

I used to ask for fees from the buyer as well, and I did it because for the same reason sooo many others in transactions here aske me to cover them. I even stated in my topic that I needed buyers to cover them, so I'm guilty of the same actions. Then it was pointed out to me in Paypals rules you're not supposed to ask a buyer for fees. It's specifically in there.

I'm not innocent. I'm bad about skimming or doing the whole "well everyone else is doing it, so it must be ok." You think I would have learned by now at my age to pay attention.

I don't think it's a topic that necessarily needs clarification since it's in Paypals rules then as a seller don't ask people to break the rules. I've heard of people reporting sellers for asking buyers to pay fees. Now I don't know what Paypal does about it or if it's a valid reportable offense for them.

I just know if it's an item that I hate to lose fees on I add it before hand. If I'm doing a pick up or a favor for someone I do expect them to cover fees just to be polite.

[Rhubarbpie]

As a buyer and now a seller, I'd like to put my 2 cents in if I may?

When selling, I do not ask for the buyer to either send as a gift or cover the paypal fee's by adding on and extra pound or so.  I believe it is the sellers responsibility to cover any selling fee's (ebay/paypal/what ever) and packing materials.  If you feel the price of your pony does not cover these fee's and costs, then raise the price of the pony.  If this raises the price so much that no-one wants to buy it, perhaps you need to re-evaluate how you pack your pony!!

As a buyer, if a seller asks me directly to send as a gift or cover paypal fee's, I usually wimp out and pay it (albeit begrudgingly) whilst making a mental note to watch out for this buyer again. If this has not been specified, I will send the payment as normal, especially if its the first time I have bought from the seller or if they do not have much feedback.  If the seller is one I am on good terms with having bought from before, or had good communication with during negotiation of the sale, then I may shoot them a gift payment, cos I like and trust them.  Also I do have some friends who will do me favours from time to time, such as purchasing a TRU/Target/Walmart exclusive on my behalf, all of these payments will be send as a gift, and they'll usually be rounded up so a purchase worth $14.99 will get $20 sent over so they can get a blind bag or 2 on me

[kitkatvintage]

Before the Arena moved, there was a sticky at the top of the Sales & TS forums warning against sending payment as a gift. It would be nice if that could be reposted since asking buyers to either send as a gift or pay fees has become such as common practice now.

I've always taken the fees as part of the privilege to use Paypal & get the money quickly & easily. Fees are the sellers responsibility. I've had more & more sellers expecting me to pay fees when I buy. If I really want the item, I may give in & pay the fees, but it's a definite strike against doing future business with that seller. When I see "add x% for Paypal fees" in a sales post, I usually stop reading right there. More often I've had sellers ask for extra money for fees after we settle on a sale price & shipping amount. I've walked away from a few sales at that point, and can think of a few others that I wish I'd walked away from.

[Skeen]

Agreed, KKV.  As a general rule, I don't pay a seller's fees.  I might once in a while if I need their item for a project, but I will put that seller on my personal blacklist after doing so.  YOUR PP account is YOUR responsibility.  If you're not getting enough money from the sale of your item to net what price you were after, raise your prices.  Don't tack on a price after and expect me to pay for your bubble wrap or gas to the post office.  That's like asking the grocery store to knock off a percentage from your total because you had to drive to get there.  You want the food, you pay for the gas to get it.  You want to be a seller, you pay the fees to be one. 

I have asked for payment as a gift if I am doing someone a favor (i.e, not making a cent, like picking up exclusives or something), but I have never and will never add on a fee to sales like that for my time or gas.  If I can't spare the time or gas to help someone out, I won't offer to help in the first place. 

[SilverRains]

I never send the money as a gift. It's not that I'm inherently distrustful, but it is important to me that my purchase is recognized (and covered) by paypal as a purchase. That's the whole point of the system.

Almost everyone I have bought from asked me to cover the paypal fees, and I think that's silly. If they knew exactly how much the fees should be, they should increase their price by that much to compensate, not tell me after I'm already interested in purchasing it at their listed price.

Like others have said, though, I'm happy to cover the fees myself if the seller doesn't make a profit from the transaction. It's just polite to do so, in my opinion. They already went through the trouble of getting and shipping you something, after all.

The worst part of that, to me, is that the fees are not very much to begin with. It seems silly to me to be so particular over 60 cents.

[STLGusty]

I buy much more than I sell...but on the rare occasions when I actually have extras TO sell, I don't ask for PayPal fees to be covered.  I'm pretty scared of giving people the right shipping price and all that...so I just price the pony so shipping is always included. - and I guess that'd include any PayPal fees.  Of course, like I said, I rarely sell, so I usually forget there ARE Paypal fees until I see them, lol.  Stupid me.

[BlackCurtains]

Don't tack on a price after and expect me to pay for your bubble wrap or gas to the post office.  That's like asking the grocery store to knock off a percentage from your total because you had to drive to get there.  You want the food, you pay for the gas to get it.  You want to be a seller, you pay the fees to be one.

So much this.

I have sent payments as gifts to people I've done business with often or who I trust, but that's my choice to do so. I don't like being asked or worse, told to send it as a gift. Lately, I have been adding a little extra to the final cost, rather than send as a gift as I don't like how Paypal words it now. But again, that's at my discretion. It's not my responsibility.

[Oneleo1]

I have no problem asking a buyer to send payment as a gift, but will not force them to. If they are not comfortable sending as a gift, then I do not require it or ask them to cover the fees.

As a buyer, if the seller's feedback is stellar, then normally I have no problem sending payment as a gift either.

[MikeysGrrrl]

I just want to clarify that if I ask a member to do me a favor like purchasing an exclusive or whatever for me, I always pay the fees and I always send as a gift. I've only dealt with 2 members in that sense, but both had great feedback and were super sweet and wonderful to work with, I would do it again in a heartbeat

Otherwise I prefer to not send as a gift, even if the member has stellar feedback, it's protection for both parties.