hi ella   I too have just recently joined Paypal because I wanted to buy something on e-bay.  It was a simple procedure to join and it is linked securely to your Bank Account.  I don't have a credit card, just a debit card.  I have been told that Paypal is one of the most secure ways of paying for goods online and e-bay keep tight controls and security features to protect people who use it.  I ordered two little cigarette rolling machines from e-bay but had to join Paypal to obtain them.  I was a bit miffed tbh as I just wanted to pay via my Debit Card, but I couldn't and had to join Paypal.  It was fast and effective I have to say.  Good luck.

If you sell on Ebay then only send the goods to the address verified by Paypal.  Never agree to send them on to someone else because it's been bought as a 'gift' or something.  You're then, and only then, covered by the insurance scheme.  Otherwise, you run the risk of the infamous 'chargeback' mechanism.

Daniel....EBay is like a Shark tank to me so I won't be selling at all and am not even sure I would buy there either.


Twee.....did you have to send funds to paypal first to purchase your things?  I do see the paypal logo on loads of sites so it seems very trusted and widely used.  I'd rather have a Debit card but my bank don't want to give me one of those *cry*

I have used Paypal for many years and have never had a problem with them.  I don't see any drawbacks, great system.

Oh right.  Yeah, I use Paypal to pay for things outside of Ebay too.  Usually one-offs from companies I don't know and don't want to trust with my credit card details.  It's great for that.

Once the bank account is verified, the money comes straight out when you buy something (a bit like Switch/Maestro).  They back mine with my credit card too for some reason.

I've never used Paypal for anything else other than paying for things bought and sold on Ebay. I've never had any problems *Touchwood*

You don't need to transfer funds into your paypal account before buying something, paypal will take it from your bank account.

I've only ever used paypal for Ebay. It's really easy and safe to use.

Ella .. I have a debit card.  I used this to sign up with Paypal.  I am not sure if Paypal will take funds directly out of your account, thereby bypassing the need for a Debit Card.  Maybe another FM can answer that question.  When I gave my Debit Card details I had to tick a box that asked if it could be linked to my Bank Account.  I said 'yes' because I couldn't see how my Debit Card would work without my Bank Account details .. where my funds are stored!  Once I set it up, it was easey peasey from them on.  I do feel that it is a very secure way of buying online, like DanielJ said, and it is considered one of the safest.  But also note what Dan says about addresses, as you lose some rights that way.

Hi Ella

I use paypal all the time .... I use it to pay for anything I buy off Ebay .... pretty simple to set up & once it's done it's so easy to use

I've never had any problems at all with it & I've been using it for well over a year now and quite often too

Paypal's alright.  When it does it's job it's dead efficient and affords a good degree of protection.


I did travel 200 miles to Leeds once though to drop 2K on a bike - only to have my account fail on me when I got there. 

i use it for ebay and i've never had any problems  * chucked my tuppance worth in*

You'll need more than that for the Ebay fees!

Also, Ebay and Paypal never ask for password confirmations by email and you should never sign in through a link in an email.  They're classic phishing techniques as lots of people have Ebay/Paypal accounts and scammers love them.

I have been using paypal for over 4 years now, mainly for ebay, but have since used it with a few other purchases on the internet.

I have it linked to my current account and my debit card, usually do instant bank transfer. It goes out instantly and shows up on my bank statement as  paypal and the sellers name.

I will always use it as its a way of protecting my purchases as we are covered to claim back on false, faulty items up to the value of £500.

When you sign up for the first time, they will make 2 payments into your bank account and you will have to clarify to them what those amounts were and then you will be up and running..

I used to always use PO or cheque before I got paypal for e-bay and only once had a problem (Hong Kong purchase, should have known better), but always made sure I bought from a trusted seller with shitloads of good feedback (apart from Hong Kong man) Wouldn't do it now though, paypal all the way baby!

Their customer support is brilliant too.

Tis brilliant But mind out for Danjays subject. One has to be secure.

Thanks for all the replies....I've signed up and just waiting on the two deposits now to get rolling This could be a very bad thing comsidering I'm a spendaholic lol but at least it's my own money I'm spending!

Paypal's great - but it's so easy, you'll need to keep an eye on your spending.