Accepting Money from "Friends Paypal" ?

[totschrei.livejournal.com]

I am in a bit of a standstill at the moment and need some advice.
Right now Customer X is trying to purchase an Adoptable/Hatchable of mine and requested I noted them my paypal and information.
I agreed, maybe they wanted to keep it for record. Well, in the note AFTER i give them the details they said the money is coming from their Friends paypal.
Shocked and a bit nervous I refused their payment and as professionally as I could told them I was not comfortable with them using a Friend's paypal.
They send me a note with a bit of a sob story about how it has their bank account and it is their account just a friend set it up for them with their friend's email.
Now I am at a bit of a sit-still. I feel bad for them cause they really wanted it and it is only a small amount of money.
But at the same time I am really really not comfortable with this person's lack of personal use paypal. What should I do?
They begged me to reconsider and I said I would put the adoptable on hold until I thought about it. Which is Why I came here. I am in serious need.

I hope this won't be in the line to long. I really do not want to keep them waiting to long as well as figure out what I should do.

Edit: WHOOPS BRB changing it ms paint messed it up
I blacked out their name but to give those an idea why I am so sketchy about this.

Edit Edit: http://i.imgur.com/spjgIUi.png
Here is the edited version! Sorry about that. x__x

Comments

[celestinaketzia.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't do it, as it sets you up to be charge backed under "fraudulent purchases". While the amount may be small, it's still a hassle to have to deal with all that. If this person wants to do business, they're going to have to get their own Paypal or other form of payment method. If they can't, then it makes me wonder if they're a minor and not even legally able to enter into contracts anyway.

[klokworkanatomy.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of wondering why it's set up under their bank account but the friend's email, too. That seems iffy.

[mistresswolf.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I am wondering this as well. If it is PersonAs bank account, why would PersonB set it up under their email and not PersonAs? Or at least, once it was set up the email address could have been changed on it.

I'd be wary of it too. I am ok with shared PP accounts between spouses, but friends is a bit too iffy for me, unless I also speak to that friend and it is clear what is going on.

[klokworkanatomy.livejournal.com]

Plus you can have more than one email attached to the same Paypal account, so there's no reason to not have Person A's email attached and why it would have to come from Person B.

[totschrei.livejournal.com]

It is their wording that concerns me the most. Not necessarily the using a friend's paypal thing.

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

I personally share a paypal with my husband so I don't see it as too much of a problem I suppose?
I can definitely see some issues that might come up, but nothing all too different from what can come up in any paypal transaction.

[celestinaketzia.livejournal.com]

Spouses sharing finances is a bit more regular than letting a friend log in and use an account. Spouses may keep the same bank accounts for both people for a number of reasons, but it's a bit more fishy in this case.

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

I understand that, I honestly shared my account with him long before we were together. I probably should have clarified that, actually!

[thaily.livejournal.com]

I've used my friends' creditcards because I didn't have one, as long as the friend is aware of it being used, obviously, I don't see what the issue is. I guess in this case the friend should just ask them to buy the adoptable for them and then pass it on to the friend-with-no-Paypal.

[wuvvumsoc.livejournal.com]

Maybe they can ask their friend to transfer that money to their paypal first? The fee for a transfer to your friends and family is supposedly low.

[poto-heart.livejournal.com]

There is no fee for gifting money to friends and family. Or at least there wasn't last time I did a transfer that way. That's why it's so against Paypal's TOS to send payments that way, you're skipping out on the fee entirely.

[celestinaketzia.livejournal.com]

The sender pays the fees instead of the receiver. Which is why it is still against Paypal's ToS. Sellers are not allowed to make buyers pay the fees.

[poto-heart.livejournal.com]

I just double-checked, there's no fees unless it's an international transaction or the sender is paying from a debit/credit card rather than from their paypal account.

Which maybe is what we're talking about and I just got confused haha

[celestinaketzia.livejournal.com]

Paypal has had that stipulation that if you sent it via your Paypal balance there are no fees for many years. It happens regardless of what mode you send it.

[poto-heart.livejournal.com]

Idk if I'm understanding what you're saying - that they're lying about that? Because I'm looking right now at some money I sent as a gift to a friend the other day and they didn't charge me a fee...?

[celestinaketzia.livejournal.com]

Err

Regardless if you send something as a "good/service" or "personal" there are no fees charged to you so long as you use your Paypal balance. So if you have $20 sitting in your Paypal and you send $15 to someone via "good/service" they will get exactly $15. No fees.

[poto-heart.livejournal.com]

Oh, I see what you're saying. But I'm not sure you're right. If that were true then there would be no difference between the two methods of payment, since the ACH fee for personal payments with credit/debit card is calculated using the exact same percentage and flat fee as the transaction fee for goods and services payment.

P.S. I think we're getting really off topic and it's not helpful for OP, so here is a link (https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/helpcenter/selfhelp/article/?solutionId=FAQ690&m=SRE) to where Paypal describes their fee practices, maybe I'm misunderstanding them. It's true I haven't taken any goods/services payments in awhile but I was always charged the fee for them as far as I remember.

[celestinaketzia.livejournal.com]

It was stated on the Paypal page for years, and I have to keep track of my fees for tax purposes. At the risk of sounding off via text, I am correct. :)

The difference currently is that the gift option removes the person's ability to issue a dispute should there be an option. Before the gift option avoided fees entirely, but with Paypal's update within the past year, it has moved the fee to the sender. (Unless sending from the balance.)

Re your edit: You are correct, but please don't backseat mod. If you'd like to discuss it further, you can PM me.

[teekchan.livejournal.com]

I have purchased commissions and vice versa from other Canadians and there is ALWAYS a fee unless its sent via gifts, regardless of it being from a paypal balance or a card.

[wuvvumsoc.livejournal.com]

As far as I know it's against the TOS to use the "gift" option to pay for goods and services. I do not believe it's against the rules to send money to someone else so that they can pay another person.

[poto-heart.livejournal.com]

Ah yeah, I didn't mean to say it's against the TOS to do what you suggested.

[acosmicrose.livejournal.com]

If they said they were sharing both accounts I might be okay with it. It depends on how they word it and what your customer said raises a few questions. It sounds like the customer is a minor but I won't assume. If you're uncomfortable with making the transaction then don't do it.

[totschrei.livejournal.com]

I added a screenie (blacking out their name) to show their wording. Which is what worries more then using a friend's account.

[acosmicrose.livejournal.com]

Yeah, judging by the wording I would be uncomfortable with that as well. It sounds desperate, like they're trying to make you feel bad unless you accept this offer.

If you still wanted to make the transaction then let them know you want to confirm it with the holder of the Paypal account. But if they say "oh don't worry, I told them already" and basically don't work with you on it then I would decline it altogether. If they have nothing to hide this shouldn't be a huge deal to them.

Hope everything goes alright with this.

[gatekat.livejournal.com]

Have whoever owns the paypal e-mail contact you. If their friend is really okay with it it shouldn't be an issue for them to okay it. No sob story needed.

Just am e-mail saying 'hay, I'm sending the money to pay for (account name)'s adoption of X'.

[ctk-hullo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this should work. I've been in this situation a couple times, and always had contact with the payer before receiving anything.

[slinkslowdown.livejournal.com]

+1

I've had friends do this in the past because they were buying the adoptable as a gift for me.

[intj-reflection.livejournal.com]

It would never have occurred to me that being paid from a friend's account was an issue. The client's story makes me suspicious for other reasons, but if someone had just told me to expect payment from X account it wouldn't have startled me.

In the past I've paid for commissions that a friend or partner had ordered as a present to them. That way they're the one working directly with the artist, so there is no confusion about desired content of the piece, and I'm not stuck as go between. At the same time, those people had their own accounts and weren't claiming their bank account was connected to my email. O.o

[mazzy techna (from livejournal.com)]

don't , It sounds very fishy , I did use my husbands paypal for a while but that is a Spouse , this is a friend it is very much not trustworthy

[aerotheacrobat.livejournal.com]

I actually do this a lot with my best friend. Like, I want something and he pays since he always wants either art from me, we're taking turns buying both characters of ours, or I have an unactivated Steam game he wants. Though, the people I buy from 99.9% of the time know us since I buy from the same people often and I always ask first to see if they're okay with it. I've never had an issue with anyone minding we trade who buys.

That said, that story was odd and unneeded. So maybe ask them to have the friend e-mail you from that paypal address to say "Yes, it's okay and I'm paying." so you have proof of them being okay with it and possibly sending an invoice to be better protected.

Though, above all, trust your gut. I go by the motto "When in doubt, get the heck out." when it comes to commissions. If I'm not okay with anything, tone, lots of notes, fishy activity, ect. I just refuse.

[zaulankris.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't touch that, but I make fursuits so the sorts of payments I get are in the hundreds and I'm extra-paranoid.

I once tried to sell a custom head to someone whose spouse was allowed access to their PayPal, and that ended in him opening a fraudulent charge on me because he didn't like my prices. Not exactly the same scenario as yours, but still. Too many hands in the cookie jar!

[teekchan.livejournal.com]

I'll have friends buy me stuff all the time, because they want art from me. Instead of having them send the payment I'll be like 'Can you buy me a comm from X instead?'

But generally, I'll tell the artist and I'll give my friend their email, and they pay, then I'll inform the artist. It's not fishy at all.

The fact that he claims his bank is tied to his friends account IS fishy though. Why?
I'd do as suggested above and have the friend contact you for proof.

[totschrei.livejournal.com]

It is more the wording that worries me.

[teekchan.livejournal.com]

His insistence that it's fine is quite fishy. I usually just say 'Hey, a friend will be sending payment, here's their email' Or, I let the artist know it was sent.

But using emoticons in business transaction isn't very professional, as a bit of advice for you.

[westly-roanoke.livejournal.com]

My girlfriend does this for me all the time. Especially earlier when I didn't have an active account attached to my Paypal.

I do think it's odd that their account is attached to the paypal though... I'd ask them to have the person who owns the account contact me. If it's no big deal, that shouldn't be a problem.

[sableantelope.livejournal.com]

Speaking purely from my own experience DON'T DO IT.

I had to file a chargeback and got roped into hearing the friend's sob story and a whole mess.

I did get my refund but ended up with an enemy who has held a grudge for months now just because his friend ended up running his paypal into the negatives(because of my charge back)

At least this person had the decency to tell you they were doing this upfront so you could make a decision based on that.
I didn't know about the friend until things went sour.

So I'd say, no. Unless you are willing to deal with the owner of the paypal directly as well- ie: not them communicating their consent through the one wanting to buy from you.

[poto-heart.livejournal.com]

There are a lot of reasons a person can't have a Paypal or might find it difficult to get a Paypal. That doesn't mean you should accept a form of payment you're not comfortable with.

You could offer some other ways for the client to pay (like will you accept a money order maybe? Or you can put a third party between yourself and the iffy paypal - ex. they can pay you by buying something from your Amazon wishlist.) Chances are they aren't going to get a Paypal account just for this transaction.

[torch-tiger.livejournal.com]

I can only think of 4 reasons.
1: Too young. (Not good stay away)
2: Lives in a country that Paypal doesn't serve.
3: Doesn't have a credit card or bank account. (not the case here)
4: Banned from Paypal. (Not good stay away)

[hidden-kyuubi.livejournal.com]

The whole "it's a friends, don't email/contact it!" Is SO iffy, I'd do ti anyway and ask the email address if they really have permission.

[thejackaolf.livejournal.com]

Yeah that's what gets me, but at the same time I have a email -just- for my paypal and I rarely check the email account on its own, so I would typically tell people to use my main social email.

that said the amount of force used in it "omg dont!" sets off red flags.

[hidden-kyuubi.livejournal.com]

Very much so, reminds me of a kid in school being all "I didn't finish the project because my mom had me doing ___, no wait what? Don't call her to prove it, believe me!!"

[snobahr.livejournal.com]

"So don't send anything to that paypal address" says "I'm using sombody else's money for shit for myself, and fuck you if that person turns around and complains to PayPal."

[aerospiritual.livejournal.com]

I've used other my friends' Paypal and credit cards before in the past, but that was with expressed consent, and they personally contacted the artists/sellers to inform them as such, but this situation in particular is really, really sketchy and I would honestly blacklist them as a customer until they can provide concrete proof that it's okay with their friend to be using the account. i.e. the friend vouching for them.

[tealmoonxiv.livejournal.com]

Sounds a lot like it's a minor.
Tell them to get their friend to send an email, as others have suggested. Otherwise don't do it.

Also you might want to cut back on the amount of emotes you use, they can come off as unprofessional.

[puddingpaw.livejournal.com]

I think you did the right thing to not accept it.

Sounds a bit fishy. I say go with your gut!