Paypal fees?

[korsetkoat.livejournal.com]

This has already been been discussed in this community before- who should pay the fee, the commissioner or the artist? The general agreement seems to be, factor paypal fees into your initial commission price to cover it, because it is the artist who should pay the fees and not the commissioner, as by PayPal's TOS. However, there are many artists I've met who do not seem to have read/know PayPal's TOS and their prices are not factored for the fees.

What should a commissioner/artist do in a situation where, a commissioner sends money thinking an artist has factored in fees, but in fact hasn't payed what the artist was wanting (i.e., an artist wants 4.00$, they only get 3.58$)? It seems like one of those situations that could get ugly if not treated with care. Which is why so far I, as a commissioner, have been paying fees most of the time when buying a commission.

Would the artist have the right to withhold artwork until the full fee has been paid? Or does the commissioner have the right to the commission because it is the artist's own hindsight and ignorance that got them out of some money? I haven't had this situation myself yet but I feel as though this kind of thing will happen at one point or another. Is it a courtesy for the commissioner to send more money despite the TOS or should the artist, well, just suck it up because it is due to their own ignorance of the TOS?

Edit; I suppose the easiest solution for an artist who will not give you art until you pay more money is to open a dispute.

However, let's say you told them all this but they ignore your warning about the TOS. Should you report someone for breaking the TOS by making your customers pay the fees? Is there even a way to do so?

Comments

[keeote.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't use Western Union's Wire Transfer service even if my life depended on it. The Post Office System within Australia is Government-owned and we have our own internal Money Order system for use only within the country's States and Territories. Post Offices here offer a wide range of international payment methods - the Western Union Money Order is just one of them. I really only listed that as an example because it was the first thing that came to mind when I pay somebody within the US when I don't use Paypal. For ease of mind I would also probably suggest US buyers use Checks, Money Orders, whatever the United States Postal Service offers.

The only real reason so many people use PayPal is because it is instant and convenient. I'm not sure what the United States offers in terms of Direct Bank Deposit so I can't really comment there.

Western Union Money Orders being an option to give money to people of the US has absolutely nothing to do with Western Union having a strangle-hold on Australia's monetary industry. That'd be absolutely ridiculous. Banking within Australia is Government legislated and we have own internal system which is different to the United States - that is why you cannot bank a US-Made Cheque in Australia and vice versa.

Western Union has been abused so heavily by ill-intended people so I can understand your nervousness and speed in calling it scamming. That doesn't mean that all the services they offer should immediately be discreditted as scams.