Credit Card protection on Ebay

[scoobydooby]

I'd like to bid for an item which will cost in the region of �300 on Ebay. Have only ever spent the odd �20 here and there before and I'm scared! I have a Paypal accound and can pay by credit card. However, I do not pay for additional credit card protection. If the worst possible thing happened and the item was faulty etc. what would I be able to do to ensure the seller took it back and refunded me? Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that but you can't be too careful........

[Catso]

You get the basic credit card protection without paying any extra for it. The extra payments are usually for repayment protection insurance.

There's always some risk but...

If it were faulty, and you couldn't get a refund from the seller, you would have grounds to claim against, firstly, Paypal, and then if they let you down, the CC company.

[Ethel]

Sadly, Catso is mistaken,.

S.75 of the Consumer Credit Act does make the credit card liable for purchases over �100 if something goes wrong, but there must be a direct relationship between the seller who accepts the credit card payment, the buyer who uses the credit card and the credit card company which is used by the buyer and accepted by the seller.

When the card is used in a Paypal transaction, there is no direct relationship between the credit card company and the seller. So the credit card company has no legal obligagion to refund. Some credit card companies offer this protection as part of the terms and conditions, but you must check before you rely on it to fund a dodgy eBay purchase.

http://www.early-warning.org/viewnews.php4?id= 75

The additional credit card protection is nothing whatsoever to do with this sort of transaction.

I suggest you google reputable companies and see if you can buy the item at a similar price directly from a reputable store.

However, if you are determined to buy from eBay, make sure that PayPal's buyers' protection up to �500 applies to that seller.

[Catso]

As Ethel will have looked it up, it is undoubtedly true that is the legal position.

However, in the past I have heard of people getting refunds from the CC when Paypal let them down. It seems the CC companies have discovered a 'get-out'.

I wonder why Paypal try so hard to make you use a debit card instead of a credit card...?

And scoobydooby, Paypal's buyer's protection is very dubious - don't regard it as any sort of guarantee you won't lose your money. If you're in any way doubtful, as Ethel suggests, see if you can get it from an alternative source, and get the benefit of the consumer protection laws.

[Catso]

PS See here.

[scoobydooby]

I don't think I'll buy from Ebay after all...........doesn't seem to have the bargains it used to anymore anyway!