PayPal
You should definitely pay attention to this
Consumers should be careful with PayPal payments
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Many rely on the PayPal payment service when ordering goods on the Internet. There is one thing that consumers should consider as a matter of urgency.
PayPal is one of the most popular payment services when it comes to ordering goods in Internet shops, classifieds portals and the like. However, consumers should be careful. In many cases you will not see your money again if you fall for a scam that is widespread.
Watch out for friends option
The payment service does offer buyer protection and fraud protection, but this does not always apply. If an order does not reach the consumer or the goods deviate significantly from the description, for example if you receive used goods instead of new goods, PayPal will reimburse the purchase price and shipping costs.
However, this protection only applies if you choose the option “Send money for goods and services”. With the “Send money to friends and family” option, neither buyer protection nor any seller protection offered by PayPal apply. The service itself warns: “If a buyer or seller suggests using ‘send money to friends and family’ to pay for the goods, you should decline […]. “The function is really only intended for a transfer to acquaintances, for example if you have bought something together and the boyfriend or girlfriend has advanced the amount in full beforehand.
The trick: Fraudsters state, for example, that they would like to use the friend option because the alleged seller does not incur any fees in this way. But if you transfer the money in this way, in the worst case it is gone without the ordered goods ever arriving. The Hamburg consumer center also warns: “So if a seller insists on ‘sending money to friends and family’ to pay for his goods, be suspicious and don’t get involved!”