PayPal Alternative? - What's your opinion?

I hate Paypal and have been screwed but it is the best solution I know of.

There is a way to use Paypal with no fee, not an echeck. Using the Personal transfer tab on the send money page there is zero fee for either party. You must have the funds in your Paypal account...not bank transfer or cc. I have not paid a fee in a very long time.

There was talk a ways back about Google starting a similar service but I guess it has gone away. Too bad because I am pretty pleased with everything they have done so far.

I just talked to Paypal, and here's what I learned:

1) To qualify for Seller's protection, you must have records of shipping and proof of delivery - and keep them for YEARS. Local pick-ups and in-person deliveries do not qualify (this is stated in the Help section of their site as well).

2) As others have mentioned on a'gon, if a stolen credit card is used to pay for the goods, the credit to the seller's account can be reversed, and the seller has no other recourse but to find the buyer and try to collect through the legal system.

#2 pretty much leaves the door wide open and basically there is absolutely no security. I contacted Paypal because I knew I was about to be scammed - am selling some wheels and the buyer offered more than the asking price, was a Malaysian (he claimed) on assignment to the UK, and would send a moving company to pick the goods up... How obvious is that scam... And this is the second time on the same item... another buyer claimed they could not talk to me on the phone because they are speech impaired.

Wire transfers appear to be a lot more secure for a seller, as it shifts all risk to the buyer. But I am not sure I would want anyone out there to be in possession of such personal information either, for identity-theft purposes.

Hhhhmmm, I only use Paypal for one-time credit-card payments. They have no access to my bank account but relented and let me use my c-c through them. No fees, no horror stories and my bank account is safe. At least from Paypal.

Am I missing something here?