What just happened to accepting Paypal?? looks like they are trying to drive us away

I already have done that twice of late in my "other" hobby.

Here I made two sales last week, both times I ended up just sending the buyers a direct invoice via my PayPal account. Easy enough especially as you can reference the listing id and everything to make it nearly ironcast.
But still not as fluid as it was or should be.

No way am I letting a jumped up entity like PayPal force me into creating a business account.
They can go jump first...….

I sold an item on ebay last year for a little over 2K, never used them for an item over a few hundred bucks. I was in shock to learn I had to ante up 10% of my sale to Ebay just for their commission.

My guess is Agon may be looking to go that route with different options in handling their transactions to increase their kickback.

Just a guess, but I don’t see any other reason to stray from what has been working.

This is all unfortunate. I have had a few issues with Paypal in the past, and it seems that now they are tightening the noose once again. Let's go back to money orders and bank checks as one other poster suggested.

EBay has been 10% commission for a very long time.
Up until about 4 years ago they had capped max fees to $250 so anything over $2500 sale it was $250 and no more.
Then they got even more greedy and raised that cap to $750 so items up to $7500 pay full 10% commission.

Not a bad scam for a few dollars worth of servers, few programmers and some customer service agents.

The problem is that Audiogon is forcing their customers to use paypal.  I don't like paypal and in most of my previous items I've sold here I didn't use paypal.  I accepted personal checks, cash (for pickup) or cashiers check.  If a buyer wanted to use paypal, then I would accept it.  However, if you try to list an item on audiogon for sale now, you are forced to use paypal business.

Well, first, I am not (I repeat not) a business.  It is not true to claim that I am.  Second to register on paypal as a paypal business you have to put all kinds of information on there.  Business address, etc.  You are a private party that is trying to sell something. That is it.

Third, most times a buyer agrees to purchase an item I'm selling and then comes by to pick it up.  I always connect the unit for sale, let the buyer listen to it using their music if they like and then they pay me in cash and leave.  They know that the unit looks and works as advertised. But if they do that and pay me with paypal, they can take the unit home or  where ever, damage the unit and use paypal to get their money back, when they are the ones that actually damaged  the unit.

So, paypal only protects the buyer not the seller.

What I am saying is 1) I am not a business, 2) why is audiogon insisting that all sellers have to use paypal?, instead of check or cash transactions?  especially if you physically pick up the unit from my home.

There is something else going on here.  I just sold a piece of equipment a few months ago (upgraded my turntable), and accepted a personal check. Now, I can't do that?  makes no sense.  The seller is at risk when a personal check, cashiers check, is used.  not the buyer.  

enjoy