Mandatory preferred payment method is a big problem when using Klarna or similar payment options

[sgtrokk]

This new ebay auto payment for auctions and offers is problematic and has basically prevented me from placing bids during the last minutes on several auctions and sellers missing out on getting more for their items.

I go to pace a bid and a pop up says I cannot bid until I place a preferred payment method.

This is such a very very bad idea.

I use Klarna for practically every ebay purchase.  Many times I also get a small cash back reward for using Klarna to purchase items on ebay, however now that eBay is basically forcing buyers to place a credit or debit card as a preferred payment method and they instantly take the payment from the preferred method, it doesn't allow the buyer to use Klarna to pay for bidding auctions and making offers, nor does it allow buyers to make multiple purchases from many sellers and pay all in one lump sum payment, nor allow the opportunity to save on combined shipping.

I think this is possibly one of the dumbest things I've seen ebay do since it's inception.

I think they did this to save themselves time money and hassle die to deadbeat bidders.

I buy thousands of dollars worth of merchandise on ebay every year , however the new preferred payment method has forced me to decide to buy much less on ebay and buy my largest purchases elsewhere.

eBay of you're reading this, realize this is a big problem and it's going to gain very unpopular to reviews and videos to be posted discussing the problem 

[roccotacodad54]

Well you could do as I did and set up a small savings account to use with PayPal. That's all the account is for. If it starts to run low I just get on the phone and transfer funds from checking...easy and no credit card required and no interest paid or c. card bills to pay. Also no access to my main funds or plastic.

[mudshark61369]

@sgtrokk,

If you are using Klarna as a direct way to pay, ebay does not accept it. You can add your Klarna account to PayPal select it as your primary account and pay that way.  You still have to register a bank account with ebay for receiving refunds.

As for Auto Pay it was set up because of non payers, but ebay opted seller's into it without their knowledge in many cases.  It is not popular with buyers, but it is doubtful ebay will change that. You can tell if an auction seller is opted in to auto pay or if they have disabled it, by trying to place one bid early on to see if the popup auto pay box appears.

[ittybitnot]

You still have to register a bank account with ebay for receiving refunds.

@mudshark61369 

Why would a buyer have to register a bank account?  They don't receive funds.  I don't think a "bank account funded" payment can be selected by a buyer when using PayPal in an advanced auto-pay situation, any more than PayPal Credit or Pay in 4.

[mudshark61369]

@ittybitnot,

You can pay directly from a bank account with PayPal. Don't forget that debit card refunds are sent to the bank account associated with the card. I have no idea how a Klarna refund would be processed if necessary. 

[eburtonlab]

I go to pace a bid and a pop up says I cannot bid until I place a preferred payment method.

That only needs to be done once. After that, it will not prevent you from bidding last minute.

now that eBay is basically forcing buyers to place a credit or debit card as a preferred payment method and they instantly take the payment from the preferred method

eBay has been experimenting with allowing the buyer some time (an hour or more -- in some cases up to a week, apparently) to combine auction wins or to choose a different payment method. So in at least some cases, the payment is not "instant" at all.