Seller limits buying options, refuses questions???

[alvinmoneypit]

I've been following an item.  This morning I tried to bid on it.  When I hit 'confirm', I got an Ebay message, "You are not able to bid on this item because you do not have a PayPal account or possibly have not linked it to your ebay account".   So I tried to ask the seller a question and I got the message "Sorry the seller is not able to respond to your question".   I then tried to message the seller directly and was able to do it by checking the box, "This is not about an item".  I have not heard back yet.

My questions are: Why would anyone block questions about an item they have for sale?:  Why would they block their customers by limiting the payment method?;  Is this some kind of phishing scam? 

I have had a Paypal account for over 15 years, I just haven't linked it to ebay for my own reasons.  I've never had an issue paying for any item,  is this the new policy on ebay that all Paypal accounts must be linked to be valid?

[d-k_treasures]

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@penguins_dont_fly wrote:

They should be able to bid as a guest, though.

I'm not sure, but I would think that having the requirement of having a linked PayPal account would exclude a guest from bidding since it would circumvent the seller's bidder/buyer requirements.  Of course, as I said I'm not sure about that.

____!

Guest accounts would hit the block.

If there's no eBay Account, there's no way to link a PP account.

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I don't think they will hit that block, as all of the guest checkouts, regardless of how they pay, go thru paypal.

Do you really think ebay would give up that money from a sale to a guest buyer just because of that block?

Personally, I do not have it set to require a PP account. That's because if asked, I'll always accept USPS money order or depending, a check.

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

I have read that buyers cannot bid as guests if the seller has that block set.

[creoleorchid]

That would make sense because you have to log in to bid.

[starroute-us]

@alvinmoneypit

Link your account to bid and buy the item, then unlink it again.

Many sellers do not realize that buyers can now pay as a "guest" with a CC and PP is no longer required.

They just have not updated to remove the PP only setting in their ebay account preferences.

No big deal, problem solved:) really no need to wait for the seller to contact you.

Anyway he probably would not want to add anyone to his exempt bidder buyer list for the one listing. I rarely have when asked.

When the preferences are updated/changed to allow non PP acct payments/bidders it applies to future listings, not presently running ones from what I recall anyway.:(

[alvinmoneypit]

yes, I toldthe seller any changes would not apply to this listing. It ended last night and was sold for the minimum to the only bidder, even though the listing showed 3 bids I looked at the bidders and they all appear to be the same account (same beginning and ending letter, same amount of feedback). I thought about 'verifying' the info they already have, ie my having a Paypal account. I looked at Ebay's User agreement and no section mentions verification and what they do with the info they gather ( my user name and password), which is more concerning to me than if they had a defined policy.

Bottom line: I didn't get the item and that's OK.
I would have walked out on a new car purchase last year if the dealership would have balk at me amending the purchase agreement after having paid the full amount for the car. I added, "I don't give up my constitution rights" and initialled it as they had in the small print that they and I renounce 'trial by jury', that kind of underhandedness is unacceptable and is more important than price imo.

[coolections]

You got a message telling you exactly what you needed to do to purchase that item so I do not understand all the problems you seem to be having.  It is real simple.  Link your paypal and purchase the item or move along and buy from someone else. 

[partial*eclipse]

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@alvinmoneypit wrote:

@partial*eclipse

you said,  "The linking "ping" is how eBay knows that the bidder has a PayPal account."

That doesn't ring as true to me since I started this topic,  I looked at my own account settings and I'm indeed already linked to my Paypal account - it's linked to pay seller fees, so Ebay already knows that I have a Paypal account. .... 

From another statement made that sellers can't leave negative feedback: If I don't pay, can't the seller leave neg feedback?  That doesn't seem right.

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Those are not the specific type of linking that is addressed by the site preferences buyer requirement. Yes, eBay "knows" you have a PayPal account; but no, it has not been linked   in a way that satisfied the buyer requirement.

No, the seller cannot leave negative feedback.  Sellers have been unable to leave any neutral or negative feedbck for buyers since May 20, 2008. Furthermore, if a seller files an unpaid item claim and the buyer gets a nonpayment strike, then both parties are blocked from leaving any feedback.

[oldtractorfanatic]

I was robbed on E-bay and on Pay-pal only because the accounts were in fact linked and linked to a bank as well. I will no longer "link" anything.Neither of the two assisted in regaining the monies lost and only passed the buck back and both between one another. I make purchases and it all goes through a Pay-pal server, regardless. This is merely a tactic to force buyers into linking accounts if they desire the item in question greatly. Sellers can be greedy ,ignorant and maintain very poor business ethics and there is no recourse. No brainer. Also, there may very good reasons for being able to ask a question regarding things like fitment, etc. There should be a limit to how a seller has full sway over a buyer, after all they wouldn't make any profit otherwise now would they?