Sending Paypal as gift is not allowed at TCC. Despite the fact that we have posted this many, many times and it is listed as prohibited in our site rules we are still seeing requests for Paypal as a gift almost everyday... and these requests are often coming from established members.

Paypal is a company that provides a service, a service that they charge for. If you are going to use their service to purchase items here at TCC, you are expected to pay to use it. You would expect no less if you were providing a service for someone.

Effective immediately, any request for Paypal as a gift will result in a suspension of a minimum of 30 days.

Spread the word to your fellow TCC'ers, because pleading ignorance will not reduce the suspension.

Thank You,
Michael

I think why it pops up so much here is members from other sites where it is allowed just copy and paste their for sale list, and never take that out. So fellow TCC'ers that are on other sites be sure to delete Paypal as gift out of your copied post from other sites.

Yea I do see this a lot. But for newer members maybe a first time warning?

But for the people that are here a lot, should know better!


Plus there is no protection for the buyer if something goes wrong!

I absolutely agree! Suspending a new member for something they truly didn't know was against the rules will likely just end up in them not coming back after the 30 days is over. Now, don't get me wrong, I understand something has to be done when you're having to repeat yourself over and over, but when you're running a public forum rules such as this should be circumstantial.

On second thought, I guess I would tend to think a suspension even for new members was ok if there was a clear message sent to new members of how/where to find the rules. Or perhaps this particular rule is one that should be added to the "Marketplace Guidelines", so that all members HAVE to at least have it on their screen before they can post in the different marketplace forums.

I have to agree with both points made. I believe that maybe if a person has five or under trades give them a warning. Ten or under trades fifteen day suspension. Over ten trades then suspend them for the full thirty days. I believe it needs to be a step process or we ARE going to lose a lot of new members.

I was kinda meaning like if they have only been here a couple weeks or a month thats new to me. Because with the step type thing, there are some people that have been here for year or more and have never done a deal or only a couple! But they are far from new! Maybe a little window on the home page like the little stat tracker thing above the new topics, that says "Paypal gift is against TCC rules" because everyone see's the home page! Or is there a way to send out a mass PM to everyone on the site that explains the no gift thing?? That would be a real way to go! And maybe a new email to all new comers as the come on! Seems like a easy thing if there is a way to mass PM everyone?

Some good points made, but I want to be very clear about this...

THIS IS NOT A NEW MEMBER PROBLEM

If it was, we wouldn't be handling it in this fashion. We are having this problem with established members, some who have been warned in the past. Some have been warned multiple times.

Out of the last dozen or so members I have contacted about this issue only one was new.

Well, it's just my opinion but 1 warning should be enough. I'm sure it didn't simply "slip their mind". Maybe those guys should have already received a lengthy suspension. Especially those who have been warned multiple times.

Thanks for clearing that up for us, though. I know you definitely didn't have to, and it's much appreciated. Being a new member myself though, not too long ago, I know I would have been turned off pretty quickly had I received a suspension for something I didn't even know was against the rules.

Agreed, which is why your suggestion of welcome email is a good one.... one that we are definitely looking at.

That being said, as a Team member, it is very frustrating to keep repeating ourselves with members who know better. In one recent thread we had two members (not Team) give the person a heads up about Paypal as a gift and he continued to ask for it. That is just plain disrespectful.

Point, aim, fire!!

Yeah I know whenever I see someone asking for Paypal gift I let them know that it isnt allowed on here. On a transaction on another site someone wanted to pay me as a gift and I pm'ed him and told him that just send it regular even before he sent payment. Guess what he sent it as a gift. If I am asked to pay gift I wont I will add another dollar or so to help fees but I wont gift.

Yea if people are warned more then once or twice, they just don't care or cant read! Both are sad cases.

The easiest resolution for this is for members who are selling to build the fee into their pricing. Bump it up a buck if you want the buyer to pay the fees. It is as simple as that. It is a factor of taking paypal payments.

Yep same as shipping! Thats why if I want $20 for my card I will say $22 dlvd. That $20 for the card $1.50 for the shipping and $0.50 for paypal, which most times will cover it, if not I will eat the quarter!

That might not be a good idea. I would think that would be a pretty big choking hazard!

I guess I kinda left that one wide open!