Is it just me or does Paypal not feel "real"

[BrooklynKnight]

I am the first to admit I spend too much money (be it on myself or the kids) but there are times when I see something on ebay and I think "I HAVE to have it and I will just use paypal" My paypal defaults to my checking account on purpose so I do not go "nuts" but I still tend to get the euphoric/demented feeling that everything will be ok if I use paypal.

Am I alone?

Here is an example of my latest and almost worst paypal overspend, I kept an eye on it till it got over $2000 ( I was not planning on spending that much though). Pic is too big, it was an 8x10 original signed drawing of Calvin & Hobbes by Watterson.

So confess people....

My debit card works exactly like a credit card so i dont exactly need paypal. I dont use it for amazon or stuff. But I do use it for online services that normally dont take credit but do take paypal.

Like yourself!

 

[WayneLigon]

I use it but I don't trust it at all It's useful for a few things, though, so I have a seperate bank account, not my main one, that connects to paypal and that I keep a small amount of cash in. Then I can use it for internet purchases but not be scared someone's going to clean me out through it. I never keep a balance in PayPal itself; I've heard of people getting their accounts frozen with no reason forthcoming.

 

[diaglo]

i paid $500 for the Orange B3.

 

[BrooklynKnight]

ACtually they can take money directly from the linked checking account. I'm really considering just forgoing the convinence and using MO's from now on.

 

[Silver Moon]

I like PayPal a lot better than the pre-PayPal alternative that most early E-Bay sellers required, namely a Cashiers Check or Money Order. Not only was it very inconvenient for me to pick one up given my work hours, but there was increased risk of the person just keeping the money and not sending the item.

Auction addiction is another issue altogether. I have a tendency to get carried away, so always set very strict limits from the onset that I will not exceed. Still, once E-Bay gets "into my blood" I tend to get carried away and particpate in several auctions simultaneously, which still add up despite set limits. At that point I will go "cold turkey" and avoid E-Bay if I hit a string of multiple auctions when I start to spend too much. With the sole exception of a very specific item that my father wanted for Christmas I've actually avoided making any E-Bay purchases during the past calendar year.