Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 15:26:32 -0800
Reply-To: Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: PayPal Scam phising/spoofs (NVC)
In-Reply-To: <43F62106.3000406@charter.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Having used Paypal for the past several years, I've been very happy
utilizing their services, following a few of my own instituted rules based
on other's (and my own) experience:
1. Any Paypal emails, viable or not are all automatically filtered
and shoved into a folder marked (curiously enough) "Paypal".
2. If I've had any activity of late on Paypal buying or selling, I'll pick
thru those confirmation emails and shove them to another appropriate folder.
3. The rest of the "fodder" is thrown to the trash. Like Wil Haslup, I log
in via their secure server to see if anything is up a couple of times a
month. For the past 3 months, I've had no activity initiated by me, so as
usual, any emails coming through that time period to now are
usually consigned to "file 13". I NEVER click any of those links in these
emails, period.
4. Everyone has their own opinion whether an outfit like Paypal asks too
much or not enough about personal information. Myself, I have yet to find
an area of Paypal I deal with that asks too much information that I am
reluctant to give. At least no more than what my bank or credit card
company asks of me, which is the usual standard fare. When my biz was in
operation or when buying a new car a couple of years ago, the perennial
requests from the bank or credit agency for a ton of information are
rather the fare that I've been use to and consider it "standard operating
procedure" (SOP). I do respect and sympathize with those who feel some
questions are too intrusive, but this the world we live in. We all do with
or without, base on our valued opinions, right or wrong.
5. Like Wil's suggestion, I have a checking acoount purely dedicated for
Paypal use. Very little $$ is kept in the account, usually less than $20 at
any one time. When an opportunity to buy comes up, I transfer $$ to that
account to accomplish the transaction. When I receive $$ via Paypal, I
immediately transfer the funds to another account.
In regards to transferring funds from Paypal to my bank account, I've yet to
encounter a "hitch in the get-along". Even though Paypal says (I believe)
up to 72 hours or so, I've never had a transfer take take longer than 24
hours and most times it's often less. Yeah, there's usually a fee to do
this or that, but after owning and running a biz for over 20 years, I've
come to accept there are costs in doing transactions of the monetary sort.
Hell, in some cases, wire transfers can costs up to $40 each for both the
selling and receiving party and Western Union is no bargain either (and WU
is more flaky IMHO). Snail mail with Money Orders are an absolute last
resort, and they're usually sent certified mail with a signature/return
receipt required - those costs add up. To myself, it's a necessary evil,
just like other bank charges. To others, it's an evil they don't care or
want to accept and for them, that's OK with me.
Here at Karmann Ghia Parts & Restoration/VWG/Airhead Parts, a fairly large
amount of our sales are paid for via Paypal, at least for the past 4 years.
We've yet to have a problem.
Like Wil and I'm sure others out there, perhaps I've just been lucky :-) Or
perhaps I'm just paying a bit more attention than some others. It's a pain
to live and do things "on the grid" and I'd love pursue my life "off the
grid", but I'm finding it harder and harder to do these days.
As said before - to each his or her own.
--
Jim Thompson
84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt"
73 K Ghia Coupe "Denise"
72 411 Station Wagon "Pug"
oldvolkshome@gmail.com
http://www.oldvolkshome.com
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