Fee to pay Ebay invoice. Is this correct?

[shacklestore]

I've being charged international fees by my bank to either pay an Ebay invoice or for using the Paypal gateway. The invoices are in AUD and that is the currency I used tp pay. However I wasn't aware that when payments are made locally to Ebay using the Paypal gateway they are actually credited to an overseas account and any fees are passed on to the customer.

It seems all rather convoluted but I learnt this from my bank when I queried some odd debits. My main concern is that it doesn't seem to be mentioned anywhere by Ebay or Paypal though I could be mistaken and was hoping someone may be able to point me to the related section?

Ebay has rejected my email stating that I must use the Ebay contact form. However the only option they will allow is a direct chat session with an Ebay rep who as usual hung up when they realised my question was outside of their standard script. It's rather tiresome this hanging up game of theirs.

Thank you

[pennyforum14]

Sorry, I am confused, further up you said you didn't use your Paypal account?

[digital*ghost]

I believe what the OP is trying to say is that they used PayPal as a guest, to pay their eBay fees (credit card is the only way to use PP as a guest).

I haven't seen any disclaimers from eBay re: their billing and international charges (that's not to say there aren't any, but I haven't come across anything like that), I just know that when I pay mine, it goes to a USD account registered in Hong Kong (meaning I pay in AUD but the account accepts USD only, I think... )  So the payment may well count as an international transaction even though the currency conversion would occur at the receiver's end. 

I avoid it entirely by using funds in my PP account to make periodic one-off payments, so I never pay one cent more than the AUD amount. 

[shacklestore]

That's what I'm looking for. There doesn't seem to be any information anywhere regarding fees being charged for paying the invoice or that the payments are actually going to an international account when everything presents as being local.  There must be some info but where?

[shacklestore]

Sorry I don't mean to drag out this thread but that's what happened. I was logged into my Ebay account and Ebay provided for payment of my Ebay fees through an embedded Paypal gateway. Yes I paid using my CC as a guest but the issue remains that at no stage anywhere is there a mention that it's an international transaction. Everything presents as local.

[davewil1964]

Maybe set your Paypal account up as a premier account. Costs nothing.

Maybe attach your credit card to Paypal/eBay.

[lyndal1838]

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@shacklestore wrote:

Sorry I don't mean to drag out this thread but that's what happened. I was logged into my Ebay account and Ebay provided for payment of my Ebay fees through an embedded Paypal gateway. Yes I paid using my CC as a guest but the issue remains that at no stage anywhere is there a mention that it's an international transaction. Everything presents as local.

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Some credit cards treat ALL paypal transactions as international transactions and charge you an International transaction fee....that has nothing to do with ebay or paypal.

[typhoon4u]

I think you might be on the money there.

It's an CC/bank issue rather than paypal/ebay. 

Ebay and paypal have no control over what your bank/CC (Same institution?) charge you.

Perhaps if the CC was linked to your Paypal this would not happen but I'm not sure.

[lyndal1838]

Typhoon, all the GE Money cards treat all paypal transactions as an international transaction simply because paypal is a US company. 

[shacklestore]

The issue remains that there is no way of knowing whether a transaction will be considered international or not. If an invoice is issued in Australia, in Australian dollars and a payment is requested in Australian dollars then you would believe that it is an Australian transaction. Imagine using your credit card at Woolwoths to pay groceries and being charged international fees because it's processed by Visa?

Anyway thank you all for your posts and response. I guess this isn't widely known or obvious as the posts seem to indicate.  

[lyndal1838]

You do not understand what I am saying......we are talking about a PAYPAL transaction here, not an ordinary Visa transaction.

Is your credit card (Whether Visa or Mastercard) issued by a mainstream bank or is it issued by GE Money or whatever they are now called?  If it is issued by GE Money then they treat all PAYPAL transactions as international transactions.

When I first started on ebay I had my old Coles Source Mastercard attached to paypal.   As soon as the first payments started showing I found I was being charged an international fee for payment in AU$ to AU sellers.  When I rang I was told that is standard....all payment made through PP will attract an international fee as PP is a US company.

I very quickly took my card off paypal.