Payment Methods for Online Purchases

[Python]

Since it's just about fall (my favorite time of year), I am in the market for a few new hats. I spent some time looking at the recommended Online dealer's web sites and choose about 3 hats I want to buy. Unfortunately for me, these Online hat stores don't take Paypal.

I sent them the an email asking how one could pay for the hats via Paypal and the response was, "we don't take Paypal". No one asked how they could set up a Paypal account to accommodate my request. I have been buying items Online for years and have built up a pretty substantial cash reserve in my Paypal account for Online purchases. That's where my cash is but I discovered that the vast majority of Online hat stores won't take my money.

Quite a number of folks (particularly on this forum) are trying to get "modern" society to start wearing dress hats again but I suppose we need to also work on the hat stores who run Online business to get with the modern world and accept Paypal as a method of payment.

Is it just me? Am I asking the unreasonable?

Regards,
Jim

 

[scotrace]

Get a free Paypal debit card. Slick as cow slobbers.

You can then spend your Paypal funds anyplace that takes a card. Online retailers, or the local Target for that matter. Complete access to your funds on your terms.

 

[indycop]

Camptown hats takes paypal! And adventurebilt I believe.

 

[epic610]

i usually pay with just....

a regular debit card and have never had any difficulties. i know, the one time i do might cost a lot, but i have this naive faith in the online purchasing systems.

 

[StanleyVanBuren]

I don't find it difficult to move money from my paypal account into my bank account. It's free, it just takes a couple of days. That's the way I'd go.

 

[John in Covina]

Gift cards like AMEX

You can buy a preloaded gift card like an American Express. Just besure to use it quickly as the can expire or lose value if not used in time.

 

[LEUII]

Aren't those expiring gift cards just a riot :rage:

What a con.

 

[homergeg]

Get a free Paypal debit card. Slick as cow slobbers.

You can then spend your Paypal funds anyplace that takes a card. Online retailers, or the local Target for that matter. Complete access to your funds on your terms.

What he said! Plus you get 1 1/2% back for purchases you make with the card! Just make sure they run it as a credit card, not a debit card.

 

[fatwoul]

I had this problem with Noggintops recently. The guys there were very helpful and did their best to find another way for me to pay (I wanted a hat care kit lol), but in the end I had to just give up.

As a UK inhabitant in a world of almost exclusively American and Australian online hat shops, PayPal is much easier since the currency conversions are in-built. What's more, since I don't have a credit card (and have no intention of getting one!), I only have a debit card for online transactions. It works fine domestically, but for overseas purchases it's usually not accepted, so I use PayPal from the same account.

 

[Doh!]

While I do have a PayPal account, most of my online purchases are made with a Visa credit I keep with a low credit limit for online use only.

 

[Python]

Thanks for the ideas! I'm going to look into the Paypal debit card. I made a deal with my wife a long time ago that I could spend anything I wanted on my toys (hats, musical equipment, photography equipment, etc) if I only use the money I have in Paypal and not use a credit card. It's a pretty fair deal for me as I have a lot of very nice toys and never hear any complaints

Regards,
Jim