Viva la revolution!
To me, Paypal has it’s purpose…just tobacco isn’t one of them.
Or you can not mention Tobacco at all on the Paypal form and use “gift” instead. It worked for me While ordering from some Dutch windmill place.
@Roderick: Hear, hear! I have the exact problem with ebay (paypal is easy enough to deal with). I think their policy toward tobacco products is absurd. After all, we are all here to make a few dollars, let’s cut the moral crap and let capitalism runs its course.
Well, we are letting capitalism run its course. Both PayPal and Ebay are private corporations that have decided to not permit the purchase of certain items with their services. This is their choice. I do not know of any government mandate that does not permit for the purchase of tobacco products through ebay or with payment through PayPal. As private entities, they have exercised their right to self-regulate what they allow to be sold or what they allow money to be sent for.
I’m not sure they have the “right”. They fear litigation that someone would hold them responsible if someone should happen to get tobacco that shouldn’t. Should they be held accountable if this occurs? Its a gray area, in the law and they are avoiding dealing with it by issuing a blanket policy. However, there is also a case to be made against them in the courts for what they are doing in hindering business. A class action law suit could make them sing a different tune, but these things cost money. Also since they have no direct competition, there is a case to file anti-trust suits against them.
@cstokes4 You’re quite right. It’s also the choice of consumers to not use a good or service made by or run by a company who’s corporate culture doesn’t mesh with theirs. It’s why I’ve been boycotting Kellogg’s, Sarah Lee, AT&T and Disney for years.
So does this mean that stores like Target could be sued because they do not sell tobacco? I doubt it.
@Mr_Snuffy: Boycott away. Just because I feel that they have the right to run their business as they choose, does not mean that I like their choice.
cement trucks are really heavy and have huge tires. I especally like the thingy that spinds around.
@cstokes4 I certainly wasn’t disagreeing with you. In fact, quite the opposite. Companies are definitely entitled to support causes that their CEO’s or board of directors feel are important. Keeping my pennies away from companies that offend me isn’t going to bring them to their knees, but at least I can sleep a little easier knowing that they didn’t get any richer from my hard earned pay.
@ cstokes: I’m saying that if you have limited options to pay for an item that you legally have the right to buy, but a private party stands in your way, and essentially says, “you can’t do that here”, but that private party is your only means of conducting a transaction, then there is a case for both suing for loss of potential revenue, and trust-busting for having a virtual monopoly. Target does not have a monopoly, its not really relevant. Paypal and ebay pretty much do. Government issues legal tender (cash): all other forms of payment are equivalants of that. If $20 cash is worth $20 everywhere but worth 0 dollars on paypal, you have a private corporation stating they will not accept legal tender, even though they are not the direct recpient. Who are they to decide such things? They have no authority other than the power of marketing. That’s too much power for a bank to wield, because they are interfereing in our private lives. Their stated pupose is to facillitate e-commerce. E-commerce is a very new area, and escapes a lot of our traditional laws in many ways. In time such things may get worked out. Laws in many areas have a hard time keeping up with technology, such as digital downloads and so forth. It doesn’t make me right, I’m just saying its a gray area, and gray areas are decided in courts. I could easily make the case for them and the status quo as well, as you are doing as I see their point of view.
So, PayPal allows cigars to be bought/sold, but not snuff? I know several cigar sites that openly use PayPal.
That would be very curious indeed. I’m not familiar with their policy, really, but that would add to the case since its discrimination.
I definatly think you could get them on not allowing a person to use their service based off of their e-mail address.
and its really neat how the concrete comes out the tub and down the shoot.
I think Premium Parrots brings the real issue to the table. I think what he is trying to say is that PayPal and Ebay are the large cement truck. They are so full of concrete that… wait what? Premium Parrots can you clarify?
He’s stating that this is mildly off topic, and I agree, but I also agree that paypal sucks.
I know. I am just stating that Premium Parrots is NUTZ! Oh… and paypal sucks indeed.
Come on now. Please don’t judge me because I’m stunningly beautifull and utterly bright. Besides concrete trucks don’t even travel that fast.