As of: March 23, 2024, 10:00 a.m
By: Carina Blumenroth
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Buy things and simply pay the money for them online.
You can do this for free using the “Friends and Family” feature on PayPal – but it’s not advisable.
Buy something quickly and pay conveniently and easily via PayPal.
This may sound quite practical for some, because on the one hand they save themselves the hassle of typing the IBAN and on the other hand they don't have to have any cash in their wallet.
However, if you purchase products and want to pay for them using the “Friends and Family” feature, this may be problematic for you.
Be careful with the “Friends and Family” function: no buyer protection for you
With the PayPal app you can send money quickly and easily.
You shouldn’t use the “Friends and Family” feature for everything.
© Claudia Nass/Imago
You have agreed with the seller, the product of your choice will be sent to you, the price is good, you should pay using the “Friends and Family” function, then the package will be sent.
Sounds good at first and some sellers certainly have no bad intentions.
With this function, sellers avoid PayPal fees.
However, there may be disadvantages for you as a buyer because you have no buyer protection whatsoever,
Consumerzentrale.de
informs .
This can be a disadvantage for you if you do not receive the package and cannot contact the seller.
If you then contact PayPal, you will not be able to do anything because you did not transfer using a secure payment method.
The result: PayPal cannot help you and you lose the money.
What can I do if I've fallen victim to a scammer?
According to the consumer advice center
, it always makes sense
to report the case to PayPal.
To do this, enter the process number.
Sometimes the company manages to block fraudulent accounts.
If this is the case, you may still be refunded the purchase price.
You can also file a criminal complaint with the police, for example if the sellers no longer contact you.
Aside from the payment functions, you should generally always protect your data; this can be done, for example, with two-factor authentication.
Would you like valuable money-saving tips?
Merkur.de's “Clever Save” newsletter always has the best money-saving tips for you every Thursday.
“Pay for an item or service” – for music and other products
If you want to download music, pay for a service or purchase other products, you should select the “Pay for item or service” function.
These are considered “eligible payments” and are covered by PayPal buyer protection,
PayPal
informs on its website.
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What you can use the Friends and Family feature for
You can send a restaurant visit, cards that were also ordered or other small amounts with a clear conscience to acquaintances, friends and family using the “Friends and Family” function via PayPal.
There are no fees for this within the EU,
informs
Chip.de.