Buyer Popularity Crowns PayPal King, Although Not Its Seller Service
“Most well-known” among consumers doesn’t mean “most well-liked” among sellers.
Though sellers crowned PayPal most popular among their buyers, the vendor came in second to last place in an online payment services poll ranking six companies.
The survey, conducted by AuctionBytes, indicates that sellers are using PayPal as their provider because of customer adoption demand and because eBay, which owns PayPal, usually only accepts PayPal payments, rather than sellers’ admiration of its services. This sentiment is certainly expressed in comments addressing the survey’s results.
One comment posted by Phillip Cohen reads: “Guess what? PayPal came in second, last of the six, which is no surprise. PayMate came in last. Gee, what is so terrible about PayMate that it is even more disliked than PayPal. But, the real message for PayPal is that if it was not mandated on eBay, it would probably be dead in the water, and that is undoubtedly where it will eventually finish up when the rusting old scow, eBay, finally goes submarine.”
Another reader chimed in with distaste: “I ONLY use PayPal because you’re forced into doing so on eBay (of course, they reap the benefits) and buyers are brainwashed into thinking that PayPal is the best.”
Comments go on from there within the survey results themselves. Indeed, AuctionBytes reports that PayPal scored the most commentary from respondents, with many of them critiquing its high fees and poor customer service. Read the comments here. Worth noting is that the amount of comments might have something to do with the amount of sellers using PayPal. Of the respondents, eBay drew the largest percentage (77%) of where sellers sell online.
With the next race of who will win the mobile payment provider scene heating up, this survey’s message is particularly relevant. Though sellers may feel bitter toward a payment service, they will still offer it – if that’s what their buyers want.
The AuctionBytes surveyed polled 1,000 of its readers, with the majority of them residing in North America. Readers were polled on online payment services providers’ fee structure, dispute resolution process, account holds, rolling reserves and restrictions and popularity among consumers. Google Checkout placed first in AuctionBytes’ 2011 Sellers Choice Online Payment Services ratings.
