Should I have a separate bank account for PayPal?


I've been using PayPal for years, with no problems. However, I've started to wonder if it might make sense to establish a separate bank account to use just for PayPal transactions.

I like the convenience of just being able to have funds for a purchase come right out of my checking account rather than using a credit card -- especially when buying something inexpensive. And I like being able to transfer the funds from a sale right into my account. Consequently, I wouldn't want to use PayPal without having it linked to a bank account.

That said, in my increasingly paranoid old age -- or is it simple wisdom? -- I've begun to imagine that something could go wrong. If PayPal is going to be able to remove all sorts of money from my linked account because of some odd mistake or whatever, I'd rather it weren't from the account I use for my living expenses.

Am I being overly nervous? What do most of you folks do?

Thanks for any advice on this.

-- Howard
hodu

Showing 2 responses by zd542

"As far as I'm concerned, PayPal is the best thing since sliced bread."

Until you have a problem. They lost over $5000 on me. And I mean really lost it and not some type of hold. The only thing they knew for sure is that it wasn't their fault. They had record of the deposit into my account from a sale, but not where it went after it disappeared. Paypal goes by the "It's only money" standard when it comes to your money. When its their money, they adjust the standard to better suit their needs. After about 2 weeks of talking to the call centre, I finally got my lawyer involved. It took him a few days, but he got me my money. After it was all over, even the lawyer was shocked. He said he finally met bigger scumbags than him. And that's saying a lot because my lawyer really is a huge scumbag. Haven't used PayPal since.