Wow...a young'un :)

Not so young but from the time I was 10, I have always taken dogs to be groomed. And since we lived in a small apartment in New York, we were anything but Uber rich.

Actually, if it weren't for Paypal, eBay would not exist. 99% of the sellers on eBay would never be able to get their own credit card account and processing terminal. I had a homebased business for twenty years. In 1992 when I founded my company, most credit card processors wanted to take 5 to 7% of the sale and then there was a lot of stipulations to even get an account. I found only two banks in all of Baltimore that I was able to get an account and at only 2% because I had a brick and mortar store for ten years beforehand.

Without the ability to accept a credit card, a buyer would have to get a money order and mail it to the seller and hope the letter arrives and the seller actually sends the item, and hope there is no dispute. That would seriously curtain a lot selling. By having Paypal anyone on eBay can accept credit cards.

Paypal is no different than Amazon, you put your credit card on file. Except if you have a dispute, it first goes to Paypal and they will settle it in favor of the party that was wronged. However, if you don't agree you still have the ability to go to your credit card company, so you have double the protection.

Another way this helped eBay get started was 20 years ago, many people still didn't have credit cards, or some people don't qualify and they don't want to send a money order. Your account with Paypal you can put money into the account or connect your checking account. So you can avoid ever having to send money through the mail and you con't need a credit card. This is why Elon Musk is so rich, he started Paypal. I find many other companies accept Paypal as well. I just bought a birdhouse from a website and they accept Paypal. Rather then going and getting my CC and giving them the info, I just select Paypal and it's all done.

If you use PayPal with your credit card as the payment rather than your bank account method you're covered by PayPal OR your credit card company. eBay and many other sellers not even using eBay take credit card but use PayPal as their payment processor which is why you are covered. Been selling and buying on eBay since 1998 (1400 100% positive feedback) with maybe 2 buying problems but they were all resolved immediately and without hassle by eBay. Even if PayPal doesn't you can then still dispute through your credit card. Even PayPal and eBay says you can do that but if you do you give up their protection. As for your friend, if there was tracking saying the item was delivered that would be a problem but it would be a problem even with a credit card. If there was no tracking then PayPal/eBay or CC would likely find for the BUYER. The biggest complain now about eBay is that 99% of the cases are settled in favor of the BUYER whether deserved or not. I can personally vouch for that as a seller.

And PayPal split with eBay in 2014.

I recently read the PayPal terms regarding credit card purchases, and I agree that they now allow you to dispute credit card charges with your bank as if you purchased directly from the seller. That was not always their policy. But, I'm a little confused as to why the eBay sellers don't just accept direct credit card payments, and why I would ever allow PayPal to "arbitrate" a payment dispute when I can dispute the charge with my bank and have the full dispute protections provided by Federal law. I make almost all purchases with a credit card for this reason. So, why does PayPal even need to have an arbitration policy for credit card purchases? Also, when you purchase something on eBay, do you get the manufacturer's warranty on the item? Call me skeptical.

I saw on the news a tiger contracted Covid-19 from the zoo keeper. I don't have any of those degrees you mentioned but that tiger is still sick but thankfully will recover.

The first paragraph of my post #18 would of told you, that for a homebased seller to get a credit card account is almost impossible. You think you can just start taking credit cards for sales? What would do with the numbers? You need an account, as Ringo said, that don't come easy without a brick and mortar storefront. In all of Baltimore i only found two banks that would give me one, and only because I had previously owned a store with an account for ten years, if not for that, I would of not gotten an account. That's why I said eBay would not exist without Paypal. Would you buy from Amazon if you had to send a money order to the seller everytime? Same difference.

You use Paypal for the dispute because as the previous poster had said, 99% of the time, the buyer wins. It's done within a couple of weeks, they know the situation, they know what's going. Your CC company is still there as a backup, but with them, you need to call, wait for a letter to arrive, fill out the letter and then submit and then wait probably 30 days for a response. Time consuming at least.

Why does Paypal need a policy, why not, it's money changing hands for a product. If it were a perfect world, you're right, they wouldn't need a policy. Just think of everything in terms that you're familiar with, Amazon, it's no different, just the words are different and you have an extra layer of protection. Amazon doesn't guarantee your transaction, you need to go straight to your credit card company right away with Amazon, no backup such as Paypal.

The answer to that would be probably 80/20 NO unless the seller was either an authorized reseller for the product or the manufacturer itself which can be found on ebay. Things like an iPhone, YES because they go by original registration date but some manufacturers don't want you to buy off eBay because the sellers would undercut their "authorized" outlets. I just bought a new sealed iPad Mini for 1/2 the retail and had no problem with Apple warranty when activated. Remember, eBay is basically a "flea market" and just like a brick & mortar (so to speak) flea market you find lots of stuff there that is new but wouldn't be covered. Then there is the grey market stuff (cameras, TVs etc). Original manufacturers won't warranty it but well known and highly respected stores like B&H tell you up front it's grey market and THEY warranty it. Depends on what's worth more to the buyer, cheap price or warranty. If you are looking for brand spankin' new with full warranty you need to do your due diligence on eBay or pay the piper at a retail store. I'd check with the actual manufacturers website to see if they cover eBay purchases. MOST will say NO.