Ridiculous Buyer Fees - Please Advise!
Hi
I have used PPH for many years now, both as a buyer and a seller. However, I am disgusted that I recently got charged £40.60p in buyer fees, when as far as I was aware, I should not be paying fees as a buyer, except transaction fees.
£40.60p is not an acceptable amount for a transaction fee, so after searching through the terms and conditions on the website, I notice for debit cards or PayPal (which I typically use when buying from a freelancer) the buyer fees are as follows:
£0.60p + 5% (transaction fee) + 5% (service fee)
For starters, no payment provider charges fees this high, so PPH are clearly abusing this for their own financial gain. However, my main query is in regards to the service fee. Can someone explain to me what this is, as the terms and conditions state that the only charge to buyers should be a transaction fee. I expect to pay higher fees as a seller (as this is how PPH should be making their money), but I should not be paying fees as a buyer.
I would be happy to pay via bank transfer and wait the additional 3-5 days to avoid the transaction fee, but I still need to pay the service fee no matter what payment method I choose.
If I just deposit my PPH account with funds up-front via bank transfer, do I avoid all fees or does this service fee still apply then? This isn't really what I want to do, but it is either this or I will need to stop using the site altogether if they continue to charge buyers in this way.
Thanks
Michael
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Official comment
Many thanks for your suggestion. I will pass it on to our product team.
Please let me know if I can help you with anything else.
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Hi Kelly
Thanks for your reply.
This post was asking a question, rather than making just a suggestion. Are you able to answer the question I asked:
"If I just deposit my PPH account with funds up-front via bank transfer, do I avoid all fees or does this service fee still apply then?"
Thanks
Michael
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Yo Michael,
this is what happened, you missed this episode :
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Thanks Mohammed
Just taken a look at your other post, which appears to answer my question (seeing as PPH Support seem to avoid answering the question). Thanks for sharing this.
So if I deposit funds into my PPH account before hand using bank transfer, then use this to pay for work from freelancers, I will then avoid the service fee.I will make sure I do this from now on. However, out of principle, I will look to switch back to sites like freelancer.com. It is unfair and unacceptable for buyers to pay
I will make sure I do this from now on. However, out of principle, I will look to switch back to sites like freelancer.com. It is unfair and unacceptable for buyers to pay fees when sellers are already paying as well. It is purely money grabbing and I will take to Twitter like others have to make the public aware of their practices which do go against UK law in regards to payment transaction fees.
Thanks again for your help.
Michael
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Yes you will avoid the service fee or the transaction (it's the same 5%), but it was free, they added 5% only when I complained about the 10%.
BA transfers were free, whenever anyone asks why 10% they respond use bank account it's free use it, people are like : we are asking about the 10% not BA trasnfers, PPH answers free break down : 5% transaction fee and 5% service fee, bingo ! bank account has now the service fee
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Ahh, yes...I read this in your other post. Seems very unfair and funny how their support team has avoided all questions related to this.
They need to review and deal with the complaints coming in, else I can see them loosing a lot of business due to their attempt to abuse the service and take money that shouldn't belong to them...all from us customers who have been loyal to them after many years.
Michael
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It works that's why they do it, this exactly what Upwork did. 20% fees green greed itself.
Making freelancing like rocket science, service fee what service fee, I mean in the past freelance was like begging not in terms of income but status, now it's a privilege for both sellers and buyers.
For seller is like : you making money huh, happy and free let's rip you off, on the other hand if you are unable to earn sth, either you have to pay or get the funk out.
For Buyers : we found you the right guy to do your job, you should pay for that, while if any problem happens -they will blame the seller- can you imagine you pay 30 pounds or so for NDA , 50 pounds for talents gerbil (scout)...
Similar #$% will collapse sooner or later, it is heading towards real eSlavery now.
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I have done the same and am currently waiting for funds to clear? I object to their charges, but had a chat with my seller about them. Apparently they are charging 18% charges to them to sell. I think that although I really like the clean site I will start to look at alternatives because of the level of charges applied to sellers. Even 5% on credit cards is way too high and above what the company is being charged for their merchant account, (it will be around 2%) and next year the EU will be bringing in regulation to make this illegal.
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