Quadrille - 1:27 am on Dec 5, 2008 (gmt 0)

More secure for them, not for you.

If you are a member, they have access to your bank or credit card (or both) for chargebacks etc, if you use the services without that, it's not so easy for them to screw you over, though they usually find a way.

You need to get away from the idea that Paypal is a service to you; it isn't. It's a service for ebay, and anyone else they can squeeze money out of.

I was a happy Paypal user for years, but in recent times, I fear for my money with Paypal much more than rogue ebay merchants; I use it as little as I can.

Luckily, these days, there are viable alternatives, which was not always the case.