Try Google Checkout, Paypal Minus Evil
• It's a conduit, not a bank, so your money will never get stuck (something Paypal does notoriously).
• True one-click shopping.
• Doesn't share your full credit card info with anyone, not even merchants.
• Use it now and get $10 off $30 or $20 off $50, at participating stores.
Give it a shot! — BEN POPKEN
Google Checkout [Official Site]
Google Checkout: First Impressions [Fivecentnickle]
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I just used this (moments before reading about it here on Consumerist) to get the $79.99 Razor Copperhead gaming mouse, listed at $55 on Buy.com, minus $20 off from Google Checkout, with free shipping for a final price of $35.77, saving 44%. No way I would have paid $70-80 for that mouse, so somebunny is going to be very happy with Santa on Christmas Morning this year.
Well, yes, Google Checkout. Fabulous and all that. Good alternative in the free market and such.
Except: It doesn't exactly work for little scamps who want to accept donations, including donations from unheard-of locations like Canada. What little scamps? Let me think here.. Ah, yes-- Ze Frank.
Hell, just the video makes me want to try it.
Now if I just had a credit card... except I won't get one unless I actually need it, since I already know that I'd more than likely end up screwing myself over. =P
One issue I had: I used Google Checkout to make a purchase from Buy.com, and opted for the "anonymous email" service, where Google assigns you a special checkout.google.com email address that forwards to your real address -- similar to the CraigsList email feature.
I ended up needing to return the item to Buy.com, so I requested an RMA. After not hearing from Buy.com for a few days, I got a phone call from them, asking if I could please unblock Buy.com from my spam filters. Turns out Google's checkout.google.com email servers were blocking Buy.com's customer service emails... nice.
Unfortunately, I'm having trouble getting the issue resolved. Buy.com won't give me an RMA over the phone, but their messages still aren't getting through. Buy.com doesn't understand that I have no control over the spam filters at google.checkout.com, and Google claims it's not their servers doing the blocking (even though Buy.com is getting spam-responses from checkout.google.com).
So... right now I'd recommend against using the anonymous email feature. Other than that, the Google Checkout experience was a good one.
I used the anonymous email feature but still got a customer service-oriented/confirmation email direct from Buy.com. Maybe DFrakes made them fix a glitch!
and how is the old Google Checkout measuring up now? it's not, just like the rest of those wannabe's that tried & tried, but couldn't and wouldn't. What would make Google think that if the likes of Citi Bank couldn't make it happen, that a search engine could?
I got the 10 dollars, have yet to use it.
But what I really need is an alternative to PayPal that Ebay will accept.
Love google and all, and sure it's nice not to share my CC info (not that I've ever had any problems with anyone doing anything they shouldn't with it) but it aint no big thang to me.