I performed two transactions with PaisaPay this month. This was my first time paying with this feature - earlier I used to prefer COD.
I am quite dissatisfied with eBay's much-hyped PaisaPay system. For one, it simply takes too long for them to approve your transaction, even for small amounts. For example, I paid Rs 2300 for an MP3 player using PaisaPay ID = 19653756916. I paid on June 9th, and they finally approved the transaction on June 14 - a full 5 days after I remitted the payment. This seemingly routine delay means that you cannot pay for time-critical transactions using this method of payment.
For example, you cannot pay for flowers, perishable/semi-perishable items, or for items that you want ASAP with PaisaPay, becauase the delays in processing usually make it meaningless to use this system.
For the above transaction, when I contacted support, they replied that my "phone was unreachable" and therefore the transaction could not be verified. This sounds more like an excuse than a reason, because I receive dozens of calls every day on my cell.
Another issue with PaisaPay is eBay's insistence of replying to queries in a 24-72 hour timeframe, which is ridiculously large considering the instant nature of
electronic transactions. If you pay by CC directly to the seller, you will have received the item in your hands by the time an eBay support person will contact you with the answer to a single query! The lack of a contact center where you can speak to support people over the phone in real-time is another major issue. It reflects eBay's inability or unwillingness to invest in proper support systems for the end-user. In my opinion, a 24-hour response time for answering queries, and a 5-day turnaround time for PaisaPay payments is completely unacceptable.
An "email-only" support system is a primitive setup in today's world where markets try to reach the customer in every possible way - snail mail, email, SMS, phone and even direct walk-in support centers. eBay has but one method, and that too is painfully slow.
It is about time that eBay shed its reticence and put in place a robust and integrated system of support for all kinds of people that use - and benefit - eBay. Until then trading on eBay is going to be a pain in the wrong place, but given its "dominant position" in the Indian e-marketplace, can we really complain?
