I am probably being really stupid, but can anyone tell me whether you actually need a PAYPAL account to pay by PAYPAL on Ebay. I have been trying to buy something I've been wanting for ages and the seller will only accept PAYPAL. I don't want to set up a PAYPAL account, because this is purely a 1-off. I have asked EBAY/ PAYPAL customer services so many times that I have lost count. I never seem to get a straight answer.
You have a two fold problem. It is possible to pay by PayPal without a PayPal account, but when you buy from eBay the only way the seller is protected from scamming buyers is to only post to addresses verified by PayPal.
As an eBay seller there is no way I would deal with a buyer not verified.
Why don't you ask around your family and friends, someone probably has a paypal account and can pay for this for you, you just giving them the cash in return. I've done it for other people no problem.
You can pay for items without a paypal account, but some people will only accept payments from paypal. It is guaranteed so if you only use it a couple of times it can prove a good idea. I have an account and use it only rarely and have found it very useful to have an accoun t hope this helps