I do basically agree and avoid PP where possible, but the prob is not Paypal itself. It is a very basic political thing, visible when viewed internationally.
To whom it may interest...:
In the core EU countries you cannot open a bank account w/o being officially registered at the town you live by address. We all are registered here, by law.
As a 'fascinating' result, all banks here guarantee to draw back any electr. debit payment that the payer within 30 days declares as false. I need no reason to do so, and have no risk whatsoever. All payments are instantly reversed, and it is up to the original recipient to prove I need to have paid something.
In these countries all payments are done by auto-debit, electr. transfer, DC or CC. Checks are considers very unsafe, unused since decades.
Paypal (and other commercial companies) just cannot "misbehave" a lot here (or be egocentrically incompetent). Downside of the core EU-system is government control of your homestead. Upside is fast, advanced and safe payment modes. I allways have severe problems with international payments to and from english origined countries, a terrible hassle (incl. EU-UK).
I believe it results from the peoples demand for a slim government, which is understandable! Unfortunately commercial power tends to grow out of control a bit by that, pushing ordinary people to the end of the line.
But what was said above with banks offering to draw back CC payments on cards issued by them seems an equivalent safety.
I would check if your CC payments are insured or the issueing bank garantees reverse payments within a time limit. That would seem equally safe to me, if that bank is trustworthy (as mentioned above).
Arick