I need to vent, and to warn my Fiero friends. I'm still new to e-bay. I sold one thing on there before today, it was a great experience. That was months ago. A week ago, I placed 3 items for auction. This morning, all 3 ended. The first item got no bids. Fine. The second auction, about $ 5 more than my reserve. Cool! I click on the link, and I read that upon receiving payment, I ship within 3 days, and post the tracking number. Good. Matches what I recall of my first ebay sale. I'm all happy and excited. Several minutes later, I get an e-mail from PayPal. They're holding the funds! For 21 days, or until the buyer receives and approves the item. Do they seriously expect me to ship at my own expense, then hope for reimbursement? That's not how it works. Not for me, and months ago, not for anybody. Anyway, I e-mailed the high bidder. Then ate lunch. And now I'm thinking, while chewing my lunch, that I'm about to lose everything. I had a good name on e-bay, but this is gonna put an end to me being able to sell on there. That angers me, greatly. And even if not, how the hell can I sell without using PayPal? In the good old days, we did it with USPS Money Orders. Or Western Union. Or "bank transfer" ( direct deposit ) The buyer would send their zip code, the seller would get a shipping quote, the buyer would send funds to cover shipping, the seller would send the item, then the buyer would send the purchase price. That worked great. Nobody ever had any problems with it.
[This message has been edited by Isolde (edited 04-12-2011).]
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03:04 PM
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naskie18 Member
Posts: 6258 From: Commerce Twp, MI, USA Registered: Jun 2002
If they are holding funds, you wait until the transfer goes through before you send it. Send your buyer a note to explain and definitely let them know the SECOND it goes through, you will ship it and let them know it shipped. I have never had a problem, it is likely that the buyer used an e-check or some other half-questionable payment form and you wont get any $$$ until paypal is sure its legit.
Still, just waiting for payment to clear, thats not that bad of a problem. Here's my recent situation, its pretty bad.. I bought a machine that was advertsed as authentic and ended up being a chinese knockoff. I was mad, and I told the guy I wanted a refund. He said "no problem send it back and I will refund you." So I spend MORE of my money to send it back, he receives it, and never refunds my money. Now I have to go through Ebay and my Credit Card to get the money back. I left him a NASTY feedback.
[This message has been edited by tbone42 (edited 04-12-2011).]
I click on the link, and I read that upon receiving payment, I ship within 3 days, and post the tracking number. Good. Matches what I recall of my first ebay sale. I'm all happy and excited. Several minutes later, I get an e-mail from PayPal. They're holding the funds! For 21 days, or until the buyer receives and approves the item.
So, you haven't received the funds yet? Okay. Don't ship. You're abiding by eBay's rules!
But I will say:
quote
Do they seriously expect me to ship at my own expense, then hope for reimbursement?
Do you expect the buyer to give money out of his own pocket, then hope for the item?
I understand your point of view MORE, I'm just sayin'.
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03:10 PM
Gall757 Member
Posts: 10938 From: Holland, MI Registered: Jun 2010
Paypal would only be holding the funds if there was some question about the buyer's transfer to Paypal. They are protecting YOU. Just as if the buyer sent you a check and you had to wait for it to clear before you felt you could send the item.
IF the buyer had a regular PayPal account there would be no wait.
[This message has been edited by Gall757 (edited 04-12-2011).]
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03:30 PM
partfiero Member
Posts: 6923 From: Tucson, Arizona Registered: Jan 2002
Yep that is a new policy, they want to make sure sellers have enough money if there is a problem with an item and the buyer requests a refund. I have over 2000 feedbacks and never had a - or had to refund, and they still tagged my account. Called them a gave them a piece of my mind, they reviewed it and lifted it. Try calling them.
[This message has been edited by partfiero (edited 04-12-2011).]
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03:35 PM
Isolde Member
Posts: 2504 From: North Logan, Utah, USA Registered: May 2008
If they are holding funds, you wait until the transfer goes through before you send it. Send your buyer a note to explain and definitely let them know the SECOND it goes through, you will ship it and let them know it shipped. I have never had a problem, it is likely that the buyer used an e-check or some other half-questionable payment form and you wont get any $$$ until paypal is sure its legit.
Still, just waiting for payment to clear, thats not that bad of a problem. Here's my recent situation, its pretty bad.. I bought a machine that was advertsed as authentic and ended up being a chinese knockoff. I was mad, and I told the guy I wanted a refund. He said "no problem send it back and I will refund you." So I spend MORE of my money to send it back, he receives it, and never refunds my money. Now I have to go through Ebay and my Credit Card to get the money back. I left him a NASTY feedback.
Hmm. That's food for thought. I gotta wonder, if I waited 21 days, wouldn't the high bidder complain to e-bay? The trouble is, that e-bay thinks you're paid if PayPal is holding the funds. To them it's the same, but to poor sellers, it's a big difference
[This message has been edited by Isolde (edited 04-12-2011).]
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03:54 PM
Isolde Member
Posts: 2504 From: North Logan, Utah, USA Registered: May 2008
Paypal would only be holding the funds if there was some question about the buyer's transfer to Paypal. They are protecting YOU. Just as if the buyer sent you a check and you had to wait for it to clear before you felt you could send the item.
IF the buyer had a regular PayPal account there would be no wait.
Something to look into, thank you. I'm not sure, because it seems the guy had some sort of confirmed status, though that may have been ebay not paypal, I wasn't paying attention to that aspect.
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03:59 PM
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Isolde Member
Posts: 2504 From: North Logan, Utah, USA Registered: May 2008
Yep that is a new policy, they want to make sure sellers have enough money if there is a problem with an item and the buyer requests a refund. I have over 2000 feedbacks and never had a - or had to refund, and they still tagged my account. Called them a gave them a piece of my mind, they reviewed it and lifted it. Try calling them.
Wow! Okay, thank you!
[This message has been edited by Isolde (edited 04-12-2011).]
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04:00 PM
Isolde Member
Posts: 2504 From: North Logan, Utah, USA Registered: May 2008
tbone's experience shows why we need buyer protection. But mine is showing why we need seller protection also. If I had had cash in hand to cover shipping, and had done it PayPal's way, then I would risk losing the item, and the shipping costs, and my good reputation, while the other guy gained a free part, and free license to scam other sellers. I hope tbone and everyone else can grasp this as well as the scam tbone suffered. My third item, I managed to message the guy before he paid, and he kindly suggested a money order. I gained a new friend there. I just got an e-mail from PayPal, they say I should have printed a shipping label from them. How? I have no MFing printer! I had to sell it, same as I'm having to sell these parts. And in my town, you have to walk into the UPS store, hand-fill-out a shipping label with black or blue ball-point-pen. There's NO alternative. But that's okay, it works fine!
Still, just waiting for payment to clear, thats not that bad of a problem. Here's my recent situation, its pretty bad.. I bought a machine that was advertsed as authentic and ended up being a chinese knockoff. I was mad, and I told the guy I wanted a refund. He said "no problem send it back and I will refund you." So I spend MORE of my money to send it back, he receives it, and never refunds my money. Now I have to go through Ebay and my Credit Card to get the money back. I left him a NASTY feedback.
I bought an expensive workout system, but it didn't come with the book it was supposed to come with, so I wanted to send it back and get a refund. They said okay. I sent it back, and never saw my money again.
But that wasn't on eBay. I just spent over $100 and got nothing to show for it on another website.
