Unhappy with eBay withholding payments..

[88gustaf]

Hi eBay community. 

I have been a member of eBay for 5 years now. I have completed exactly 60 transactions with 100% positive feedback, where roughly 15 of those transactions were me being the seller. I have never had any disputes or complaints against me, and have always gone above and beyond when selling something on here. 

Now that I have cleared that up, I am unhappy with this new (havent sold anything in about a year) seller policy that eBay have introduced.

I recently sold an item and learned after the bid had completed that my money would be on hold for a month.....!!

Now, dont get me wrong, I can understand that eBay want to make a safe buying environment, but isnt this taking it too far? The buyer has already recieved my item more than a week ago, and has already left me positive feedback, yet my money is still on hold for more than another week. It just seems beyond silly!

I just think this system punishes eBayers with a perfect record who dont necessarily sell things very often!

Not a very happy seller,

Gus. 

[padi*0409]

You have actually had 6 sales in total with 5 of them more than a year ago. eBay is holding sellers money that don't have a number (I think around 50) of sales in the last 6 months, for 21 days or until tracking shows as delivered or buyer gives positive feedback.

If either of those scenarios happens you can phone Paypal and they will release the funds, often while you are on the phone to them.

[88gustaf]

Thank you for the reply,

You forget about transactions where no feedback was left, hence my guess of  ~15 sales. Either way, the number of sales I have had are irrelevant, really. 6 or 15 - doesnt matter, my track record is perfect and I have been an active member for 5 years. 

If they are holding money without 50 sales in 6 months, then all they are doing is hurting small timers like me who occasionally sell personal things on here. I have sold well over 1000$ worth in those few transactions, by the way, so its not like eBay have not taken there cut.

Tracking shows as delivered and I have receieved feedback from the buyer. I guess I need to call Paypal then. I honestly dont see why I should though, as eBay can already see that the item was received and that the buyer is happy....

[bakeandfry]

Welcome to selling on ebay, every new seller has had paypments held, that is untill you sell $250 worth, be no less than 90 days since last successful sale.
You will have to moniter when you can get payments off hold, for example three (3) days after delivery if tracking is supplyed.
If paypal dont comply with there policy you can lodge a dispute with the FOS.
If a dispute with paypal is lodged paypal have up to 45 dayd to reply to dispute

[clarry100]

In recent times it seems that the writing is on the wall that ebay are squeezing out small sellers and some not so small as you. So one of the things they have introduced is the one you are experiencing. Sellers like yourself will become disgruntled over time and pack up and leave which suits their end goal to turn the place into a megs mall full of larger commercial sellers.
We are feeling it too from different angles than you mention here and about the end of the year we will be gone too.
What they seem to have forgotten is that sellers are buyers too and if they are not selling they are not buying, which describes us.
So welcome to the real changing world of ebay.
But as has been suggested a phone call to PayPal should see your funds released.

[collect247]

I hear ya Gus and I agree with ya,

But how would PayPal make any interest if they don't keep ya money in their coffers for 21 days?

It's a fantastic policy that's making $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for PayPal lol.

And imagine if a buyer wanted to return an item,would you have to refund the buyer out of your own pocket because their payment

is on hold for 21 days ssssssssshhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh wouldn't that make ya angry,gggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Personally its happened to me 

[88gustaf]

Thanks for the responses guys and girls. Glad to hear I am not the only one unsettled by these policies. 

Never thought about the interest they are earning holding money either. Its crazy, and it comes at small time sellers expense!

Makes senses that eBay would want to push out smaller sellers as well. Oh well, I guess not much can be done except find another avenue for selling things (Incoming Gumtree death wishes).

[vixen_teztarkles]

Its about nothing more than money making !! I have made some enquiries aboutthe whole holding payments and it makes me laugh. I chuckle when Ebay says its Paypal doing it them you ask Paypal and they say Ebay is doing it !! I have a small amount ( around $400) and both items have been delivered and positive feedback has been received and that was two weeks ago !! I cant get a straight answer however Ebay keep sayingthey have released the money, so I go to Paypal and they say Ebay still has it on hold, so which is it ?

[bakeandfry]

If you have complyed with paypal policy and you have proof of paypal holding your funds, lodge a dispute against paypal with the FOS, esculate it due to paypal not complying with there own policys.

Is it going to be easy? No, can it be done, yes

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@88gustaf wrote:

Thanks for the responses guys and girls. Glad to hear I am not the only one unsettled by these policies. 

Never thought about the interest they are earning holding money either. Its crazy, and it comes at small time sellers expense!

Makes senses that eBay would want to push out smaller sellers as well. Oh well, I guess not much can be done except find another avenue for selling things (Incoming Gumtree death wishes).

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have you read the Seller Centre page:  http://sellercentre.ebay.com.au/funds-availability ?

I suggest you do so before writing off eBay for good.  Things can be done to lessen the effect of the hold on funds.  Marking the item as posted and uploading tracking numbers OR using eBay postage are both methods that will reduce effects of the 21 day hold on funds.

Also, some members have posted that PayPal react to sellers that inform them that will be contacting the FOS about the hold, and have had funds released immediately.