topic Re: So, how often have you had an eCheque payment bounce? in Selling

So, how often have you had an eCheque payment bounce?

justajunk — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 11:05:28 GMT

Over the years, I have probably had a few dozen buyers pay for their items by eCheque. This always make me very nervous as I often wonder whether I should just send the item instantly to avoid low DSR for Postage Time. After all, I had never had an eCheque payment fail.

Or at least until this afternoon. Yup. Received an email from PayPal to say that the buyer's bank refused the eCheque payment.

I have decided to open an Unpaid Item Case and I have sent the buyer an email explaining what has happened and why I feel obliged to open the case. The buyer only has one feedback (and that's a seller -- not a buyer) so I have no idea how much they will understand about the situation.

I remember a couple of months ago that there was some hooha here over multiple eCheque failing. But that was two or three months ago, not recently, right?

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,

Re: So, how often have you had an eCheque payment bounce?

davewil1964 — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 11:11:07 GMT

Never.

But I will never post until payment clears, which is in accordance with Paypal policy.

Message your buyer advising you will post after payment clears, then advise when you post.

Re: So, how often have you had an eCheque payment bounce?

kopenhagen5 — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 11:13:41 GMT

Consider an e-cheque as not paid. Only send after PayPal has cleared the payment and state it is safe to send.

If you are concerned about buyer thinking it is slow postage, with an e-cheque I always send the buyer a message advising the payment may take 3-5 business days to clear due to being an e-cheque.

Then when it clears I send another message to say the item was posted today as the payment cleared today.

Re: So, how often have you had an eCheque payment bounce?

justajunk — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 11:15:01 GMT

Thanks for that, Dave. Yes, I told the buyer something that effect in the message I sent... that I will post once I have confirmed that I have received their payment.

Have you had any eCheques lately? This is the first eCheque that I have had since June or July... which makes me wonder whether the glitches mentioned by others in September might still be in effect.

Re: So, how often have you had an eCheque payment bounce?

justajunk — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 11:17:38 GMT

Thanks for that, kopenhagen. Yes, I do all of that, and in fact, I go one step further and advise about eCheque payment delays with every invoice that I send.

My big concern this time is there might be a super big delay if the buyer has pay by eCheque three or four times before it goes through successfully.

Re: So, how often have you had an eCheque payment bounce?

clarry100 — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 11:18:34 GMT

We rarely get them but have never had one bounce. And were will never mail until it clears.
Were always send a message to the buyer to tell them about what will happen.
Those who respond never know it has happened. Seems odd. We had one who bought two items and paid in separate transactions. One was echeque. When we messaged her she had no idea. Then she asked to cancel the echeque which we did. Then she paid again with instant payment. So I don't understand why these happen at all.

Re: So, how often have you had an eCheque payment bounce?

davewil1964 — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 11:18:42 GMT

Haven't had one for yonks.

Certainly pre-September.

Re: So, how often have you had an eCheque payment bounce?

digital*ghost — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 11:25:51 GMT

I haven't had one for a little while, but it wasn't that long ago 90% of the ones I did get (9/10, to be exact) failed.

One buyer communicated and said it was the bank refusing the debit even though there was plenty of money in the account to cover their purchase, but I didn't hear from any of the others, so it's hard to say whether the same issue was causing all failures.

Re: So, how often have you had an eCheque payment bounce?

twofussy — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 11:29:17 GMT

I had an echeque bounce a week ago, the buyer has paid again with another echeque so i have to wait another 5 days to see if this one clears or bounces again, patiently waiting.

Re: So, how often have you had an eCheque payment bounce?

justajunk — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 11:31:50 GMT

Hi digital*ghost. Interesting to hear that they didn't all fail... that would seem to suggest that it was not a universal problem with eCheques, which is what I am worried about here. I guess I will have to see what the buyer says if/when (s)he replies... I have had no response so far to the initial message I sent a few days ago thanking them for "beginning the payment process".

Re: So, how often have you had an eCheque payment bounce?

justajunk — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 11:35:41 GMT

Interesting, twofussy. You would think that they might try loading a credit card to PayPal for a one-time payment instead, had their eCheque initially failed. I don't think it is my place to recommend this though if the buyer comes back to me asking what to do.

Re: So, how often have you had an eCheque payment bounce?

i-love-my-sheep — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 12:20:17 GMT

I always thought buyers paid by echeque by choice. That was until I sent a message to one buyer advising that their echeque would take 3-5 days to clear and when it does, I'll post. They replied with "what's an echeque?".

I've only had a handful of buyers pay that way. Only hassle I've had was one that took nearly 2 weeks to clear. That was a painful wait, for both me and the buyer.

Can the buyer see from their end that they have paid with an echeque, or does it show as being paid in their purchase history? The handful that I've had I've always sent a message, but I wasn't sure how it looked from their end.

Re: So, how often have you had an eCheque payment bounce?

lyndal1838 — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 12:36:21 GMT

Sheepie, paypal now defaults to the buyer's bank account (e-cheque) unless they deliberately change the funding source. There have been several questions on the boards about it...OPs maintaining that ithas just started happening, but I have been noticing it for probably 18 months. It does not matter what you have marked as your primary funding source, it defaults to your bank account.

Re: So, how often have you had an eCheque payment bounce?

es1989 — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 12:52:50 GMT

At check out it will either say that payment is vis your PayPal Balance or echevk if your short on funds, so it is easy to quickly press pay now and not see the difference.

I email buyers with echeques, and more than half don't know and would like it cancelled so they can pay with credit cards.

Re: So, how often have you had an eCheque payment bounce?

phorum_junkie* — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 22:12:36 GMT

I have had a fair number of echeques over the years but only had one that 'bounced' and the buyer paid again with an instant payment within hours of me sending an email asking them to remake the payment.