Keep penalising the buyers
Summary: landcrabaustralia expressed frustration with a decision to delay payments to sellers until items are delivered, which affects sellers' ability to reinvest and sell on eBay. They argue that eBay’s policies undervalue sellers and favor buyers disproportionately. Other participants, like lezned-toycollector and gutterpunkz05, suggest that these rules are part of eBay’s terms and note that the delay can be attributed to infrequent selling patterns. The discussion also touches on eBay’s earning interest on held funds, which landcrabaustralia considers unfair. There’s debate on whether staff are misleading about these policies or simply untrained.
TO: Sarah ***, Was it your decision to restrict sellers payments from 2-3 days to "until the item is delivered"? Let me tell you how this really hurts the sellers. If sellers must wait for delivery of items across Australia - sometimes up to 6 days - and weeks when the sale us international the seller is without funds for reinvestment to buy new stock. This payment to the seller delay restricts the sellers ability to keep stock listed. This restricts the sellers ability to sell hence it hurts eBay because the seller is unable to offer new listings. Less sales for the sellers and less sales for eBay. Over the years I have seen policy decisions by eBay leadership make it more difficult for sellers to operate within the rules. This change in the payment system definitely hurts sellers and it strikes at eBays bottom line. So when eBay and PayPal parted ways this hurt the sellers going from instant payment to 2-3 days. Now, as an example I just experienced I will not get paid until my international sale is delivered - up to 3 weeks! And what I would like to know how does eBay know when international items are delivered because many international postal systems are not tied in with eBay and many do not bother to scan in when items are delivered. So this further delays in my payment I am forced to contact the buyer and then prove to eBay the customer has received the item. eBay over the years has devalued the most important partner - the seller in favour of excessively protecting the buyer from scams. eBay is quick to side with the buyer regardless of the facts. If you have no sellers you have no business. We sellers keep this company in business. What comes first in the scheme? Without someone investing in the stock you have no buyers. The seller is taking all the risks. Compensate the seller without delay and keep them happy. Stop with progressively penalising the sell. You need them and you need to keep them happy.
landcrabaustralia
OP1 month agoI noticed that eBay has gone back to paying sellers within 2 days. I am wondering why this policy was reversed from payment after the buyer received the item? I wonder if exposing the lies eBay was telling the sellers that it did not earn interest on sellers "float"? I never saw any explanation on the reversal. Did anyone else see any retraction?
davewil1964
·1 month agoNo, but their decision to pay earlier in no way impacts the fact that they are earning interest on withheld funds. Just not as much.
So not a retraction, just a change.
landcrabaustralia
OP3 months agoI have been a seller for over 23 years and have a perfect rating yet eBay will not take the time to look at accounts. They just assume you are worthless to them and they cannot bother. Also I found out that eBay earns interest on the "float" and that can amount to a lot of money that actually belongs to the seller - NOT eBay. I have been told several times by their staff that eBay does not earn interest on amounts held for clearance. I have exposed eBay for their lies about this.
*casey*
·3 months ago · Edited"I have been told several times by their staff that eBay does not earn interest on amounts held for clearance"
eBay's staff need to learn the rules.
Effective 30th November 2023:
"We may combine your funds with those of other customers and invest them according to applicable laws. You do not have any ownership interest in these investments and any interest earned from these investments will be retained by us. To the extent you may have any beneficial ownership in the interest or proceeds of these investments, you assign any right, title, and/or interest therein to us"
In this announcement: (The link may be pending approval for a while ! )
https://community.ebay.com.au/forum/news-updates-44/topic/were-updating-our-payments-terms-of-use-7929/
landcrabaustralia
OP3 months agoBut why lie to sellers when staff are questioned about this. I have been assured by two staff members that eBay does not earn interest on sellers funds. And by the way these funds are not the property of eBay hence the theft reference.
sandypebbles
·3 months agoAll eBay staff type from pre-written scripts
They say what their script tells them to say
Staff would not have one single clue about rules/policies/anything else, nor would they have a clue if the scripts are correct. This is the case about any and every question, every reply is scripted, nothing is looked into or fact checked by staff
The bosses need to give their staff updated scripts
They need to give them better training, but that is not going to happen
*casey*
·3 months ago · EditedI think it's more a case of the staff not having a clue , untrained, rather than actually lying.
Don't think for one minute I agree with eBay earning interest on funds held , because I don't.
landcrabaustralia
OP1 month agoI noticed that eBay has gone back to paying sellers within 2 days. I am wondering why this policy was reversed from payment after the buyer received the item? I wonder if exposing the lies eBay was telling the sellers that it did not earn interest on sellers "float"? I never saw any explanation on the reversal. Did anyone else see any retraction?
fantastic1666
·1 month agoWhat is a float? I don't understand.
landcrabaustralia
OP1 month agoThe "float" is the amount of sellers funds being held in limbo until it clears for payment. eBay earns interest on this float and I consider it theft because the float does not belong to eBay, they are earning profit on our money and we do not receive compensation.
fantastic1666
·1 month agoIs that so? Well then time to contact the ACCC.
*casey*
·3 months ago · EditedYour funds won't always been on hold until after the item's been delivered if you keep selling regularly.
At the moment eBay's treating you as an "Occasional" seller.
"Sellers who haven't yet established a strong, consistent track record or who don't have any recent selling history will receive their funds 24 hours after delivery confirmation (for tracked items), or 31 days after the buyer pays (for items sent without tracking).
If you previously qualified to receive your funds faster as a new seller registered as an individual, you may experience this hold if you haven't sold in a while. If you do, you'll receive your funds 2 days after delivery confirmation or 14 days after the buyer pays"
All the recently updated information for transaction holds is shown in this link:
https://www.ebay.com.au/help/selling/getting-paid/getting-paid-items-youve-sold/transaction-holds?id=4816&srsltid=AfmBOorHwV6xhjHVMd6oWSaWRW-vEBaBLqjrkvVtvN-RLNMyQJuLsRUp
lezned-toycollector
·3 months ago · EditedTheir sand pit - their rules. If you don't like those rules, you have two options. You can either play by the rules which you agreed to anyway -or- you can try to find another sand pit.
I can assure you that most sellers don't rely on their eBay payment from a single transaction to re-stock, so using that as a reason to have your hold released will not get you far at all.
landcrabaustralia
OP3 months agoYou do not have any idea how my selling is set up so you have no reason to criticise my system. You do yours and I will do mine.
gutterpunkz05
·3 months ago · EditedYou appear to only have 1 recent sale, so if you have had a break from selling and then restarted, you are seen as a new seller or infrequent seller and holds on your funds will apply until you satisfy ebay that you do not pose a risk to ebay or buyers.
Once ebay is satisfied that you do not pose risk, holds will no longer apply and funds can be released before an item is even posted.
(The hold on funds has been in place long before Sarah came along, was even in place long before managed payments was introduced.)
landcrabaustralia
OP3 months agoThis is the problem with eBay. They ignore that i have been a member for the past 23 years and have maintained a 100% feedback record for most of this time. I doubt they take the time to look at members history and make assumptions and assign risks based on their ignorance.
breakingb34
·3 months agoI'm in the same boat, have you managed to get anything sorted out with them? I am reporting them to the AFCA - one agent said once delivered it will change, their website says after delivery is confirmed 48-72 hours, and yet my account shows 30 business days, which I haven't had since I first started selling years ago.
lezned-toycollector
·3 months agoI'm not criticising anything. I merely stated the fact that on eBay, they make the rules. You then have the choice of either accepting those rules, or not using the site - that's entirely your choice... and you obviously chose to agree and list on the site.
I also pointed out that your reasoning of requiring a payout before you can restock is flawed as it does not apply to the majority, and it will not result in eBay changing their rules.
No criticism at all - just plain facts.
landcrabaustralia
OP3 months agoSo, you agree that eBay can retain millions of $ belonging to it sellers and earn interest on those funds. That is theft.
lezned-toycollector
·3 months ago · EditedI agree (as do you) that eBay can enforce the very terms that you (and every other seller) personally accepted.
You don't get to agree to those terms and later cry foul. The time for objection is PRIOR to acceptance.
If you meet the set requirements, you will not be subjected to holds such as you describe. In fact, in some cases a seller's payment will be cleared instantly - in real time.
fantastic1666
·1 month ago · EditedThe fact remains that without sellers eBay wouldn't exist. Because without sellers offering items to sell what exactly would we need them for?
I used to use marketplace until they required ID verification. And even if you do that they limit you to one ad at a time. I'm not giving Zuckerberg my ID and personal details. He can go jump off a cliff 🖕