No, it is not a scam.
If you have not sold for a while, you are now classed by eBay as a "new seller".
A LOT has changed on eBay in the last couple of years.
It doesn't matter for how many years you've been an eBay member. That's irrelevant under the new system. What matters is when you last sold... and if you are only an occasional eBay seller, you are unlikely to like the changes.
I'm not sure how you missed all of the information about Managed Payments, but quite a number of emails over the last 2 years or so were sent to all eBay members who have sold anything. Managed Payments is now how sellers are being paid. Adyen is the payment processor; PayPal are no longer involved as far as sellers are concerned.
(Buyers can - at present, for now - still use PayPal to pay for items. Sellers cannot pay their fees by PayPal; instead, the payment for a transaction less the fees payable will be deposited in the seller's account regularly, as per the settings set by the seller.)
You must do the following before you can be paid:
- ID verification, and then
- bank verification.
Once you are verified and your bank account is verified (and you have the confirmation via message and email for both of these things), it's at that point that you would usually start selling. If you've sold something without being verified and having your bank account verified, your money will be on hold.
Furthermore, as a new seller, even after you are verified, eBay will not release your funds immediately. There's a 14-day hold (although it may be longer in some cases).
Helpful links containing all of the necessary information:
Registering as a seller
Payments on hold
