In lieu of replying to an old thread which has recently been bumped (and which contains old outdated information that's no longer correct), starting a new thread with current information seemed like a good idea.
If your seller's item is listed as 'Pickup only', you'll receive information on the item's location at checkout. If you need to know more before purchasing, select Ask a question in the listing.
VERY IMPORTANT: both buyers and sellers must avoid any suggestion of exchanging/offering/asking for phone number, address, email address, or any other contact information before a sale is actually made on eBay. This is to comply with the current Member-to-member policy, in which it's stated:
We [...] don't allow members to offer, reference or request email addresses, phone numbers or other contact information, physical addresses, web addresses or links within eBay messaging systems (Best Offer, eBay Messages etc.). eBay may monitor messages sent through eBay and between users for [...] violations of eBay's policies.
The consequences of violating this policy are serious, and can get both the buyer and the seller into real trouble with eBay.
It is clear that buyers cannot inspect items before bidding or buying now on eBay. Contact information can only be asked for and given after the item is "sold" through eBay.
In the Buying with local pickup page, eBay say "After making your purchase, contact the seller to arrange a time and place to collect your item, and agree how you'll pay for it." The most sensible method of payment for pick-up items is cash on pick-up, as this allows the buyer to inspect the item to assure him/herself that it's undamaged, as described and as wanted, before handing over any payment. (Seller should give the buyer a receipt and mark the item as paid in their ebay account as soon as the payment is made. Buyer should ask for receipt if one isn't forthcoming.)
If a buyer pays by PayPal or by credit card, and collects the item in person, it's "covered by eBay Money Back Guarantee." However, if the buyer doesn't want to go through with the sale, it's going to take the usual amount of time to receive a refund. Also, the cover for pick-up items is very limited. There is NO COVER under any of these circumstances:
if the buyer simply changes his mind on seeing the item (known as buyer's remorse),
if the item is damaged during pick-up,
if the buyer sends someone else to pick up the item on their behalf, or
if the buyer arranges freight for a pick-up item.
Only if the pick-up item is significantly not as described and the buyer picks up the item in person will the buyer be entitled to a refund for a pick-up item under eBay's MBG.
That means that logically speaking, there is no advantage to using PayPal for pick-up items. If the item isn't as described, the buyer would simply tell the seller, "I don't think this is as described, so I have decided not to go ahead with the purchase and pay. Can you send me a cancellation notice now, and I'll agree immediately so that you can get back your final value fees straight away?" That leaves both the buyer and the seller whole. No need to open a claim, no need to wait for a refund.
I had a case opened against me 60 days after the sale. With weekends (in the handling time/delivery estimates) that was 17 days past the window. It would seem eBay don't actually police it.
The buyer made the purchase on eBay.com.au via checkout or an eBay invoice with one of the following payment methods:
PayPal transactions made from a verified PayPal account
Credit/debit card transactions processed through the seller's internet merchant account
Items are collected in person, as long as they meet all other requirements
This is frankly confusingly writen.
We have to assume that it's necessary that the buyer made the purchase on eBay.com.au via checkout or an eBay invoice, paid either through PayPal or by credit/debit card. That implies, then, that the bullet points (the first level bullet points) are all necessary. That would then mean that there's an implied "AND" after each bullet point (first level).
But they can't all be necessary, because it's not necessary that the items are collected in person. That would mean that there's an implied "OR" after each bullet point (first level). And that doesn't make sense!
Contradictory and poorly written. I think that the only way to read this is to assume that the first three bullet points (first level) are necessary (thus have an implied "AND" separating them), and the last bullet point (first level) is preceded by an "OR" because it's expressing a specific context for when the MBG applies (that is, when it applies for pick-up items).
The buyer made the purchase on eBay.com.au via checkout or an eBay invoice with one of the following payment methods:
PayPal transactions made from a verified PayPal account, or (second level bullet points)
Credit/debit card transactions processed through the seller's internet merchant account; OR (the pick-up exception follows)
Items are collected in person, as long as they meet all other requirements (i.e., isn't received or is significantly not as described, and the buyer reports non-receipt or requests return within the MBG timeline, and buyer paid by either PayPal or credit/debit card.)
So... if the pickup item is paid for by PayPal (or credit card) prior to inspecting it, and the buyer then goes to collect it, the buyer would look at the item and either be satisfied, taking it away with him on the spot, or be dissatisfied and say, "That's not as described. I want a refund."
Presumably the buyer in scenario 2 wouldn't want to take the item with him. He'd want to be refunded on the spot, I imagine, so the seller has the choice of doing an immediate refund (and then either Reporting an Unpaid Item or doing a cancellation request, to recover his final value fees) or telling the buyer to request a refund through eBay. The latter would see the buyer lodging a claim, and under the eBay MBG he cannot possibly be covered since he hasn't collected the item in person (as per the last bullet point).
In fact, under the Not Covered section of the policy, it's specifically the sort of case where the buyer is not covered. (I've added OR after the bullet points as they're clearly points that can't all be fliled by one transaction.)
Click & Collect items that weren't collected by the buyer, OR
Local pickup items that weren't collected by the buyer, OR
Items sent to another address after original delivery, OR
Vehicles, Real Estate, Websites & Business for Sale, Classified Ads and services, Tickets, OR
Digital Goods and Intangibles, with the exception of digital gift cards
If the buyer didn't pick up the item, according to this policy, he's not covered by the MBG. Strictly speaking, then, even if the buyer pays by PayPal and then goes to pick up the item, only to decide it's not as described, he would have to take the item with him if he is to be covered by eBay's MBG.
PayPal Protection
Digital*ghost, as you've said, PayPal's Buyer Protection Policy isn't going to cover non-receipt of pick up items. "S10.2 Any item you collect in person or arrange to be collected on your behalf is not eligible to be claimed as not received."
That policy also says, "S11.2 An item is not considered to be “significantly not as described” if:
It was reasonably and prominently described at the seller’s point of sale;
The description could have been reasonably misinterpreted by you or the seller. For example, if the item is a different colour than advertised (eg, the item is aquamarine but was advertised as teal);
The item did not meet your expectations;
It has minor scratches but was listed as “in used condition”; or
It was listed as used condition and you picked it up in person after examining the item.
Hence, for pick-up items, if it's not collected then it's not covered by PayPal, and if it's listed as used and picked up in person, there's no PayPal protection.
Again, as you say, and as I can't stress enough, in a SNAD dispute, the item does have to be sent back according to PayPal's instructions - and that could be almost impossible (or cost for that the item is worth) for pick-up items.
The MBG is a hot mess, full of holes and contradictions.
On one page they explicitly state that items broken during transit count as INAD, then on another page they say it doesn't.
Welcome to eBay, where everything's made up and the facts don't matter. 😮
I forgot to include this in my previous post, but if someone needed to use PayPal for a pickup item, the best way to do it is pay after inspection, eg with a phone. Saves carrying wads of cash around, too, if the item is expensive.
That means that logically speaking, there is no advantage to using PayPal for pick-up items. If the item isn't as described, the buyer would simply tell the seller, "I don't think this is as described, so I have decided not to go ahead with the purchase and pay. Can you send me a cancellation notice now, and I'll agree immediately so that you can get back your final value fees straight away?" That leaves both the buyer and the seller whole. No need to open a claim, no need to wait for a refund.
The bolded bit is the part that worries me. So many buyers have no idea about FVFs, and if sent a cancellation request because they decided not to buy, tend to ignore it. They don't see the importance in replying. They figure that if they didn't pay for it, then they don't have to think any more about it. And so the cancellation drags on....
To encourage a buyer to participate in a cancellation, I tell them that eBay may ask them to confirm it, and that once they do, the transaction will be void and it will no longer be asking for payment. Most buyers respond quickly to that.
They don't need to agree to the cancellation anymore, though. If they are asked to confirm (they don't always), it's only ever to confirm that they didn't pay, or got a refund.
Buyer sent message to seller (me) wanting to pay and pick up but sale not recorded beforehand. I have asked buyer to use ‘buy now’ option and he says he has done that but item still showing it is available for sale. How do I advise eBay item has sold now?
Buyer sent message to seller (me) wanting to pay and pick up but sale not recorded beforehand. I have asked buyer to use ‘buy now’ option and he says he has done that but item still showing it is available for sale. How do I advise eBay item has sold now?
I'd be more concerned that you are selling items where you will LOSE money from the sale, rather than make money. Why are you selling items at a loss? That is completely ridiculous.
Unless the item is in your sold section, the item hasn't been sold in ebay's eyes. Is the buyer trying to conduct a sale outside of ebay?
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