Credit not refund of FVF when sale falls through - legal? **bleep**?

[skylinewa]

Previously had a sale fall through, but ebay billed the FVF.  Complained and they gave a credit, not a refund.  This month I have two sales, one a pickup that hasn't happened and looks shaky, but ebay have again billed for the FVF on that one already.

If it does fall through, of course they will eventually give a credit again.  Is that even legal to not give an actual refund?

I'm tempted to do a CC chargeback as "goods/services not received". 

[collect247]

I'm confused are you the seller or the buyer?

Because how can you do a chargeback when you're the seller?

And yes ebay give a credit on the monthly fees charged.

[kopenhagen5]

I think you need to read up on how eBay works.

Site map, bottom of eBay pages.

It's very simple, you sell, you are charged fees.

If the buyer doesn't follow through, you either cancel or open unpaid case to get your fee credited back.

Then you can relist.

Simples.

[skylinewa]

Yes I'm the seller.  They debit my CC for the FVF.  I *know* they give a credit - experienced it once already.  I don't want a CREDIT when this happens, I reckon I'm entitled to a refund to my CC account not a credit sitting in their bank account.

[skylinewa]

I know how it works - I've been a member since 2003.

The point is I may choose not to relist anyway.  They charge the fee IN ANTICIPATION of the sale succeeding, which is fine if it does.  If it doesn't, why shouldn't it be a refund?  Technically they shouldn't charge the fee until the payment is received, which in this case hasn't happened and may not.

SImples?

[collect247]

Ok I understand,but ebay only give credit back on the fees and those FVFs only get taken from you once a month so technically ebay hasn't taken anything from you instantly but if it was paid by PayPal then their fees get taken out immediately.

So once a sale falls through PayPal will refund the fees minus 33c or whatever it is.

But ebay will reverse those fees when your monthly fees are due and take that amount of your invoice.

Or are you saying that ebay have taken their monthly fees out of your account and never gave back the fees for the non sale?

[kopenhagen5]

Ok, I see what you are saying.

But if you do a chargeback you risk of getting a credit twice and potentially being accused of fraud by eBay.

I have never had a credit balance in my eBay account but isn't there a function to withdraw the credit to the card linked ?

[skylinewa]

Ebay have billed me (January account) for the FVF for the sale.  The item was listed as PICKUP ONLY  - payment Paypal, DD or pay on pickup - and the buyer was happy with that, but never appeared.  So as of now I have no payment, ebay have billed me, and if the sale does fall through then I reckon it should be a refund.  If it does fall through, yes I can get a CREDIT but no I can't get a refund.

[skylinewa]

No there is no way to withdraw the credit (unless things have changed in the last year) - I had major "dialogue" with ebay's customer service at the time of the previous incident about just that.

Don't see a risk of double. They give me a credit and then I do the chargeback, the bank chases them for the amount I claim, so they zap the credit and I'm back to square.

TBH they'd probably cancel my account as a retaliation, but at 10.9% FVF it's not the tool it used to be.

[kopenhagen5]

Don't think they can take ("zap") from your account once a credit is given.

And probably cannot re-debit without a transaction going through.

Yeah the eBay staff (contractors) probably would restrict the account and take them ages to work out the logic.

I see your point and agree, same as days of old when you pay cash and go to get refund, even the same day only to be told that head office will send a cheque within 2 weeks. "But I paid cash and want the same in return". "Sorry Sir we cannot do that".