Paypal hassle....beware!!

[Duncan.F]

Hi All,
Sold a lens on Ebay recently, [20/3] £550 and the buyer paid through Paypal the same night. I sent by RMSD, buyer received and signed for 22/3. I check my PP balance to find that they have put it in a pending account to which I have no access.... There is a generic explanation that it might be one one x reasons, I had sent tracking info and I don't have any black marks against me so couldn't understand the reason.They can hold the funds for up to 21 days and in extreme cases if there are eBay issues logged against you, much longer periods of time...180 days.......!!
So yesterday [1/4] I begin the process of complaining [I should say I had not heard from the buyer, nor had he left positive feedback but it was a good lens!!]. And for anyone who has tried to wrestle their way through PP's help/contact/complaint procedure they will know how difficult it is. Somewhere someone suggested I a[ put a formal complaint in and b] message them on FB! To my surprise they actually answered my FB message within 24 hrs and transferred the money within hours...
Anyway the moral is be careful with larger PP payments to you!

 

[drounding]

Paypal do this to limit fraud if it is a higher than usual transaction amount on your account. Paypal is protecting the buyer rather than thinking of the merchant's cash flow. (Paypal always bias to the buyer)

 

[frank]

I purchased a item 2 weeks ago not on Ebay though, payment was credit card via Paypal, apparently they held the payment back until I confirmed delivery of the item by clicking a link on my Paypal account summary, only then was payment released to the seller. I dpn't know if this is a new method Paypal are using but it does seem to open to abuse, the seller sending the item then buyer not confirming.

 

[wontolla]

I dpn't know if this is a new method Paypal are using but it does seem to open to abuse, the seller sending the item then buyer not confirming.

It IS a method they use, but it isn't new!
Had it happen several times over a few years.
And if the buyer does not confirm. they are sent messages to do so.

 

[Duncan.F]

The difficulty is that a not so genuine buyer can buy something then complain to their CC company and PP will often [according to what I have seen on internet and PP website] repay the CC company. This leaves a genuine seller in a bit of a bad place....It seems a little one sided. I did email my buyer several times but they didn't reply and I am disappointed they didn't leave positive feedback as I had done for them!

 

[wontolla]

The difficulty is that a not so genuine buyer can buy something then complain to their CC company and PP will often [according to what I have seen on internet and PP website] repay the CC company. This leaves a genuine seller in a bit of a bad place....It seems a little one sided. I did email my buyer several times but they didn't reply and I am disappointed they didn't leave positive feedback as I had done for them!

That's been happening a lot lately too, I quite often don't leave feedback until they confirm delivery (via feedback or not) although I ALWAYS look into their own feedback both ways to see if any untowards pattern pops out.

 

[treeman]

From bitter experience, (though it was sorted finally in my favour after some time), PayPal will always side with the buyer. The only way around it I can see, is to remove the funds from your Paypal account as soon as the purchaser has paid, and before you despatch.

 

[LASTOLITE]

Distance selling has become more and more a crap shoot as to IF it will all go through ok and more so STICK! As a genuine seller and buyer, there seems to be a more direct approach to securing PayPal as a real 100% safe way of paying for things for purchasers, but there is little to protect the seller. However over the years I am sure PP have stats to suggest more people give exaggerated estimates of an items condition and thus the protection of the buyer is to them of more importance as a business model.

I am sure your lens was in top condition though - just a general move by PP to be a more secure way of buying for people. It is open to abuse though no doubt and its a Seller beware scenario now not the other way round as its been for many years!!

 

[AJQS]

From bitter experience, (though it was sorted finally in my favour after some time), PayPal will always side with the buyer. The only way around it I can see, is to remove the funds from your Paypal account as soon as the purchaser has paid, and before you despatch.

That only puts you into negative balance if they take the funds back, and you can't effectively use your paypal account until you pay them as wheatever you try and do they'll add the amount they've taken to any transaction you try and make, and WILL send legal threats if you let it get that far.