Withholding AGAIN???

[dlschuch]

I just watched 8 scammers get away with $100k in funds, many of them Top Rated Sellers yet here I am AGAIN being penalized for WHAT???

I have excellent feedback. Sometimes my shipping is delayed because the customer has a custom addition or, in the latest case, the customer ASKED me to wait until all the bidding was through which was a 7 day continuance.  I wanted to invoice her all at once, that way I would only be responsible for shipping from the payment date. But because eBay kept sending her notices she paid each one as she won them.  So of course it looked like I didn't ship.

Ironically, when her item was waiting to be shipped, I had another one that I already shipped, but the postal carrier did not scan it correctly. It was a huge item and was $150, so I was terrified I would get another customer claiming they didn't get their shipment. (Explained at the end of this post)  But it came back to me because a: The label was messed up and b: the box was starting to come apart. So I split the order, reshipped with 2 labels (hopefully I will get refunded for the first shipping label).

eBay reads our messages. I know this because only minutes after I sent someone a message about invoicing me for additional funds on an item, ($4 which I guess seemed like a lot of money to eBay) I was warned about giving personal info.  I find it amazing eBay could react to that, but did not do one thing to help me when I was being harangued by a seller earlier this month. Or when a New Zealand customer wrote me about how pleased she was that she got all 4 of her dolls, AND LEFT FEEDBACK STATING SO, PayPal still withheld the funds for a full 21 days.

Soon after that last 21 day hold PayPal started giving me my funds immediately. which I poured right back into my PayPal credit card.

But now they are back to their old tricks.  If they read my emails they would see both transactions were handled quickly by me. I contacted the buyer with the busted box immediately. And I added extra items to her package to make up for the time loss.  The second woman sent me emails asking me to withhold shipping until all auctions were complete. Which she actually won.

Now here's my deal; when I first started selling, a package got lost. It was a perfect storm of disasters.  First, because I was new, the auction for a $150 doll was won for $25 free shipping.  Second: For whatever reason, my carrier did not scan it. Third: I made the mistake of not reading the customer's 'feedback left for others' and notified her that her package did not scan but to please notify me when she got it.  Her feedback left for others showed an extraordinary amount of complaints about not getting her items...22 in all.  So I would have been far better off not notifying her at all, but I am sure she would've checked the tracking and still find out I had no control at that point.  

So of course, (but should I really assume? ...mmmm) she claimed she never got it.  This was December 13th that the item was 'sent'.  It was not even two weeks before she started emailing me with 'what is going on'. I didnt want any bad feedback, and I didnt want eBay to get involved. So I offered her either a full refund or a replacement.  Yes, I'll bet you already know what happened next, but let me elaborate because I am sure you want to be further entertained. 

Many times a seller will not send an item that is significantly underpriced and then when the time comes, just refund the customer.  I didnt want to be 'that guy (girl), so I told her I would make another doll for her but since mine are all OOAK it would be LIKE the other doll (and a free little sprite that accompanied it). Reborn custom dolls take up to 6 weeks to complete. Several layers of painting and mine have additional detailing, drying time, sealing and curing.

The customer, knowing this, still kept on me wanting to know when I am sending it. Her last message regarding this item (she bought several after that) stated she was "running out of time to report it". So I told her I would send it immediately with instuctions on where to put it until it is actually ready to be handled. And no I did not tell her to put it there.  

She got the item, was happy and she ordered several more.  So I guess that was my first lesson on how to keep a customer happy. I think or HOPE that even though I read her feedback, I still would've handled it that way because it was obviously the most beneficial outcome.

I have shown great seller faith and have not cause eBay or PayPal any concerns.  If I have something going wrong, I immediately refund. Many people tell me that is ridiculous, but in addition to the aforementioned customer, I have only had one other. A customer who passive aggressively left nasty remarks in the 'positive' area about the $25 set of three doll heads: "wish u’d mentioned they were covered with splotches of old paint and black marks" . She never contacted me, I only found out thru the feedback. So I replied " Sorry didnt check BC just recvd heads NEW from BB & xfered to ur box FULL REFUND". I also sent her the invoice from Bountiful Baby showing that package had been delivered to me just the day before. I had not even looked at the heads.  If you are wondering why I would turn around and sell something that way instead of just having it directly shipped to her, I only use full limbs on my dolls. I ordered 3 kits with full limbs, but did not want the heads. So I put them up for auction after I was notified by BB they were on their way to me.  Turns out, she was a competitor and found the cheapest thing she could so she had an option to use feedback.  I guess she thought eBay would not retract good feedback - however had I called them, which I didnt, I could have it removed. I would've also had that glaring mystery message that said "Feedback removed". Even after all that, she sent me an email stating I did not know how to do business. Maybe she's right, but I sure did learn how to use the blocking pretty fast.

My point: I am a good responsible accountable seller, so why the funding withheld AGAIN???

So now about that backstory on the December 13th item not making it to my buyer.  You may be very suspicious of the customer. Maybe not, maybe so, but lets review that situation.

My mail carrier has a route of over 5000 mail slots and boxes as well as commercial pickups and deliveries a day. Keeping that in mind, and that the carrier load increases dramatically over Christmas, my carrier also went on a 2 week vacation and arrived back on my route the first week of January.  When she did, I met her at the door with more packages for delivery and to tell her about my quandry "Marty, I can't believe this, but one of my packages never scanned and the customer complained they never got it"

What should one expect as a response? "Just give it time, iut could still get there, this can happen during these hectic mail seasons" or maybe "Really? Can you tell me more about the package so I can research it?" or "Have you contacted the post office?" Pretty much reasonable repartee'.

What did Marty say? "Yeah, I remember that package..."

So how many of you just said ...
"wait...WHAT?"

[JusticeNow911]

File a written complaint with California, Attorney General.  They have vowed to investigate if they get enough complaints. I am in the midst of filing with them AGAIN, as after 3 months of BLISS, scampal have again decided to place holds on our sales. Despite the fact that they themselves agree there is nothing wrong with our account (we all ready knew that, ABOVE STANDARD) they continue to do so. we have been FORCED to refund monies from 2 website sales, and will again be forced to refund a buyer on Ebay, due to cost of shipping items and Paypal ABUSiNG their position..

We will be shutting down our business on Ebay. Seems Ebay's hands are tied when it comes to these fools. We assured them we would be back when they launch their own Payment Processing company, which is currently in the works. We will NO longer be subject to Scampals abuse and will be seeking DAMAGES for the funds we have already lost ($350) and the business income we will loose for being forced to close our business on Ebay. 

These people need to be SHUT down, or better still subject to takover.  Do you realize that Paypal is NOT FDIC insured?? Your money, buyers money, no ones money is safe with them. If they were shut down or filed BK tomorrow you would out of luck?? Don't let their long lived "GROOMING" of secure payment method, fool you. THEY ARE NOT  A BANK.  What they are , is an ABUSIVE company, that STEALS the money belonging to other's and then hide behind their computer, employeing jack **bleep** to do their dirty work. 

My SECOND complaint to the California Attorney General is on it's way. This time, NO settlement. I want to see the CA Atty Gen. Shut these scam artists down.  A class suit action is inevitable. 

To those looking for brownie points with paypal, who have/will  ignorantly state: "READ the AGREEMENT", do your homework. Just because it is stated in an Agreement, DOES NOT make it A LEGAL PRACTICE, regardless of how common it is. Hence, ALL Agreements have the Disclaimer Clause, which states something along the lines, "any section of this Agreement deemed Illegal/unenforceable, shall not deem the entire Agreement Illegal/UNenforceable".  

[JusticeNow911]

Ask California, Attorney General, about having their  ACH Authorization  suspended/terminated.  Paypal have abused way to many people and got away with it.