eBay payment received but on hold - and buyer now ignoring...

[PeteCSS]

Hi all, I hope someone can help...

I've recently sold an item that I understand to be 'high risk' due to the value, but took the necessary steps to safeguard myself and the buyer by purchasing 'guaranteed next day delivery postage' via eBay and communicating with the buyer regularly. Now, up to the point of the buyer having sent payment and asking me when I would be sending the item, communication was good. I can see the payment sat as 'held' in my account, but now the buyer has gone quiet on me and isnt returning messages/emails. I have tracked the item and ebay/Royal mail a confirms that the item has been delivered and signed for by the recipient, but my worry is - now he's gone quiet - that he has 0 feedback and is a scammer. I have tried to safeguard myself by doing all I can through eBay and they advise me that my payment is safe, but isnt due to clear until the 12th February. Is there any way the payment can be processed sooner, knowing that he has the item in hand?

Any help appreciated!

Thanks,

Peter

[kernowlass]

@PeteCSS

If you are subject to the new seller hold then paypal holds your payment and not the buyer.

The buyer is only refunded if they win a dispute for item not received or not as described but that is the same even if you had the money in your bank account.

However Ebay and Paypal are 2 separate companies and have 2 separate policies for holding funds for new sellers.
If yours was an Ebay transaction then its an Ebay hold and Ebay authorise when paypal can release the funds.
Normally for the Ebay hold funds are released when tracking shows the item as delivered + 3 days if you use Ebay / paypal postage.

Info in this Ebay link below about Ebays hold.
https://ocsnext.ebay.co.uk/ocs/sr?query=1746