Shipping, Payment hold

[Babyavi2196]

I received this message in a email & I was wondering was it a scam or not because I don’t understand how I’m expected to buy something with the money that was sent to me when PayPal says they’re holding the money until I buy it .Is this PayPal actual email or is this a fake scam email???? The email I received stated “ This PayPal® payment has been deducted from the buyer's account and has been "APPROVED" but will not be credited to your account until the shipment reference/tracking number is sent to us for verification so as to secure both the buyer and the seller. Below are the necessary information requested before your account will be credited.Send tracking number to us or email us through this mail and our Customer security service center will attend to you. As soon as you send us the shipment's tracking number to us for security purposes and the safety of the buyer and seller. **PLEASE NOTE** Once item has been shipped and the tracking number sent to us, You will receive a "CONFIRMATION EMAIL" from PayPal® Team informing you that the Fund has been credited to your Account.Thanks for using PayPal . You are require to ship out the item and get back to us with the tracking number or custom form number. We would like to inform you that we need you to send us the picture of the Vanilla Gift card so we can release the fund into your account right away and you will have access to it immediately and you can get the package shipped and send us the tracking number.We advise you to scan the receipt of the Vanilla Gift Card and the picture of the card scratched to confirm maybe the card has been bought or not. Once we receive the picture of the scratched card from you we will release the fund into your account immediately and you can be able to have access to it immediately.. Respond to this mail within 24 hours as your PayPal account is to be credited once we receive the scratch card picture from you”

[sharpiemarker · Accepted solution]

@Babyavi2196 

Typically, one would look at the sending email address of the email and compare the email address from an authentic PayPal email.

In general, when you get a real PayPal email confirmation, it contains very basic info: who paid, how much, for what and transaction ID and not much else. 

The wording of the email is not something PayPal will say in a payment confirmation. Providing tracking number is optional and for purpose of proof of delivery in disputes and also not required to release held funds as PayPal would release funds after 21 days anyway, if the other party REALLY paid.

And PayPal never hides payment from you asking to ship first/give tracking number before you seeing/receiving payment in your account. So it is, in my estimation, a scam/spoof email. Do not ship until you see a record of payment. Even if the payment is subject to a PayPal hold, you would still see a record of payment.

[Babyavi2196]

thank you for letting me...you helped me out alot

[sharpiemarker]

@Babyavi2196 

You're very welcome. 🙂

[mtozzi970]

I'm having a similar sort of issue. The buyer initiated the payment, including the shipping fee, and is now waiting for the item. Unfortunately, paypal has not only put a hold on that money but all money in my account. So now I'm stuck in a catch 22 flavored chicken egg with both edges of my sword too dull to cut air. The hold wont be lifted until I can show that the item has shipped but I can't buy a shipping label because all my money is on hold. What exactly am I supposed to do? The whole reason I'm having to sell my belongings is because I lost my job when Colorado went on lockdown. I'm literally living penny to penny as I find ways to squeeze whatever little bit of money out of anything I own of value. I wish I had $50 to just buy the label (Insurance was very expensive) and get on my with my life. Even if I could somehow put quarters through my router into paypals bank accounts I still wouldn't have enough. 

It's so frustrating. And embarrassing. And sad. This is such an unnecessary struggle. Why can't ebay or paypal cover the $50 while they have nearly 50x the amount of my money on hold. Money I'm desperately needing and they don't seem to acknowledge that anyone, in this current situation, might be struggling.  Not everyone is lucky enough to have the cushion that some do.

I'm sorry to rant but I have no doubt that there are others like me, that don't know wether to laugh at the absurdity of this situation or just let the tears out. Both at the same time maybe. Seems to be appropriate.