Payment put on hold for the first time?

[ElToroLondon]

I've sold maybe four or five things with PayPal and never encountered any problems until yesterday, I got told that my payment is being held. Is the buyer able to request that my payment is held? As some kind of scam under the pretence of 'security measures'. I dont have too much experience with PayPal and any potential disputes. I have not yet sent the item to the buyer but in the case that upon receiving it they should want a refund, surely I must get the item back before any refund is made?

Many thanks.  

[kernowlass]

@ElToroLondon 

Sounds like the new seller hold, read the link to check.

https://www.paypal.com/uk/smarthelp/article/why-are-my-payments-for-non-ebay-sales-pending-and-how-c...

[ElToroLondon]

Yeah I read about all that - what is a little bit strange is that on the PayPal website it says money will be released within a day of delivery but on the phone it said it will take three days? ALSO: Is a BUYER able to request that the money be held - surely not right?

[kernowlass]

@ElToroLondon 

Depends on the venue that you are selling on....

if its an Ebay sale / Ebay hold then funds are released on delivery + 3 days.

if its another site via Paypal and Paypals hold then funds are normally released on delivery + 1 day.

As you didn't say whether it was Ebay or not then I gave you Paypals link.

The hold is between you and either ebay or you and paypal if its due to the new seller hold, it has nothing to do with the buyer.

The buyer has buyer protection even if you had the funds in your bank account so there is no reason for them to ask for it to be put on hold.

The new seller hold is to protect paypal from new sellers that don't refund buyers and so Paypal has to do so under their buyer protection scheme and then they have the hassle of trying to chase the seller to pay them back again.

[ElToroLondon]

Hi, thanks for your reply.

It was non-ebay sale.

I apologise if I am being pedantic - just to be clear - a buyer CANT request the money be put on hold, only PayPal makes this decision? 

Just to check, "on delivery" means when I send it or when it is received by the buyer?

If it is the latter of the two, do they need to do anything to say that they have received the parcel or will this be confirmed due to the tracking ID if that makes sense?

Apologies for being a bit suspicious, I don't have much expeirence with this website and thus far I've not encountered a hold before.