Paypal insist on a tracking number despite the item being collection only

[sijackson]

Hi

I have a problem with a payment being on hold. The item sold on Ebay on the 11th October, the item was a 12ft camera jib crane and was listed for collection only. The buyer paid on the 11th Oct, payment cleared no probs. the buyer collected the crane on the 13th October. On Ebay the listing is labelled as collected.

Now Paypal insist on a tracking number despite knowing the item was collected in person. I have being going around in circles with a rep called Angelica Paula, she insists she cannot release the funds until a tracking number is provided despite me telling her on numerous occasions that the item was collected form my address by the buyer which is confirmed by Ebay. It seems Paypal do not trust the word of Ebay or there is insufficient communication between Paypal and Ebay, either way this whole issue is just an absolute farce.

Some of the messages from Angelica:

"Thank you so much for contacting PayPal. Hi Simon, My name is Angel and I know you are concern about your funds on hold, don't worry I am here to help you. Since the item was personally delivered. The buyer needs to confirm the receipt to release your funds. Or you would need to wait for 21 days."

"The buyer needs to contact us so we can help."

"This is all eBay criteria and for PayPal we based it on a tracking number integrated with our carrier. Since this is collected they would need to confirm receipt."

"If they did the process correctly the funds will be released instantly. They have to do it correctly to access your funds."

"We can only release the funds if there is a valid tracking number integrated with PayPal. The funds will be automatically release after 21 days. And that's going to be on November 1, 2020 at 9:36 PM GMT."

"eBay collections is not integrated to PayPal that's why we can't release it. You will have an access to your funds after 21 days."

So, I have contacted the buyer. The buyer claims there is ZERO evidence whatsoever of this transaction in her paypal account and that she paid by credit card on Ebay.

Do I really need to wait 21 days for my funds to clear despite the fact the buyer has been using this crane for a week now?

What could I have done better, I am just confused about all this not knowing where I have gone wrong

i hope someone can shed some light on this matter

Simon

[sijackson]

This gets worse

So Paypal asked me to contact the buyer to get the buyer to contact Paypal in order to confirm collection of the Jib Crane. The buyer has contacted me informing me that she has contacted Paypal to confirm collection and also given positive feedback on Ebay.

But now Angelica has moved the goal posts on this and is now back to insisting on a tracking number again, which of course is impossible to provide for a collection only item.

I have provided the positive feedback from the buyer to Paypal which is the following:

Very happy with the item received in person. It’s very useful and it works fine

12ft Camera Jib Arm with Tripod (#143697959695)


yet despite this, I have just received a message from the ignorant bot Angelica who cannot seem to answer a simple question or even comprehend the question asked:

"Positive Feedback is an eBay criteria we can only release the funds if the tracking information is integrated with PayPal."

round and round in circles we go

and another:

"Feedback and collections are eBay's Criteria. PayPal always based on tracking information. The funds will be released if they did the process correctly since the transaction is not on their account. It means that the buyer purchase it as a guest by using their card directly. So there is no really an option to confirm receipt. Confirm receipt is only available if they Log in with their PayPal."

So that response above, makes little sense to me, yet this is the level of support we get from Paypal, it's a joke, and a really bad one.

"The funds will be released if they did the process correctly" what does that even mean? such an ambiguous useless statement that helps no one

The buyer used a credit card so the whole system falls over and the seller needs to wait 21 days???? Why oh why is this an issue

any help sorting this?

[sijackson]

Still more nonsense from Angelica

From me:

"Angelica, you have requested the buyer contact you, She has! Now what else do you need?

What else do I need to do, now that the buyer has confirmed collection with Paypal as requested by you.

11:42 AM"

Response from Angelica:

"If they paid the transaction as a guest the buyer don't have an option to confirm the receipt. You would need to wait for 21 days to access the funds."

So despite the buyer confirming receipt with Paypal. Paypal insist there is no way for the buyer to confirm receipt even though she has contacted them directly herself CONFIRMING RECEIPT of the item??? Does this make any damn sense to any one?

What the hell am I missing here?

I am livid about this

[sijackson]

So despite the buyer confirming receipt of the item directly to Paypal, sorry it's not enough. The buyer needs to contact Paypal AGAIN, according to Angelica. I also asked her what I had done wrong with the transaction in order to avoid this mess in the future.

Angelica:
"You didn't do anything wrong it's just that the only way to release funds is have the buyer confirm the receipt. I would recommend to have the buyer contact us again so we can check if they are doing the process correctly."

"If they are doing this process correctly"
I mean why is that up to me to sort out? Why do I as a seller have to make sure that the buyer is doing the process correctly, I have no control whatsoever over the payment process, thats what we pay Paypal a fee for.

The plot thickens and gets more bizarre with these ambiguous nonsensical responses from the bot Angelica

I am giving up here

[sijackson]

Zero response
Zero Help

What an utterly useless forum

Thanks Paypal 😞

[kernowlass]

@sijackson 

Personally I think you should never use Paypal for an item that is to be collected or personally delivered as you have 0 seller protection.

Your buyer can collect the item and then file a dispute for non receipt of item. As you would have no tracking number to prove delivery of the item to him then you 'may' lose the dispute.

That is why Ebay give you the option of 'cash on collection' and you can state in your decription that that is the only payment you will accept. If a buyer pays with Paypal then you are allowed to refund that payment and re-state 'cash on collection'.

That way you have cash in hand / no wait / no fee / no risk of a dispute.

However the rep is correct, with the new seller hold funds are released when tracking shows delivery of the item + 1 day.

If its a service / digital item or collected then you can mark the item as processed or shipped and the buyer may have the confirm receipt option on their paypal account. IF the buyer confirms then funds are normally released 7 days later BUT that option is not always available.