HORRIBLE IDEA TO HOLD FUNDS FOR 21 DAYS!!!

[gearhed78]

  Holding funds from sellers until the buyer leaves feedback is the worst idea EVER! Since when does Paypal become an authority on buyer satisfaction?? A smooth transaction is all that I wanted from Paypal. If they are going to hold funds, then they should make it very clear BEFORE you use them!  Keeping my money in their account for 21 days is a HUGE disadvantage of using Paypal. Stick to transferring funds,not trying to be a satisfaction authority!

[femsol]

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@lms65 wrote:

I think I will try Craigs list to sell my items, Do they have these issues. I will not use paypal again!!!

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Hi Ims65,

Craig's list does not charge fees nor do they get involved in the payment of itmes for sale but they have their own set of unique problems--namely fraud and security.  Craig's list transactions are normally done face to face depending on what you are selling.  There are suggestions posted on the Craig's List site  as well as other sites you can find doing a google search about meeting with potential buyers, keeping it safe and public, scams galore but many people use Craig's List.  I would just suggest you read the warnings and I personally only take cash--no checks or money orders unless I can confirm the money order is legitimate.  The only other issue I have Craig's List is that people like to bargain but that is ok with me--best part no fees and no big brother eBay.  Try it and post results.

[Djten]

You're asking about Craig's? I guess you'll have to check it out, and go throug trial & error like anything else. In fact, I think I'll explore that myself!

[chironomid]

This Thursday last a noticed a message at the top of my PayPal account page. The gist of the message was that henceforth funds from future sales MIGHT possibly be held up to 21 days. MIGHT be. After reading the conditions under which the funds MIGHT be held in pending payment and the conditions under which they WOULD NOT be held I felt pretty sure that this wasn't a problem for me. I've been with ebay for 10 1/2 years, my current feedback is over 3600. ALL postives. NO negatives. NO neutrals. NO claims or disputes against me as a seller. EVER.

That same evening I called customer support for....reassurance? The gal I talked to was polite enough. She said that the notice of POSSIBLE funds being held was sent to each and every PayPal user. She said I should in NO WAY feel that I had done ANYTHING wrong.

Less than 24 hours later, the very next day, this Friday last, I logged onto my Paypal account page and a new message said that henceforth ALL payments from future transactions would be held for up to 21 days. ALL. Did the fact that I voiced concern to the customer support person trigger the hold on ALL future funds I receive. It seems awfully coincidental. I don't believe in coincidences. Especially when there's a buck involved.

I'm more HURT and DISAPPOINTED than I am MAD. I've always tried my very best to be as good an ebay seller AND buyer as possible. ALWAYS prompt payments as a buyer, ALWAYS fast shipments as a seller. I NEVER try to gouge anyone on shipping charges. I've NEVER tried to circumvent the ebay process to avoid fees. I've ALWAYS thought the fees ebay AND PayPal charge were and ARE reasonable.

I've ALWAYS appreciated the opportunity that ebay has provided for me to buy things I want and sell things I don't want. Up till now PayPal has always worked trouble-free and as smooth as silk for me and made it both easy and convenient for me to both send AND receive money for my ebay activities.

I have several dozen DVD's currently listed on ebay. There'll probably be about 30 or so transactions from these listings. As I've always done, I'll mail the DVD's as soon as the money shows up in PayPal. Held Pending Payment or whatever. I'll upload the Delivery Confirmation Tracking Numbers to PayPal, which I had NOT been doing before. And I'll wait and see if the funds are released 3 days AFTER confirmation of delivery.

I'm going to jump through every single hoop and not touch the rim on any of them on my way through. And I'll wait to see what happens. If I get paid after delivery confirmation with no hassles? Then fine, I can live with this 21 day rule or the week to 10 days or so it takes to ship and confirm delivery.

What really sticks in my craw is that, no matter WHAT customer support says, I feel that I'm being pre-emtively PUNISHED for something I most likely will never be guilty of.

And for that, ebay and PayPal, I say shame, shame, SHAME on you! And just before Christmas? 

It's enough to make even Ebenezer Scrooge lurch and cringe. 

[madjen]

Hi, Its interesting to hear everyones story and I try to email back, just to let

you know your not alone, because at first, I felt singled out and I too,

have always done everything right. I was hurt ,but that quickly turned to anger

after being on the phone for hours and getting contradictory stories. They

have released my funds when I get feedback. The biggest problem I have

is they should have issued a statement that this was going to happen and

what you needed to do to avoid this from happening and it should be a 30

day notice, not surprise and right before Christmas.

Even though ebay is the biggest of onlines,after this, I have decided to take

my business elsewhere. And yes, we do get to sell online through them, but

they get a TON of money (too much now if you ask me) from us you know.

Hope you have good holidays.

[Hal]

Good for you chironomid for you posting on 12/22/09.  You, like most buyers and sellers on ebay are an honest lot.  I loved your statement about being pre-emptivly punished for something that might happen.  With your record of buying and selling your funds should not me held longer than the time it takes to electronically transfer them to you account.  This policy of holding the money of everyone because of a few reminds me of a saying we had in the Navy that was along the same lines.  "No more liberty until moral improves."  I have no business model to go by but this policy does seem to me like it is self defeating.  Ebay/PayPal are not going after the ones that cause the problems so they are putting the burden on every seller.  This is policy of punishing everyone so they know they are getting the ones who are not doing the right thing.  I ask, is this good for business?

Having only sold one item on Ebay (a motorcycle), I do not know all the ins and outs of selling.  On the other hand, I have bought several hundred items and I do know how frustrating it can be when a purchase goes wrong.  Thank goodness I've only had a few.  One that comes to mind was the purchase of a book off "Half.com", which is another arm of Ebay.  I ordered this book to use as a reference while on vacation to Disney World.  I ordered the book about a month before my vacation and thought that should be plenty of time to allow for any delay in shipping.  The book never came.  After my vacation, I contacted the seller through Ebay, as Ebay requires, to get a refund.  I waited ten days and never got a reply.  That is when I filed a complaint through Ebay.  The first thing they told me was to contact the seller using the "ask the seller a question" function.  I wrote back to Ebay and told them I had already done that and enclosed a copy of the email I sent the seller.  When I first asked the seller for a refund using the "ask the seller a question" function, I was smart enough to send a copy to myself just in case a question should come up.  Then the fun began.  Ebay sent me another email telling me again that the first thing I needed to do was contact the seller.  I then sent another email to Ebay saying that I had done that and I had sent a copy to them.  I also said that if anyone would read my emails, they would know what I had done and that I wanted to proceed with my complaint.  I never got any further than this although the emails would be sent back and forth.  Finally the sixty days to file a complaint had expired and I just threw my hands in the air and gave up.

This is not the same as the problem the sellers are having now but the problems are related.  My seller, the one who sold me the "phantom" book got her money.  Even if the 21 day holding policy were in effect then it would not have mattered.  The reason is that I waited over thirty days to initiate a complaint.  Therefore the 21 day waiting period would have ended and she would get her money.  The buyer and seller complaint policies don't match.  The buyer has 60 days to file a complaint so if they are patient and hold the faith that the seller may be running behind, they will lose their money.  The bad seller will get the money and the other sellers will have their money held 21 days.

And now you know the rest of the story.  (Thanks Paul, I remember you)

Hal

[Temp20230601K]

is there any info on any current class action lawsuits going on against paypal right now i want in on it 

[ocpoolman2000]

Here Ya Go!   letssuepaypal.com
This is for real.  I am in it for the duration.  Also,  write your senator and congressman  and the  Better Business Bureu. I am calling  ABC NBC and CBS also.  I want to bring these Pieces __ ____!!  down.  With enough people complaining maybe we will get somewhere!./.

[amethystlady2]

The only ones who get anything out of a Class Action lawsuit are the attorneys!  Even if your side wins!

[femsol]

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@amethystlady2 wrote:

The only ones who get anything out of a Class Action lawsuit are the attorneys!  Even if your side wins!

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You are absolutely right about the attorneys making money in class action suits however the expense they incur to handle a class action suit and the enormous amount of time involved without members of the class having to front  their own money is overwhelming.  Depending on your motives, suing eBay/Paypal is not about monetary damages but standing up for a principal, put these companies on notice that we will not continue to be bullied and subjected to their arbitrary changes in TOS.  Personally I want them to back down or be put out of business.  If I can help by joining my voice in a class action suit that is enough for me--I am not looking at this from what can I get out of it.  For those of you who feel individually you have suffered bigger losses then hire an attorney and take on eBay in an independant court case against the eBay''s legal team of sharks.  In a personal lawsuit you can prove your exact damages and perhaps request punitive damages and your attorney's fees which I might add can also be added to a class action suit.   I an a casual seller and buyer so the impact on me has been small compared to the other stories I have read in this topic.,