PayPal Community

First, let me make everyone aware that Paypal still does run this site & does indeed monitor it's content.  I found that out when months ago, I made a comment & they considered themselves "correcting" me about it being noted (very, very, small and not upfront I might add), that they do tell you your money MAY be  held. I received an email with that information to say they will defend themselves.  Wrong is still wrong no matter how you try to dress it up with having that info. somewhere on the page, but not prominently to make your customers really aware of it like everything else you push at them being BIG and BOLD and UPFRONT to be sure they don't miss it.   Now, I sold a few handbags that ended up costing me almost $40 in fees!  NO, I did  not use all the high priced Ebay tools either.  They got me on the percentage they take from the sales prices so the more you make, the more they make.   *****I REMOVED MY FUNDING SOURCE FROM PAYPAL PURPOSELY BECAUSE I KNEW I DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDS IN MY CHECKING ACCT. & WANTED EBAY TO BILL ME THAT MONTH (and received an email stating my funding source had been removed), BUT...PAYPAL PAID EBAY ANYWAY AND OVERDREW MY ACCT.!    They swear they would never go back and retrieve previous info. to put a pmt. through, but they did. IF YOU DO NOT KNOW, whichever way it goes, PAYPAL OWNS EBAY OR EBAY OWNS PAYPAL, it's listed on the site, so they look out for themselves.   Two companies looking out for each other means you'll end up with the problem while they make sure they get paid.   As for your comment, I wouldn't put it past them to earn interest while they hold your money.  It's unethical, but they do it just like banks.  The difference is, you can get a free checking acct., but you're paying paypal directly.  I not only had to close my checking acct., I have to pay them for the almost $40 plus the initial overdraft, plus all the fees (about another $50 for my acct. continually being overdrawn because I didn't have the money to clear up the overdraft immediately).  That's why I removed my funding source in the first place.   EBAY is not how it was years ago.  That's why Craigslist is winning & Ebay is trying to stop them in court.  Craigslist is free and easy.  I've sold a lot on their site very easily.  Local sales really are easy.  I've had no problems.] Generally as long as you let people know on your listing serious buyers only, meet at a very public place in the daytime, cash only....no problems.  ... View more

I'm sorry but that;'s not true.  I just a had a 21 day hold & I add tracking to EVERY package at my expense to protect myself.  I also email the buyer the tracking info. via paypal & still could not get my money until the buyer left feedback to prove they were satisfied with the item they purchased! The hold is not just so that they buyer gets the item, it's to ensure they are satisfied with it, so if they're not and want a refund, the money is still in your acct. ... View more

I do ship since my issue is not with the purchaser who did indeed pay for their item and deserves to receive it.   One of many reasons this is a problem is because most people use the money from the payment to ship (shipping charge included with payment).  My listings state "immediately available funds".  I don't accept e-checks because they take too long to clear & I've had a couple that didn't clear at all or had the clearance times extended because people purchased but didn't have the money to pay.  Once they make an e-check payment, you're stuck and have to sell to them, even though you don't ship until it's cleared.  Snail mail is often faster.   What does  need to be included is to the BUYER, that they have 7 days after the item is received to request a refund if they are not satisfied (IF the listing states a refund is available) unless the item is grossly misrepresented.  It places some responsibility on the buyer to not drag their feet if they need a refund knowing the money will be released in 7 days after the item is received.   There has to be a better way to be fair to both the buyers and the sellers.  Sellers can't afford to wait 21 days. ... View more

THANK YOU!  That's the other thing.  We are shipping out of pocket.  So we are out our item, our payment, plus shipping costs and have to wait 21 days?!?!!? The truth is Ebay just suffered 3rd quarter losses, is losing massive amouns of money to FREE Craigslist, and is trying everything to get consumers to use them, but in the process they're messing over the sellers. ... View more

No one on this forum is crazy.  That little blurb is designed to NOT deter people from using paypal, while the Paypal icon with Mastercard, Visa, AMEX, Discover, and Bank under Electronic Payment Methods is displayed large and in color so people go on and use it, then find out after they've sold the item, contacted the buyer, and shipped the item.   **Here's the other issue:  The seller doesn't usually see the hold on the funds until AFTER they ship the item.  I didn't.  I saw paypal pmt. received, so I shipped.  After I went back to the acct to use the money, then I found it had a 21 day hold on it & had to contact the buyer to ask ever so politely if they could PLEASE leave feedback as soon as they received the item so I wouldn't have to wait 21 days.  If the buyer didn't care since they got what they wanted, I would still be waiting for my money. The buyers shouldn't have to be put in the middle of this in order to get our money sooner.   SINCE VAGUE SEEMS TO BE THE GAME PAYPAL IS PLAYING, LET'S BE SPECIFIC SO THERE'S NO MISUNDERSTANDING......WHAT DETERMINES IF THE PAYMENT WILL BE HELD?!?!?! HOW LONG DOES ONE HAVE TO HAVE AN EBAY ACCOUNT, HOW MANY POSITIVE FEEDBACKS DOES A PERSON HAVE TO HAVE, DO ANY NEGATIVES WITHIN A CERTAIN TIMEFRAME DETERMINE IT, DO ANY DISPUTES DETERMINE IT?!!?!?!?  None of those answers are listed anywhere on Ebay or Paypal and since Ebay owns paypal, it doesn't benefit them to do so. ... View more

On the Ebay sell your item form it should be in BIG, BOLD, SPECIFIC letters that paypal will hold your funds for 21 days if you've had an acct. for less than whatever time or less than however many positive feedback. Instead...it states paypal may hold your funds to ensure a smooth transaction with a link to the 21 days clause and it still does NOT state what determines if you will be the one they're holding funds from (that is listed NOWHERE).   When people are in the midst of listing an item, they are not going to stop and click a link to get off that page to read your disclaimer that still isn't specific.  NO ONE even thinks a hold would be 21 days!  My impression was a hold until it was proven the item was delivered (I add delivery conf. to ALL items), not until the seller leaves feedback whenever they get around to it or wait 3 weeks whichever comes first. ... View more

NONSENSE!  The language is VERY vague & should list guidelines (specific) as to what determines if a payment will be held.  Saying it MAY be held isn't good enough & it's unethical. If I knew for example that pmts. would be held because I had an account less than 3 months or less than 10 positive feedback, then I'd know what to expect. Paypal does NOT give specifics to determine IF they will hold funds so the SELLER will know for sure before they use paypal & it's obviously to paypal's benefit not to be specific! Either it IS or IS NOT.  There are NO shades of grey when it comes to dealing with people's money, esp. in this economy. Sellers don't have time to wait 21 days or at the whim of whether or not a buyer decides to leave feedback to determine when they will get their money because it means they are out of their item that they could have sold elsewhere (and probably will from  now on) & they have to wait 3 weeks for their money, then hope that the BUYER is ethical and will provide honest feedback.   ... View more

The problem is that paypal states it has had many unethical sellers, so they hold the money to make sure buyers actually receive the item & are satisfied, BUT the REAL problem is for sellers who are honest.  They have to wait (policy) 21 days (not 3 not 17)...21 days OR until the BUYER confirms they have received the item AND are satisfied with it by leaving feedback on ebay. Many buyers (esp. new) don't leave feedback or might not be honest about receiving the item or the condition to try to get their money back which leaves the sellers out in the cold.  Ebay is in it's 3rd quarter loss and has lost tons due to Craigslist and much higher fees than they used to have (I've been an ebayer since 2002 on another acct.).    Paypal also states they hold the money in case a refund is necessary.   THEY DO NOT ANYWHERE TELL YOU BEFOREHAND YOUR MONEY WILL BE HELD OR PEOPLE WOULDN'T USE EBAY!  Ebay owns paypal so based on fairly new accts. it shouldn't be too hard to tell sellers their money will be held BEFORE they list or decide to use paypal.  Snail mail money order payment would be faster than 21 ridiculous days.   Yet another reason why they're losing money.  I just got an invoice for almost $40 for 3 items!!!! I've never paid $40/month in fees in the last 8 years! ... View more