Paypal - buyer paid with card under investigation

Shadow_2

Hi

Just wondering if I can ask some advice please?

Have sold an item on ebay earlier this month and the buyer paid in full via paypal. As my norm, I posted the item to them the same day retaining RM's proof of postage slip.

This morning, I had an e-mail from Paypal stating (and I quote):

"We regret to inform you that you received funds from an account with
reports of fraudulent bank account use. The transaction listed below is
under review" etc etc.

They then go on to list the buyer/sum involved and request 6 lengthy responses from me within 7 days, of course having in the meantime withdrawn my funds and frozen them "pending investigation".

We are talking just over £6 in total for this transaction which for all the time and hassle and information they require from me hardly seems worth it.

I know, it's the principal, but my question here is: am I ever likely to receive this money back if I do send all this information? If the answer is no, then I shall have to write this off to experience and thank my lucky stars that it wasn't a higher value transaction.

To answer any questions you may be asking :
- I'm a regular ebayer with hundreds of feedback and regular user of paypal for smaller value transactions;
- the buyer seemed legit (I always check everyone out by looking up feedback and doing an advanced search on them and this buyer was still buying last week various low value clothes items and has no negatives).

The only dubious point was that they paid me directly into paypal rather than the ebay checkout route so it didn't show up in ebay that they'd paid, but I manually adjust these anyway. I've not had any e-mail correspondence from this person (not overly unusual), I've not left feedback and nor have they. I e-mailed to say it was on it's way but that's about all - nothing since and I written this transaction off to a non-communicative buyer but the norm these days.

Sorry to ramble, but will I ever be re-imbursed by paypal?????
I actually hold them responsible as they should check funds sources prior to sending monies, but I am sure in all the small reams of legal speak they waived any rights to being responsible when I ticked the "I accept" button.

Thanks (in anticipation!) - apologies again for rambling, wanted to get all my thoughts/frustrations out here!

Shadow

masonic

If it was a payment that wasn't connected to the ebay transaction, then I don't think you'll be covered by paypal seller protection, so the bad news is I don't think you'll see your money again. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but if you are not covered by seller protection, there is a £7 administration charge that's levied on you for these invesigations.

Shadow_2

Thanks Masonic - I thought as much having just read your previous correspondence with a fellow MSE'r which had the relevant link to it.

I guess the upshot is that I (and all ebay sellers!) should stipulate that they have to pay via ebay link to paypal within checkout, and not directly to an e-mail address seperately, otherwise monies will be refunded by the seller? (assuming I wish to carry on with paypal of course!).

Goes to show even a seasoned ebayer can still learn something!!!!!

I will respond to paypal (even though inclined not to) but thinking this through and outloud so correct me if I'm wrong, I suppose I could in theory, claim my lowly ebay fees back as an NPB (I've actually not manually updated their "paid and posted" flags in my sold section - phew!) and I could get them a strike as the bare minumum.

I'm not unduly stressed by all this as I had to rush my little one to hospital last week for a night, so in the great scheme of things £6 odd isn't the world, but it is the principal I'm prepared to stand up for on this. Many thanks for your reply.

Partysax

Paypal just never want to take responsibilty, they are willing to charge HIGH fees but not pay out when they wrong. If paypal took the card they should take the hot not the seller. It is time to move to Nochex

nads

PayPal Sux.