Negative PayPal balance - help

VC88

Hi

I sold an electrical item on 25th November to someone in the US and sent out on 30th November once they had paid. I had originally listed just one postage service - Airmail - but added two more postage options to the invoice, both of which were tracked services. (Airsure, etc.). The standard, non-trakced service costs more because I am able to get a discount on the tracked services. I clearly explained this is my invoice to the buyer yet she still chose the more expensive, standard option (which I couldn't remove due to it being in the eBay listing originally).
About an hour after posting, I updated the eBay item saying item had been dispatched. The little box icon has been displaying yellow ever since.

The services clearly states 5-10 WORKING days. The buyer opened an unreceived item case yesterday claiming she had not yet received item but also said I had not updated the dispatch details, and had been uncooperative when she had messaged me asking where the item was. I have been nothing but helpful and have spent a lot of time explaining things in my messages. However, every time she replies it's as if she has completely ignored everything I have said and just keeps saying "this has been so upsetting and unpleasant, you are arguing with me and taking the fun out of my shopping experience". I really do feel like I'm being scammed, given how she didn't want tracked postage and is lying about other things. Besides, when she opened the case yesterday, it had only been ten days IN TOTAL, not ten working days. Also, with it coming up to Christmas, a delay is possible.

My PayPal balance has been put into negative of -£108 (I had a balance of £0 before this as I always withdraw my money straight away). I can't remove my cards or addresses. I know I have done nothing wrong and there is no chance of me letting her keep the item (which literally looks and work as if brand new because it's only been used twice) as well as my money. I think the whole situation is disgusting. Is there any way I can prevent my cards/money being used? I have cancelled my ebay and paypal debits on my online banking but obviously my card details, etc. are still in my PayPal profile. I was thinking of phoning the bank and telling them I'd lost both of my cards (technically, I need new cards because the new style Halifax cards have never worked in ATMs for me and I've had to order new ones in the last few months).

Help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Jen_Jen1985

Unfortunatly if you cannot prove delivery you will lose the case.
If it had been me and I could get the tracked services cheaper than non track I would have just gone with it for that value and refunded the buyer the difference, as tracking is for your protection not the buyers.

theonlywayisup

As post 2.

You will lose the dispute without tracking.

Transfer money from your bank to cover the negative balance.

soolin

Why didn't you just add a note to the listing to say that item would be tracked despite standard airmail being shown? Then as tracking was cheaper refund the difference if buyer still paid more for the standard service?

Tracking is not for the benefit of the buyer, only for the seller.

Also your dates suggest it has already been over the estimated time frame for delivery that ebay states, so I cannot see how that means the buyer is at fault here. I have issues with the daft time frames that ebay give at this time of year- but that is not the fault of the buyer. Their time frame shows from the dat eof auction win in mnay cases (there is an odd glitch on some auctions) so I have had 'where is my item' emails almost the day after I have posted due to ebay including Sundays etc in their estimates.

VC88

Just a quick update on this post: Got an e-mail a couple of days ago saying the case had automatically been closed because the buyer hadn't responded and the case had run out of time.

I then got a second email saying the eBay team had looked into the complaints I'd made and after investigation they had decided to suspend the user. They'd reviewed the copy of the invoice I sent the buyer clearly stating in two sections that there were cheaper, tracked delivery options available for her to use. They'd also reviewed the many screen shots of messages I'd sent them, of the buyer admitting she'd seen the tracked option but decided to go ahead with standard delivery anyway; also the fact that she had been extremely abusive, accusing me of not doing things which I had actually done, and that on the day of opening the case she told me she was refusing to have any further communication with me but still expected me to refund her.

The eBay team also said the time period had been relevant to their decision in that she opened the case before the estimated delivery period had lapsed and hadn't waited the full ten working days (and a reasonable amount of time afterwards, given that it was the busy Christmas period) before opening a dispute for item not received.

Needless to say I am glad it's all over, transaction had been a nightmare from start to finish and definitely the worst I've ever had in nearly a decade of using eBay!

techspec

Good news - but still don't understand why you didn't send tracked anyway. Tracking protects the seller - not the buyer.

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