Ebay & Auctions Board: Useful Links, Info & FAQs

frivolous_fay

If you realise within 24 hours of posting an item that you have sent an item to a scammer (and you have proof... or you have just been told about Nigerian scams) it can sometimes be possible to stop the item reaching its destination. Consider this a last resort, and don't count on it! You'll need to jump through so many hoops, the chances of succeeding are by no means good... but it's better than doing nothing!

* * * * *

Stage 1.

A complaint has to be made to the Police that outlines the circumstances behind the parcel/letter being posted and your reasons for believing the recipient has acted fraudulently.

Stage 2.

The Police must supply the Royal Mail fraudulent parcel team ([FONT=arial,sans-serif]02072396655[/FONT]) with a copy of your written statement.

Stage 3

The Royal Mail, acting in accordance with R.I.P.A, part 1 section 2 (postal services act 2000), will then attempt to intercept the item.

tsharp

It costs to withdraw less than £50 from paypal, so would depositing money into it to make it to £50, then withdrawing it work?

soolin

This is a working draft, so I will be back to amend it later, these are the strict rules for full seller protection. Obviously some people may have their own comfort zone as to when they will work outside the rules, but this is hopefully going to answer the many questions we get along the lines of 'will I be safe if I do this?'

1. You must be verified and have a premier or business account
2. Only transactions between UK, US or Canadian buyers and sellers qualify
3. Post to a confirmed address, as displayed in ‘Transaction Details’. This ensures that the item goes to the buyer at an address we have details of.
4. Retain proof of postage that can be tracked online, such as Royal Mail’s Recorded Delivery *. If you hand deliver an item, or provide delivery in a way that we can not track online, your transaction will not qualify. Personally I would add that all tracking receipts need to be kept for a minimum of 6 months as that is how long a claim for fraudulent use of a card can be made.
5. For items with a value of £150 or more, you need to provide proof of signature from the recipient
6. Post the item within seven days of receiving payment
7. Only accept payments in full from a single PayPal account
8. You must not charge a surcharge for accepting PayPal, (I don't think anyone does anymore though as ebay have really clamped down)

Most importantly:

Ensure that the item is “Eligible” for Seller Protection, as displayed in your ‘Transaction Details’. Your ‘Transaction Details’ are in your PayPal email receipt. You can also find your ‘Transaction Details’ by logging in to your PayPal account and clicking on ‘Detail’ next to the relevant transaction.

* It is also worth adding, just to make sure it is understood, that goods must be shown to be delivered. Just sending an item tracked is not good enough if it fails to show delivery. As there have been problems with recorded delivery not being signed for on more than a few occasions you may want to factor this in to your business model when deciding how eto track.

Mayday

[FONT=comic sans ms,sand]I've just found this excellent postage calculator well worth bookmarking.

[/FONT][FONT=comic sans ms,sand]http://www.seajays.org.uk/postage/[/FONT]

frivolous_fay

I just found this article with some excellent info on credit card companies and banks and their attitudes towards paypal chargebacks. It is a little old though so use your discretiont!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?xml=/global/2006/09/16/cmdeal16.xml

The following credit cards told the Telegraph they will support a valid claim by using the charge-back system offered by Paypal: American Express, Barclaycard, Bank of Scotland, Britannia, Capital One, Co-op, First Direct, Halifax, HSBC, Intelligent Finance, Liverpool Victoria, Lloyds TSB, Marks and Spencer, MBNA (including various charity and other affiliated cards), Mint, NatWest, Northern Rock, Norwich & Peterborough, RBS, Saga, Sainsbury's, Smile, Tesco, Virgin and Yorkshire Building Society

The following debit cards will support a valid claim by using charge-back systems for all purchases: Abbey, Alliance & Leicester, Bank of Scotland, Barclays, Citibank, Co-op, Coventry Building Society, Halifax, Intelligent Finance, Lloyds TSB, Nationwide, NatWest, RBS and Smile.

Adasta

Most of the links in this thread are now dead.

ehlittleone

TKPeters wrote: »

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]For those who don't know about the free stationary offered by Royal Mail,[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] here's how to get it & a small list of what is available.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Call Royal Mail Business Services on 08457 950 950, option 1 & then option 6 for all stationary & best of all its Free (except the call)[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]You can Order:[/FONT]

[/FONT]

1. [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Special Delivery Bags (all sizes, C3, C4 & C5)[/FONT]
2. [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]P1038 Recorded Delivery Posting Book, for use with P2223 labels[/FONT]
3. [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]P2223 Recorded Delivery labels (roll of 250)[/FONT]
4. [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]P6565 Special Delivery and International Signed-for/Airsure Posting Book, for use with P4723/P6396 labels[/FONT]
5. [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]P4723 International Signed-for labels (roll of 250)[/FONT]
6. [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]P6396 Special Delivery Next Day labels (roll of 250)[/FONT]
7. [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]P326 Certificate of Posting Pad[/FONT]
8. [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]P25A blue airmail stickers[/FONT]
9. [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]CN22 Customs labels[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Best to Order a couple of each required & Parcelforce will deliver them in 7 days [/FONT]

Thanks for this. I rang the number, the second option to press is now 5. You can also order online at www.royalmail.com/mailsupplies.

Sorry if this has already been posted.

Marty_J

As of the 30th September 2008, PayPal have updated their Seller Protection Programme. The main change is that all eBay transactions are covered by it, whether sending to a confirmed or unconfirmed address. The full T&Cs are as follows:

11. Seller Protection Programme
The following terms are effective for Claims, Reversals and Chargebacks filed on or after 30 September 2008. To view the seller protection programme terms for Claims, Reversals and Chargebacks filed prior to 30 September 2008 see Exhibit “A” to section 11 below.

1. 11. PayPal Seller Protection
   11.1 What is PayPal seller protection?
   
   We will re-imburse you for an amount for Claims, Chargebacks, or Reversals made against you based on the following reasons:
   1. A Chargeback or Reversal was issued against you for the reason of an “Unauthorised Payment”; or
   2. A Chargeback or Claim was issued against you for the reason of “Item Not Received”.
2. 
   11.2 PayPal seller protection is available for PayPal payment transactions received from:
   1. buyers who send a PayPal payment for a item purchased via eBay worldwide and everywhere PayPal is accepted; and
   2. buyers who send a PayPal payment for an item purchased outside of eBay from the UK, US or Canada.
   PayPal seller protection does not apply to Claims, Chargebacks and/or Reversals for Significantly Not as Described (SNAD) nor for items that you deliver in person.
3. 11.3 How much protection is provided by PayPal seller protection?
   PayPal will pay you the full amount of an eligible Claim, Chargeback, or Reversal and waive the Chargeback Fee, if applicable. There is no annual limit on protection.
4. 11.4 What happens when a buyer files a Claim, Chargeback, or Reversal?
   PayPal will place a temporary hold on the funds in your account to cover the full amount of the Claim, Chargeback, or Reversal. If PayPal determines that the payment is eligible for a payment under the terms of PayPal seller protection, we will release the hold and restore your access to the applicable funds.
5. 11.5 If the payment is not eligible for seller protection, PayPal will remove the funds from your Account and return the payment to the buyer. In addition, you will be responsible for PayPal’s Chargeback Fee, if applicable.
6. 11.6 Eligibility Requirements
   What are the eligibility requirements for PayPal seller protection?
   You must meet all of these requirements to be covered:
   1. The item purchased must be a physical, tangible good that can be posted.
   2. The transaction must be marked eligible or partially eligible for seller protection on your Account “Transaction Details” page.
      1. If it is marked eligible, protection for both Unauthorised Payments and Item Not Received will apply. If it is marked partially eligible, protection for only Item Not Received will apply.
      2. Items sold on eBay will be marked eligible even if the shipping address is marked unconfirmed. Generally, items sold on websites other than eBay will be marked eligible if the shipping address is marked confirmed and partially eligible (that is, eligible for Item Not Received only) if the shipping address is marked unconfirmed.
   3. Post the item to the shipping address on the “Transaction Details” page
      1. You may access the “Transactions Details” page by logging into your PayPal Account, selecting “History” and then selecting “Details” for the transaction.
   4. Follow the postage requirements described below.
   5. You must accept a single payment from one PayPal Account for the purchase.
   6. You must not charge a surcharge for accepting PayPal.
   7. Respond to PayPal’s requests for documentation and other information in a timely manner.
   8. Your primary residence, as listed in your PayPal Account, must be in the United Kingdom.
7. 11.7 What are the postage requirements?

1. 11.8 What is “Proof of Postage”?
   Online or physical documentation from a postal company that includes all of the following:
   1. A status of “shipped” (or equivalent) and the date of postage
   2. The recipient’s address, showing at least the city/county or postcode (or international equivalent).
   3. Official acceptance from the shipping company (for example, a postmark, a receipt, or online tracking information).
      Or, if you have Proof of Delivery then you do not need Proof of Postage.
2. 
   11.9 What is “Proof of Delivery”?
   Online documentation from a postal company that includes all of the following:
   1. A status of “delivered” (or equivalent) and the date of delivery.
   2. The recipient’s address, showing at least the city/county or postcode (or international equivalent).
   3. Signature Confirmation for transactions that total £150 or more (see Foreign Currency Equivalents below).
   Foreign Currency Equivalents (£150.00 GBP)

11.10 What are examples of items/transactions that are not eligible for seller protection?

1. Intangible items, licenses for digital content, and services
2. Items that you deliver in person
3. Transactions made through Website Payment Pro (PayPal Direct Payment and Virtual Terminal)
4. Claims, Chargebacks and Reversals for Significantly Not as Described

Definitions

• “Chargeback" means a challenge to a payment that a buyer files directly with his or her credit card issuer or company.
• "Claim" means a challenge to a payment that a buyer files directly with PayPal.
• “Item Not Received” means a challenge from a buyer claiming that the item purchased was not received.
• "Reversal" means a challenge to a payment that a buyer files directly with his Bank, or is initiated by PayPal.
• “Signature Confirmation" means documentation that can be viewed online at the postal company’s website and indicates that the item was signed for on delivery.
• “Significantly Not as Described” means that definition provided in section 13 of the PayPal User Agreement.
• “Unauthorised Payment” means a challenge from a buyer claiming that he or she did not make the payment, and that the person who made the payment was not authorised

StaffsSW

When selling a high value, desirable item such as a mobile phone, games console, ipod etc, it is worth being very strict on the buyer requirements to significantly reduce the chances of being scammed, auction-wrecked or having to deal with Non-Paying Bidders.



It's worth remembering that for the item to stay in the UK, both the Buyer requirement option AND postage options must be used together to stop our Nigerian/Romanian/Ukrainian/Russian/Italian friends from placing bids.


The Buyer requirements link can be found here - http://offer.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?BuyerBlockPreferences

StaffsSW

Jabba76 wrote: »

One eBay related website that I have been using that doesn't seem to be mentioned in this thread:

dealcow.com - I enter my postcode and it lists eBay stuff that is available to pick up in my area, I have found some good deals on golf equipment , furniture and the like as those items don't seem to get a lot of interest as they are difficult to be posted

That looks like the site Martin has already recommended...