Ebay Paypal holds - but not a new seller

Beenie

We have successfully sold a TV on Ebay. We got notification that the seller had paid by PayPal, but within minutes got another email to say the payment was 'on hold'. Why?

We have sold several items successfully on Ebay and have a 100% rating. I could maybe understand it if there was an enormous sum involved, but it £20-odd so it all seems very strange. 

soolin

Beenie said:

We have successfully sold a TV on Ebay. We got notification that the seller had paid by PayPal, but within minutes got another email to say the payment was 'on hold'. Why?

We have sold several items successfully on Ebay and have a 100% rating. I could maybe understand it if there was an enormous sum involved, but it £20-odd so it all seems very strange. 

It’s probably just the category , send as normal add the tracking and wait 21 days.

Hopefully you’ve managed to find a courier that will carry a TV as most exclude them and which hasn’t cost you more than the TV! 

Beenie

No, it's collection only. A very heavy plasma TV and a bargain for the buyer. 

Do you know why sellers must wait 21 days for payment? I'm sure we haven't had to wait in the past but it's probably six months since we last sold anything.

Rantband

Have you read the sticky about NOT taking PayPal on collection only items ?

Beenie

What sticky?

Rantband

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4949988/collection-only-items#post65282064

Beenie

Had a look at that sticky but it's 6 years old. And I still don't really understand why we must wait for payment. Would it help if the buyer gave positive feedback on the day of collection?

Rantband

If you had taken cash on collection as advised in that sticky none of these problems would have surfaced.

Beenie

That's all very well for small items, but we also have a £1000 ebay sale going through. No sensible person will carry that amount in cash, plus in times of a pandemic we are shielding so can't accept cash. Lots of people list for Collection Only so I think this is an unnecessary hiccup caused by Ebay.

soolin

Beenie said:

That's all very well for small items, but we also have a £1000 ebay sale going through. No sensible person will carry that amount in cash, plus in times of a pandemic we are shielding so can't accept cash. Lots of people list for Collection Only so I think this is an unnecessary hiccup caused by Ebay.

Seriously please read that post, I know it’s old but you cannot honestly be looking to take £1000 PayPal payment on a collected item!  I don’t understand the shielding bit, if you have chosen to shield why are you selling things, how different is it to stand at the door with the goods than it is to take in cash, count it and then wash your hands? As for £1000 yes it’s a lot of money but it is not unknown for people to carry that sort of money around on their way to buy something. Or on the way to the bank. 

Look at a transaction in your PayPal account , people do have different screens on PayPal but this is a cut and paste on one payment just received for a Facebook sale. It says

Seller protection

Eligible

Eligible when you...

Send to the address on this page.

Save your tracking or delivery information.

so are you sending it to the address given by PayPal, no, are you able to upload tracking and delivery information, no. Therefore you have no seller protection. 

Buyer has a full guarantee if they open an INR your seller protection will only kick in when you have fulfilled the above criteria. Even if by some miracle you win an INR then you would lose a claim for fraudulent use as for that you would need to show online proof of postage to the address given and within 7 days of payment.

By all means take a gamble but be aware that scammers do look out for sellers who don’t understand how PayPal works and you stand a very good chance of being targeted by a scammer.

fenwick458

I don't think anyone was suggesting you insist on cash for the £1000 sale??
simple way to get out of it would be to refund the payment to the seller, and ask for cash on collection (for the £20 TV!) 
I'm not sure how long it will take, I've had the holds released when they leave feedback in the past, but more recently it hasn't mattered when they left feedback i just had to wait the full 21 days