Waiting for PayPal before posting

Spartan

After hundreds of eBay transactions I have had, for the first time, two sellers this week who will not post my purchases until the PayPal payment has transferred from their PayPal account to their bank account.
The money left my account a good week ago, and thus the notion of 'instant payment' seems to have passed them by...

I haven't whinged at them (yet) because I'm a wuss and don't want them getting uppety with me, so instead I am venting my frustration here.

Is this a common practice? Am I wrong to find it a tad irritating?!

soolin

No it is not usual and it is very bad practice by the seller. It also opens the seller to problems as unless they can post within 7 days of receipt of payment they lose their seller protection.

I'm not sure what to suggest really, if the seller needs a bit of a kick you could try opening up a dialogue within paypal and just ask them when they intend to post.

Spartan

I have prompted them both, having waited a week without hearing anything, and both told me that they're waiting for it to clear etc...

I kind of think that they don't actually understand that whether the money is in their PayPal or bank account, I have already paid, and I think I'll wait for the items to turn up before I point that out to them...

kiwi_fruit

Sorry if that's a very silly question, but are you sure you didn't send them an e-cheque instead of instant payment?

Spartan

Very sure - I just did what I always do, which is select PayPal, sign in and click 'Pay'.

One of the sellers is very new, so I think it may be an honest (if annoying) mistake.

frivolous_fay

Spartan wrote: »

Very sure - I just did what I always do, which is select PayPal, sign in and click 'Pay'.

Not to labour a point... but if your credit card had expired, paypal wouldn't bother mentioning it.

Spartan

It doesn't expire until August.
The payments have already left my bank for these transactions and several others. Furthermore, other eBay purchases that I have made since have arrived already, so I think I can safely say that my card and PayPal account are all in good working order.

I just thought it was odd that I have experienced this for the first time last week, then again only days later, and wondered if it happened a lot and I had just got lucky until now!

FloFlo

You need to go into your paypal account and check whether it shows as cleared or uncleared payment. I have 3 buyers in the last through days whose payments are showing as uncleared echeques with an expected clearing date, one of the buyers asked me if her item had been posted to which I replied that unfortunately her payment was showing as uncleared echeque - she said she had paid in her normal way and could not understand it. I would imagine if your sellers have used the word 'cleared' they are waiting for it to say cleared in paypal not to their bank account.

Spartan

They both cleared last week, I check my bank regularly to see what has gone out.

FloFlo

I didn't say check your bank I said check in your paypal acount, the sellers are waiting for paypal to show as cleared they have no contact with your bank. Have you checked your paypal account?

soolin

Spartan wrote: »

They both cleared last week, I check my bank regularly to see what has gone out.

If it has gone as an echeque it will clear your bank approx 10 days before the seller gets cleared payment.

I had a buyer last month buying stuff for valentines Day and despite having used his paypal account for years his payment just kept coming through as an echeque. His card was well in date and he did nothing different, yet it would not stop issuing echeques.