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I've boycotted Ebay/Paypal. Any experience selling on Amazon?

Posted by Braxton Nagle on September 20, 2011 at 1:40pm in Other stuff - off topic, fun stuff, whatever

Ebay/Paypal has started holding funds for up to 21 days until customer receives item & leaves positive feedback. New policy apparently.

So meanwhile I had to ship my item (out of pocket) without receiving funds. Sounds crazy right?

Apparently If you haven't sold much in awhile they put you on new seller status & penalize you by holding your money.

Your basically at the mercy of the buyer, they can- claim they never received item, leave negative feedback etc. Totally leaves seller open to scam.

Also your money is earning interest for a cool 21 days. 

What's more is that Ebay & Paypal has collected their fees.

Can you believe this shit?

I hear this is happening to a lot to people on Ebay.

Know of any good alternatives?

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Replies

  • Wade October 1, 2011 at 7:51am
    My tip for shipping as mentioned above is use delivery confirmation every time. The only times I got burned is when I tried to save a buck or two and not add this option. It's as if the post office/customer knows this and takes advantage every time.
  • Ron "Oily" Sprague October 1, 2011 at 12:51am

    Braxton,

     

    Understand your frustration, especially with eBay / PayPal setting themselves up as arbiters, but it could be worse. Did you ever read these?:

     

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Weapon_Shops_of_Isher

  • Braxton Nagle October 1, 2011 at 12:27am


    Tom said:

    I am both a seller and buyer and use both PayPal and Ebay. And while it was close to a year since my last sale/purchase I did not experience this pattern you mentioned. I am sure its about the money. Always sems to be, but I see it as a great customer protection plan. Lots of crap beig sold out there. And there is always confirmation delivery to be had.

    And it sounds like once over the newbie hurdle ( and there are always hurdles ) you're getting the monies due right away.

    No, no, I've been doing well selling on Ebay for 2 yrs now with perfect feedback. This is a new crappy policy. Ebay/Paypal have decided to become arbitrators between seller & buyers even though they're not qualified to do so. The only thing I can think is that my volume has been low lately

     

  • Gadsden Guitars September 23, 2011 at 11:54am
    I suppose the way to ensure a seller doesn't get held up in getting paid would be to send the item registered mail so you have a record of the items delivery, the feedback thing, what a pant load, I've seriously lagged putting up feedback from time to time, couldn't imagine someone not getting paid because i didn't leave feedback in a timely manner.
  • Tom September 23, 2011 at 11:09am

    I am both a seller and buyer and use both PayPal and Ebay. And while it was close to a year since my last sale/purchase I did not experience this pattern you mentioned. I am sure its about the money. Always sems to be, but I see it as a great customer protection plan. Lots of crap beig sold out there. And there is always confirmation delivery to be had.

    And it sounds like once over the newbie hurdle ( and there are always hurdles ) you're getting the monies due right away.

     

     

  • Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates September 20, 2011 at 3:11pm

    Another thing -- where's the checks and balances to say that a buyer who doesn't report receiving the goods OR doesn't leave feedback is penalized?

     

    -WY

  • Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates September 20, 2011 at 3:07pm

    Interesting. Of course, I have had no issues, but then again I would say its a matter of time. According to PayPal policy:

     

    Who does this affect?

    This typically affects sellers whose businesses or selling activities pose a higher than average risk of future transaction problems, such as potential refunds, disputes, claims or chargebacks. In deciding whether or not to hold funds in a pending balance, we review many account factors including transaction activity, the rate of customer disputes, the type of business a seller runs, average delivery time frames, customer satisfaction, performance and history. We understand that some experienced sellers may be affected. While history with PayPal is important, it's only one of many factors we consider.

    Though we can't include every reason your account may have been affected here, here are some common reasons:

    • You have limited history or selling activity with eBay and PayPal
    • You have low Detailed Seller Ratings, negative Feedback or other indication of below-standard performance on eBay
    • You have a high rate of customer refunds, disputes, claims or chargebacks
    • You're selling in a high risk category or industry such as, but not limited to, tickets, travel, gift certificates, computers, consumer electronics, or cell phones
    • Your business or selling activity is inconsistent. For example, you have a spike in selling activity, your average selling price changes, or you started selling in a new category without an established history in that category
    • The account information you have provided is incomplete or inaccurate, or we're uncertain with the information you've provided
    • Your withdrawal activity has changed

    What can I do to avoid payment holds?

    Here are some things you can do:

    1. If you sell on eBay, improve your Detailed Seller Ratings ( DSRs )scores
    2. Avoid buyer disputes, claims, and chargebacks
    3. If you have a buyer dispute, resolve it quickly
    4. Process your orders right away and ship quickly using a service that provides tracking and delivery confirmation
    5. Upload or save tracking information or Delivery Confirmation numbers
    6. Communicate early and often with your buyers
    7. Make sure you confirm the address and phone numbers associated with your PayPal account, and keep them up to date
    8. Verify your account and keep your financial information (like bank account and credit card numbers and expiration) up to date

    Who does this affect?

    This typically affects sellers whose businesses or selling activities pose a higher than average risk of future transaction problems, such as potential refunds, disputes, claims or chargebacks. In deciding whether or not to hold funds in a pending balance, we review many account factors including transaction activity, the rate of customer disputes, the type of business a seller runs, average delivery time frames, customer satisfaction, performance and history. We understand that some experienced sellers may be affected. While history with PayPal is important, it's only one of many factors we consider.

    Though we can't include every reason your account may have been affected here, here are some common reasons:

    • You have limited history or selling activity with eBay and PayPal
    • You have low Detailed Seller Ratings, negative Feedback or other indication of below-standard performance on eBay
    • You have a high rate of customer refunds, disputes, claims or chargebacks
    • You're selling in a high risk category or industry such as, but not limited to, tickets, travel, gift certificates, computers, consumer electronics, or cell phones
    • Your business or selling activity is inconsistent. For example, you have a spike in selling activity, your average selling price changes, or you started selling in a new category without an established history in that category
    • The account information you have provided is incomplete or inaccurate, or we're uncertain with the information you've provided
    • Your withdrawal activity has changed

    When does PayPal release the payment?

    The funds from each transaction will typically be released 21 days after payment, unless there's a dispute, chargeback, claim, return or reversal on that transaction, or any other limitation on your account. The money may be released sooner if:

    1. Your buyer leaves positive feedback (Applies only to eBay items) or
    2. We can confirm that the item was delivered* and 3 days elapse. This gives the buyer enough time to review the order and file a dispute if necessary

    So for some reason, It seems ebay/PayPal are trying to curb and scammers which I think is not going to work as its buyer-centric and buyers are the ones who in my opinion would be the ones scamming. If you pay, and it ships, release the money. Whats to say a buyer will ever leave feedback at all OR how will PayPal ever really know if the item was received?

     

    Sounds like a cluster-F if you ask me.

     

    -WY

     


     

  • 3 String Blues September 20, 2011 at 2:51pm


    keni lee said it best...EBAY IS KING....period............just deal with it and the cash will be there, They do that to everyone from time to time., me too.....and Esty and Amazon and all those other sites will not give the exposuer and sales that ebay will..expect to really starve and end your sales......its sucks, but as long as your selling just stay a step ahead and you be jammin'!

     

     

     


    Keni Lee Burgess said:

    Hello Braxton,

    I understand your frustrations, but as far as online selling goes, Ebay is king.

    You have a choice to play by their rules or leave.

    They are simply a large "publically traded" corporation that makes money by providing a venue for sellers to list their goods.

    They need to pay their investors and find creative ways to bring in more revenue.

    If you consider the three charges; listing fees, final value fee and pay pal fees, you are well below the expenses needed to sell in a physical retail store. You need to price accordingly. Many times customers are not aware of all these expenses.

    I have tried Amazon, but it is not as easy as Ebay. I found the problem to be the listing titles and finding my items.

    I believe they are better for brand name items that have UPC codes. (You will need to purchase these too) Like selling a Sony color TV etc...

    The real trick is to attract attention to your product through websites like youtube, facebook, etc.

    Then customers will just go were you direct them. 

    Simply, you need money to make money. Ebay has grown well beyond your basic home owner selling their junk.

    I have read online information about this change. As large retailers see the public's interest in ebay, they are moving inventory onto it too. It may be just a matter of time until finding items will be rather difficult.

    I hope you find this information helpful, Keni Lee        

  • Keni Lee Burgess September 20, 2011 at 2:36pm

    Hello Braxton,

    I understand your frustrations, but as far as online selling goes, Ebay is king.

    You have a choice to play by their rules or leave.

    They are simply a large "publically traded" corporation that makes money by providing a venue for sellers to list their goods.

    They need to pay their investors and find creative ways to bring in more revenue.

    If you consider the three charges; listing fees, final value fee and pay pal fees, you are well below the expenses needed to sell in a physical retail store. You need to price accordingly. Many times customers are not aware of all these expenses.

    I have tried Amazon, but it is not as easy as Ebay. I found the problem to be the listing titles and finding my items.

    I believe they are better for brand name items that have UPC codes. (You will need to purchase these too) Like selling a Sony color TV etc...

    The real trick is to attract attention to your product through websites like youtube, facebook, etc.

    Then customers will just go were you direct them. 

    Simply, you need money to make money. Ebay has grown well beyond your basic home owner selling their junk.

    I have read online information about this change. As large retailers see the public's interest in ebay, they are moving inventory onto it too. It may be just a matter of time until finding items will be rather difficult.

    I hope you find this information helpful, Keni Lee        

  • Andy Eight Spades CBG September 20, 2011 at 2:04pm
    That's what sucks about ebay.....but they know they have you by the balls because that's where the buyers are. If they do this crap to me I'll boycott as well. Sorry man, that sucks. Amazon is pretty good but they make you jump through hoops. Bonanzle.com isn't bad but it doesn't have the buyers like ebay, etsy is good.  The problem is that many of the other sites use paypal as well.
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