It's just happened to me! 100% feedback DSR 4.8 across the boards (I think someone left 4.0, 'cause they could, it used to be 4.9 to 5.0 last week).
Anyway, I sold a rather high-ticket item on March 1st and shipped USPS Media Mail, insured on the 2nd. Buyer hadn't left feedback or contacted me, so I thought it had arrived and they were just slow to leave feedback. Then, on the 16th I got up and went to the computer to start listing more stuff, 'cause I had taken a few days off to rest up. There was a message that wasn't even 24 hours old and another message about an open case, and my funds for the amount of the sale were frozen, which were all the funds in my account, plus $30.00 in the red, which will have to come out of my back-up back account unless the problem is resolved.
The seller hasn't received the item. It was scanned into the PO in his town, but not scanned to go out for delivery. It's either lost in the postal station or somebody at that PO has sticky fingers. It took me all afternoon to go to my PO and find out and send him 4 progressive messages and a voice message.
He didn't even give me 24 to 48 hours to find his message before opening a case and accusing me of fraud and claiming that I had presented myself as trustworthy to lure him into buying a high-ticket item. He pointed out that I didn't have any items listed at the moment and that indicated that I wasn't "reputable" and that I hadn't responded to his message.
Why doesn't ebay wait 24 to 48 hours for the seller to find the message and respond. No, they just treat you like a criminal and put your PP account / funds on hold. Anyway, the guy says he'll wait for the mail carrier Monday and see what he can find out about the parcel that's MIA. Meanwhile, the funds they're holding were just what I needed to pay my outrageous seller fees at the end of this month. So now I have to sell more stuff just to get those fees into the account, thereby creating more fees. If the parcel is never recovered, I'll have to refund and file an insurance claim and wait for about 30 days to recover the money from the PO. If I file quickly and then they find the parcel, it'll go to the PO auctions instead of my getting it back. If I don't give the guy the refund within a few days (7 I think), I'll be charged the outrageous 13% final value fee that is extorted specifically on books. If I give it quickly, ebay will deduct my seller fee for that item. The guy still would rather have the item, so I sure hope the PO comes up with it. His very short message after all my messages did say that he was glad it wasn't a fraud. (Thanks for acknowledging I'm not a thief and haven't been maintaining 100% feedback as a conspiracy just to rob him and only him!)
Meanwhile, I'm completely upset and in a financial pickle, since my only source of income is what I do here on ebay (I'm 62). So, no matter how abusive it is, if I know what's good for me I'll have to list more stuff here this weekend and continue to be at the mercy of ebay, PP, and the stinkin' PO.
I've been reviewing "Top Ten" e-commerce sites, though. I think I need to diversify before it gets any worse, if that's possible, as in the Spring Seller debacle, where us small beans sellers will be treated like the pond scum they think we are!
Thanks for letting me share!
