Is it possible for a buyer to be charged twice for a purchase?

Question

I have been selling for over 15 years on ebay and this is a first for me. I sold an item over the weekend and within a few hours the buyer opened a dispute. They claim that they were charged twice on Venmo for the purchase. I only see one transaction. I am sending out the item today however, this ties up the money for anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks while ebay looks into the dispute. I have responded to the dispute. Does anyone have any advice? Thanks

boutique5280 · Answer

Thanks for the response. I assume that the buyer can close the dispute on their end if there is only one charge? I was going to just cancel the transaction last night, but it would not allow me because of the dispute. I am a little concerned with shipping the item out since the purchase is $50. Hopefully I don't lose out on the funds.

jacbarcollectibles · Answer

Most likely the first transaction was a hold on their account for the amount of the sale. It is common for banks to do this. Then the actual transaction came through. The hold is usually reversed after a few days. Ask your buyer to wait a few days to see if one of the charges goes away.