Selling / payment concerns
Although I have been a member of ebay for several years, I have not sold anything to date.
I have spoken with others who say I should be concerned about fraudulent buyers and not receiving funds from ebay for items that actually sell.
I have read the commission and selling fee information. What I would like to know is about safely completing auctions with assurance of receiving the appropriate funds.
I have a Zelle account but no other app such as paypal. Can funds be directed into a Zelle account?
Also, I have been warned about buyers submitting fraudulent claims causing debits to my account.
I would hope that ebay has safeguard against such unscrupulous activity?
I welcome all insight from the experienced "ebayers".
33 comments
mam98031
·1 year agoPlease review the below link carefully. It contains very important information as to how Ebay needs to see the information you provide them on your account. It is likely easier to change your Ebay account to match your bank account if you find there to be a difference.
https://www.ebay.com/sh/fin/dlp
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/getting-paid/registering-seller?id=4792
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Payments-Resources/Have-questions-about-payments-Check-out-this-post-for-helpful/td-p/31798259
fashunu4eeuh
·1 year agoâ€â€¦have been warned about buyers submitting fraudulent claims causing debits to my account.
I would hope that ebay has safeguard against such unscrupulous activity?â€
eBay offers one of the best retail buyer protection programs, guarding the buyer’s best interests thru their Money Back Guarantee. The terms of this policy can override a seller’s terms. This creates the primary risk of shrinkage that all seller’s accept if they choose to use the eBay platform.
A buyer can lie and file a Not As Described case, which invokes the Money Back Guarantee. Buyers do not have to prove their case. eBay will side with the buyer 99% of the time. There is no way to fight this buyer-centric policy.
Sellers have a few ways to mitigate risk. Here are three:
1) If a buyer makes a false claim, after the buyer receives a ruling in their favor, a seller can appeal and provide evidence and it will be reviewed. Occasionally rulings are overturned, but one needs compelling evidence, persuasively presented.
2) Know what you are doing as an eBay seller and learn all the policies that govern the site before listing your first item. Sellers must be experts on eBay procedure in order to make informed decisions to best protect their interests.
3) Prepare a plan for dealing with shrinkage, a fact of retail life. My choice was to create a suspense fund. A few cents of every sale supports it. After 15 years, it has grown to now fully fund my Free Return refunds.
Scammers like to target new sellers with high dollar goods. They are also more attracted to some categories over others, like gaming items, small electrics, tech items like PCs, smartphones and such devices, and luxury designer goods, to name a few.
So be smart about what you list until you build up some feedback. Evaluate your risk tolerance on each item because canceling orders can undermine your selling account and erode your standing on eBay. Read the policies, paying extra attention to the Money Back Guarantee and the eBay User Agreement.
Your other concern was about payouts. New sellers sometimes are subject to payout holds. See link below for details. But eBay has never failed to fully disperse my funds to me, according to its stated rules.
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/getting-paid/getting-paid-items-youve-sold/payments-hold?id=4816
In closing, i’d like to add that i’ve been fortunate enough to have never been defrauded by a buyer, nor had a policy violation or other serious trouble here. The extent of my concerns were limited to non-paying auction winners. So it is entirely possible to make eBay work for you, even tho it is not easy or simple.
Wish you much good luck in your selling journey. Come back anytime. Always someone here to help.
reallynicestamps
·1 year ago@fashunu4eeuh
A buyer can lie and file a Not As Described case, which invokes the Money Back Guarantee. Buyers do not have to prove their case. eBay will side with the buyer 99% of the time. There is no way to fight this buyer-centric policy.
Even if the seller has a No Returns policy (which is NOT NOT NOT a No Refunds policy) they can demand the return of the disputed item before refunding.
The Seller will likely be required to provide return shipping.
Like you , most experienced eBay /online sellers will report less than 1% losses to returns and refunds.
If a seller is going over that rate, the problem is often with the seller not the unhappy buyers. (Bad descriptions, poor products, fuzzy pictures, hostile Terms of Sale, etc. )
683281
OP1 year agoThank you sharing your ebay experience. I have learned a lot from the community responses from those who are seasoned sellers. Since I will not be doing this as a business, only to sell off sometimes I no longer need, it doesn't sound like a very "welcoming" format to sign on to. I am going to look for an option other than ebay.
gloryglorygifts
·1 year agoI hope we didn't scare you off! Many times people go off topic here, so I hope that you got some good feedback from the community.
You will pretty much face the same things on all, if not most, of the marketplaces so work with the one that you are most comfortable with - especially as a newbie. The one good thing going for it is this is a great community for asking questions and there are seller policies to protect us. You just need to learn the policies and stick to them.
Good luck to you.
glorybells
·1 year ago@gloryglorygifts , I think, like with you, the primary items I sell (rosaries), helps make me more immune to false returns. Actually, in the 26 years I’ve been on eBay, I’ve had TWO returns (one legit, one hinky).
gloryglorygifts
·1 year agoI would hope so. The only problem sale I had with rosaries was a bunch of them purchased with a stolen credit card. That was a charge back. Most of my returns, which are minimal, are because people don't read the descriptions. I get the ones that say it's too small, when it says clearly in the description, and title, that a medal is under 1" and the chain is 18", so yeah, that is too small for most men. I had one that returned it for that reason and it was literally in the "children's gifts" page.
I'm sure that you are like me and love selling what we do. Most days it's a pleasure to share our beautiful products with people.
adamcartwright
·1 year ago@gloryglorygifts
Purchasing rosaries with a stolen credit card. You can't make this stuff up.
mam98031
·1 year agoLikely the most common name that experiences Identity Theft is Jesus !!!!!
gloryglorygifts
·1 year agoLOL, you would be amazed at some of the people and things I encounter selling what I sell.
gloryglorygifts
·1 year agoYour rosary beads are beautiful btw. Do you make them yourself?
glorybells
·1 year agoThank You.
Yes, I’ve been making them for about 20 years. I haven’t been doing much with making them for awhile now, though. I’m mostly trying to sell off what I still have. And I need to get busy and list more!
gloryglorygifts
·1 year agoThose are really beautiful. Good luck to you selling them off. If you have a Twitter account you may want to put them on there and tag them to the #CatholicTwitter crowd. Every little bit helps.
I have made them for years as well but go more for sturdiness than aesthetics. What I didn't sell over the years I donated to the St. Vincent DePaul Society when I downsized last year. I gave them religious jewelry too, so they found a good home.
luckythewinner
·1 year agoThere are almost 20 million active sellers on eBay.
If eBay was not paying sellers, they would be out of business.
bashort
·1 year agoOne thing to remember, sellers do not come here as a rule and tell about sales where everything went as planned which in my experience is the vast majority of times.
While I have had the occasional time where a buyer falsely claims a item is defective out of 34,000 sales I have only had one actual outright scammer who sent back a bubble mailer with a facemask in it.
gloryglorygifts
·1 year agoAs someone contemplating selling on here I think there are a few things that you should be aware of, so good for you for asking the community! There are many seasoned sellers on here to help you.
I think that it depends on what you sell and how you sell it, if you will experience more fraudulent buyers than others. I've been an online retail seller for 25 years now and have rarely had problems, and I sell religious items. I've done it on many marketplaces over the years and on our own website as well. New sellers usually attract the fraudsters, so I would stay away from auctions and use the buy it now option. I think that electronics and tech stuff and trending items will attract them too (just mho). My advice? Stay away from them until you are established.
Zelle isn't going to cut it. You will have to have a checking account with the same name as your registered ebay name, will have to provide your ssn or business id and everything has to match, including your photo id info. You will be asked to load all that info onto ebay and they will verify it before you can use it. They may ask for additional information too, so don't be surprised at that. THAT is your safeguard against anyone using your account but you.
As far as "claims causing debits to my account" those are called chargebacks. It's when a customer goes to their bank or credit card and disputes the charge. I've only had one in all my years of biz, but yes, ebay will hold funds until it is resolved. Same with a return. Ebay will hold those funds too, until the return is resolved either in your favor or the customer. You get the money back if it is in your favor. The customer gets the refund if it is in their favor. So yes, there are safeguards in place to protect you as a seller in those cases.
As a new seller, though, ebay will hold your payments until you establish yourself with a few sales. They will then release the funds to you, so don't expect an instant payout. I believe it is held for up to 30 days, but someone else might know that specifically. I LOVE the way that the payments are now handled. SO much easier. My account is set up for a weekly payout on Tuesdays, but I can also get payouts on demand for a $2 fee.
I hope this allays some of your fears. I want to see some other tips from our fellow members here. Good luck to you!
ittybitnot
·1 year ago@683281
If you are thinking of selling, there are some basic things you need to know. You can find out about them on the forums here if you use the SEARCH feature, but make note of the DATE. Some of the information you find may be OLD and no longer applicable. I would acquaint myself with the following terms, and know what they are. As a newbie seller you are possibly going to be a scam magnet if you rush out the door with expensive items. Once you are approved to sell, start out small. Learn:
what a text me scammer communication looks like
what a change of address scammer scenario entails
what are the "Buyer Rules" and what they do
what is a freight forwarder, and what to do if one is used and a claim is filed against you
what is a credit card chargeback
what to do if a buyer complains to you and refuses to file a claim
how to handle a return when a claim is filed
how to handle a return when the buyer is just "fishing for a partial refund"
how to handle a return request when the buyer is lying
Recommendations:
Take clear uncluttered pictures of your items. Avoid stock photos.
Make clear concise written descriptions, avoid "see photos", or such nonsense as "nice spoon" in favor of addressing SIZE, MATERIAL, CONDITION (anything that makes it not mint) and avoid the nonsense word salad generated by the eBay AI generator.
Know that the regular eBay CS that you get in a call back or chat should never be relied upon to tell you the truth.
Know above all that just about ANY item on eBay can be had at your expense with the right kind of phony claim. Know your risk tolerance going in, and educate yourself as best you can. You can always come here for advice if you are uncertain about something. There are many posters here of long standing and experience that likely have "been there, done that, and got the t-shirt (and perhaps burned it) so to speak. You may even be presented with different views on the same topic so you can decide what is best for you.
Good luck, READ, and come back often.
toysaver
·1 year ago"I have spoken with others who say I should be concerned about fraudulent buyers and not receiving funds from ebay for items that actually sell."
Were these other people actually regular sellers on eBay? If you list in the auction format versus buy it now pricing the buyer may never pay but you still have your item. The issue with funds not going through are credit card chargebacks. I've had 2 in 20 years.
If you're going to start selling on eBay learn by doing and sell lower value items from around the house. Selling on eBay is not a get rich quick scheme. As a new seller you may be targeted by scammers if you sell high value items.
12345jamesstamps
·1 year agoI wonder what you are using to buy on eBay...not thinking it is 'Zelle'.
So if one is using a credit card one has to pay the credit bill with I would assume a checking account.
I don't think we can pay a credit card bill with another credit card bill...or can we?
reallynicestamps
·1 year ago@12345jamesstamps
I don't think we can pay a credit card bill with another credit card bill...or can we?
I've seen it done.
It's pretty much the same as "kiting checks" though and not particularly legal.
(I worked my way through university as a bank teller, but that was in the 60's and 70s)
12345jamesstamps
·1 year agoWe can use a debit card to pay a credit card bill...LOL
reallynicestamps
·1 year agoYes, but at least here in Canada, a debit card is an electronic cheque. It pulls money from an existing bank balance. And faster than a paper cheque.
While a credit card... it would be fussier, but my RBC and my TD cards are both VISA so I think I could probably charm a teller into accepting one as payment on the other. I'd probably get a stinkeye and a lecture on why this wasn't a good fiscal practice from the whippersnapper behind the counter though.
Or I could take cash out from one card and use it to pay the other, perhaps crossing the street from one bank to the other.
Hmmmm.... another way to supplement the old age pension.
pikabo-icu
·1 year agoThe easiest way is to request checks from your CC.
I often use one CC with a zero interest for X months offer to pay off a higher rate card.
I do that usually by requesting paper checks. I suppose be careful because some CC's charge interest on them like a cash advance.
lakefor94
·1 year ago@683281
Your only possible safeguard is allowing Free Returns to get the option of doing up to 50% deductions on refunds if a buyer returns a "compromised" item back to you.
Don't list anything for sale that you are not willing to lose. Simple as that.
683281
OP1 year agoThat sounds like a good approach and that's why I won't be selling on ebay. I've heard too many horror stories of sellers getting "taken' for their good intentions.
adamcartwright
·1 year ago@lakefor94
I thought in order to be allowed to deduct up to 50% on refunds, you had to be a TRS offering 30 day returns.
@683281 If you change your mind, go to the Help section and do a search for "Seller Protections." Read the whole thing.
monica-sells
·1 year agoLots of misinformation going around with you...but it is good that you are doing your due diligence to assess your own tolerance levels for online business and setbacks...I will only address this one incorrect statement.
(emphasis by me)
"...and not receiving funds from ebay for items that actually sell..."
"...What I would like to know is about safely completing auctions with assurance of receiving the appropriate funds..."
You make the sale, and follow the appropriate protocols/steps/fullfillment you will get paid according to the terms you are familiarizing yourself with....first time, everytime...
ebay does NOT steal your money
683281
OP1 year agoThank you for the reply and you input. I was not concerned about ebay stealing any funds but I have been warned about fraudulent buyers who make false claims about the condition or none receipt of their item. Apparently from what others have stated, paypal is the only way to receive payment for successful sales so I would need to set up an account.
toysaver
·1 year ago"paypal is the only way to receive payment for successful sales so I would need to set up an account."
That is incorrect. PayPal and eBay divorced years ago. Ebay handles the money now. You have to register as a seller and provide banking details for payments to be deposited and your ss# for the IRS.
Registering as a seller | eBay
kensgiftshop
·1 year agoNo, you can't be paid through Pay Pal.
coastaltechsolution
·1 year agoYou are in the USA?
You will need to sign up for eBay managed payments, paypal and zelle are a no go.
https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/selling-policies/selling-policies?id=4214
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/business-policies/business-policies?id=4212
https://export.ebay.com/en/fees-and-payments/payments/introducing-managed-payments/
For being newer to selling chances are greater as to being targeted by scammers
You will want to read over what I posted and come back with any questions, especially before you list anything for sale.
kensgiftshop
·1 year ago@683281
To be paid, you need to provide a checking account through a real bank and your SSN.