Unbelievable what Ebay has turned into..
I am disabled and sold my current mobility scooter because I am in need of another smaller one for inside my home. I sold it as Local pickup and seller came, verified the product, test drove it and took it home..he gave me the code to complete the sale. The funds were made available the same day, however, when I went to express deposit my payout, the funds were put on hold again..so to recap, my scooter is gone and I lost the purchase of the one I had lined up, ebay has my money to play with for a week and I'm out the new scooter I had made a deal on, so I can't even stroll outside because you have my money..UNACCEPTABLE..you made enough reviews and money off the sale already, release the funds so I can get on with my life..Unbelievable..
29 comments
krazzykats
·5 months agoThese rules might feel unfair, but they were shaped by those who came before you.
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kibble-net
·5 months agoOver the last 30+ years, ebay has turned into a serious peer-to-peer marketplace where buyers can comfortably shop, knowing they have purchase protection they don't get when buying something at a thrift store or garage sale.
If you feel that is "unbelievable" but in in a bad way, perhaps it is not for you. You can still sell on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or a garage sale - accepting cash payments instead of credit cards - and that might be a better fit.
If you really need that scooter perhaps you could go to your bank and ask for a line of credit. I hope things work out better for you in the future.
gurlcat
·5 months agoPretty often I find it rude and ridiculous when a member tells a poster they should have read "the policies" when the poster's problem is some fairly unusual situation, and eBay's User Agreement is an extremely complex set of policies that nobody could have fully memorized, especially considering eBay is constantly changing them, and in some cases they are purposely secretive so you can't know exactly what to expect (not to be jerks, but to prevent scammers from knowing exactly how to get 'around' the rules).
But the most basic policies, like when you will get paid -this is something you absolutely should find out before you list an item here, especially if the money will be a crucial factor in your life. If something would be UNACCEPTABLE, then you should find out whether it's something you would be literally accepting by proceeding to use the platform.
ryry-jj
·5 months agoLol, I was about to say, "what are you talking about?"...then read your second paragraph. Yes, all sellers need to know exactly how payouts work & what is to be expected...and also know how shipping & refunds works. Much of the other stuff, we just need to know how to look it up when needed, and know that just because we think it should work one way doesn't mean it does
ryry-jj
·5 months agoThe holds is also for your protection. What would happen if say, tomorrow, the motor fails and the buyers starts a return for not as described within the ebay's 30 MBG? Had you received the money ASAP, and then spent it on a new scooter, how would you pay for the refund? If you were a frequent seller, then there might be funds available to cover a return, but if not the money has to be available.
gurlcat
·5 months ago@ryry-jj Exactly why I am kind of shocked the OP said the hold is only 1 week!
@abrahamstore71 You don't realize how lucky you actually are in this situation. It is much more common for a high-dollar sale to go on hold for 30 days.
toysaver
·5 months agoYou are not out your money. It could be worse. My neighbor sold a golf cart from the end of their driveway and got paid with a counterfeit cashier's check.
adamcartwright
·5 months ago@toysaver
That's really horrible.
The sale should have been transacted at the local bank.
I learned that from one of the wisest commenters here, when I had a high value item and was thinking of offering local pickup. Don't hand it over until the method of payment checks out.
kensgiftshop
·5 months agoSorry, since it sold for more then $1000 and you being a new seller, they'll hold those funds for 30 days.
krazzykats
·5 months agoIn the meantime, get a manual wheelchair for backup.
I have taken care of a couple of people with electric wheelchairs but always had a manual wheelchair too. I know it's not as easy as the electric, but you can at least get around.
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ten_o_nine
·5 months agoTry help & contact and use the "Have us call you", I think they may help if you explain that this was a local pickup, customer tested it, picked it up, and provided the code.
abrahamstore71
OP5 months agoDid that and got zero help or concern...
bonanza125
·5 months agoEbay places a 30 day hold on inactive or new sellers. You would be an inactive seller so you have to wait. That's in the policy. So no it's not unacceptable cause you agreed to it when you listed this scooter. If you wanted cash now you should have listed this on a site locally.
powell-collectibles
·5 months ago31 days with no tracking, much faster with delivery confirmation.
bonanza125
·5 months agoOP doesn't qualify.
abrahamstore71
OP5 months agoYeah, except mine was a local pickup..buyer checked it and liked it and purchased it, gave me the ebay code and that should've been the end of that..he personally picked up the goods, I should have my money..
marnotom!
·5 months agoThe eBay Money Back Guarantee means that it's not the end of that, though.
kensgiftshop
·5 months agoBuyer still has 30 days to return it, if they find something wrong..
tobaccocardyahoo
·5 months agoEbay does not promise quick cash.
Every year, the trust and safety hurdles added to internet selling reduce the speed of getting paid.
In many areas of the country there are groups which assist in acquiring medically necessary equipment for people in need. Your social worker or local senior center may be able to assist in contacting such a group.
ryry-jj
·5 months agoSorry you are in this situation, but you do need to be familiar with how the platform works, after all you did agree to it when you listed, it always is best to know what you agreed to. This is the number one reason for the holds, sellers do not fully understand how the platform works and that leads to problems, in this case it led to a problem for you.
redmodelt
·5 months agoNew or infrequent sellers on eBay are subject of up to 30 day holds on payouts, does not matter if you have signed up for express pay or not. Express pay only takes affect after you have proven yourself to be a trustworthy seller.
Have you contacted your medical provider to see if there is anything they can do even short term?
abrahamstore71
OP5 months agoSold 3 high cost items since October 2025 and didn't have any issues getting paid..last night they made the funds available even..and when I asked to transfer, boom oh we have to hold them again..I understand the policies but senseless, item was picked up by buyer..so it been gone for a day..hence what's the use of the same day payout for local pickup..🤷♂️
theteamsetguy
·5 months ago@abrahamstore71 ,
Sorry about the pickle you are in. Ebay has a 30 day MBG for all buyers in case they want to open INAD case. In a INAD case the seller has accept a return regardless if the buyer is telling the truth or not. Once a INAD case is opened the seller has 3 business days to issue the buyer a return shipping label on the sellers dime. If the seller refuses the buyer can ask eBay to step in. Once eBay steps in they will issue a full refund to the buyer and the buyer will be allowed to keep your item. It doesn't matter that a buyer did a local pickup. Unfortunately, consumer protection laws are tilted towards the buyer.
If eBay did not have their 30 day MBG. Many more buyers would just go their financial institution and file a charge back. In that case ebay would have no choice but to refund the buyer in most cases.
meme6253
·5 months agoIt is a shame that you are in dire need of this device to Help you, But we are all subject to the same policies that we agreed to when signing up to sell, I have empathy for your given situation but we all must adhere to the policies, I Hope you get what you need as soon as possible!
monica-sells
·5 months agoI am not quite sure how to say this, but you are, just like all of us have, subject to the policies of ebay when we agree to sell on their platform. Every seller has been through the "new or infrequent" payment holds as per their policy. It applies to all of us. Sorry, but that's the way it is.
"...For certain high-priced items, funds from the order will typically be placed on hold for 31 days after the transaction date to give the buyer enough time to report any issues after they've received and inspected the item..."
abrahamstore71
OP5 months agoI'm sure you have enough money to hold out that long..however it's not right for you to hand someone your goods that you so hardly earned to pay for and have someone keep them for a month..maybe ok in your eyes but it's senseless..it's 2026 they can verify anything in 2 minutes or less..🤷♂️
krazzykats
·5 months agoYou can accept cash for a pickup; you just need the QR code to finalize the transaction on eBay.
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kensgiftshop
·5 months agoWhat would happen if you received the money and spent it, then buyer files an INAD for a refund?
monica-sells
·5 months agomy position is irrelevant.....
what if the motor burns out on the scooter in a week? The buyer has a "bullet-proof" money back guarantee and you are responsible for providing the funds for the refund that will accompany the issue. If you spend the funds how are you going to satisfy the refund you are obligated to give the buyer with the defective scooter? That's why there is a transparent, logical 30 day hold for an infrequent/new seller. It's only logical, and it is fairly common across many online marketplaces. Those platforms that claim otherwise, you did not read the fine print about "chargebacks"......