Has eBay changed policy on holds for returns?

[valueaddedresource]

I'm seeing reports that some sellers are no longer having funds held when a return is opened, such as this one from @allthingssurplus 

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Payments/Managed-Payments-Time-it-takes-to-receive-funds-is-unethical-...

I'm aware of at least one other larger seller who has noticed recent remorse return request are not being held, but I'm not sure if this is only applying to certain sellers or across the board.

Is anyone else seeing this and has there been any announcement from Ebay regarding a change in this policy?

Based on the timing of these reports, I suspect it may be related to eBay's recent changes to invoicing and how sellers in Managed Payments are billed for fees.

With eBay now deducting all fees and expenses upfront from a seller's Available Balance, it might also make sense that they would want to have as much of that balance available to pay fees as possible at any given time - thus reducing the likelihood of having to wait for more sales to come in to cover fees or wait 14 days before recovering any balance owed by charging the payment method on file.

If that is the case, this could be good news for sellers too!

payments_team@ebay  tyler@ebay  can you shed some light on this please?

I know the payments team hasn't been responding much here lately, but if there has been a change to this policy, please have them add it in to one of their FAQ posts. 😊

[allthingssurplus]

It is clear and has been clear for many years that eBay has no real clue what their policies are at any given moment in time.  You can call in to CS and policy is what that person believes, fact or fiction.  The return policy allowing the Buyer to have months to return something has changed at least six times in the past year.  If you have policy it works both ways, eBay has the responsibility to make it , INFORM THE PEOPLE THAT ARE EFFECTED BY IT, and most importantly let Sellers and Buyers know what the new policy coming is going to be.  You fall short on all three of these points.  

The lack of hold on my returns cover all returns, claims or charge backs.  Yes with PayPal they never held any monies from any transaction we had with them.  You have man98031 spreading the good word on how this is just a new system and we are experiencing change and its hard.  Fact is I'm a businessman this change has caused great financial harm to this business.  In August of 2020, as you would say I opted in the system.  Fact is I was forced into the system.  That month I experienced a 30% fee increase due to gerrymandering of our category we sell in,  why launch that at the same time as Managed Payment??  Also I had to inject $15K of cash to make up the loss of cash flow, prepay of fees and funds hold on returns.  By the way we were in the middle of a worldwide health problem, overlooked by eBay. 

It is clear management has no real understanding of a volume Seller.  It is also clear that those that make policy don't have the ability to think through the entire process and what damage the change of policy  can do.

My understanding is 10% of your Seller are generating 40%+ of your revenue, guys like me.  Because of how policy and programs, Sellers like me are leaving the party.  In 2005 I founder nationwidesurplus and I think during my term with the company we were $3mil+ in annual sales on eBay.  I sold out in late 2011 and opened this company.  In the beginning the new company was between $70-80K a month.  Our revenue on your site now is like $400K annual.  Our annual revenue is $2.4mil.  We are doing most of our business off eBay directing due to all I have sited above.  I know many others that are doing the same.  Its clear you do not want our business.  My business, new, used and refurbished computer components is the type of business the started eBay.  Old saying, "don't forget your roots".  Its true you know that all attempts by eBay to branch out of what was their core business usually results in change again.  eBay is not Amazon or the other sites and never will be.  You have a niche business that is wanting to be something it is not.  You have made the wheel a hexagon.  It's going to roll however with a great deal of effort.  

There is nothing easier, cheaper or more convenient using Managed Payments.  The reports are clearly unusable.  I printed my 3/1-3/15 new improved excel sales report.  It measured over 9' tall and 4 8 1/2" wide sheets of paper.  Unusable,  columns do not total and some columns are in XX's and 00"s.  Yes if you understand excel you can fix that.  The point is the PayPal report is done in 3 sheets of paper for the month and gives you all that is need for good auditable accounting.  You guys owned PayPal no one remembers what the accounting looked like.  Again back to the hexagon wheel.

Going forward how about stopping all new things to the site and clean up the mess you have created.  I get that's too simple of a concept.  I do know this if eBay sold shoes as there business they would be out of business in a week.

[siamjane8]

Just to report in as well. I have been top rated for many years consistently every month. I have been in  MP for about 7 months now and they held my money for any and all reasons you could think up. About a month ago  another anchor store seller that I know said that he had about 4 returns- 2 remorse 2 INAD and none of the money was put on hold.     

I have had one return in the last month INAD (falsely) and the money was not held this time at all.........

I have reached out and talked to at least 6 different merchant support and MP specific reps for confirmation because my other store is still getting holds for all returns. Same name and same bank account.  

So far every agent is clueless and promises me that no such change has been made!  Why cant we just get a straight answer so we can plan our businesses here.    I have already started accounts on other platforms and have been moving listings off ebay because of the way we have been treated here in MP but if they are finally listening to what we as customers need and want- I would prefer to keep my listings in one tidy place... Just be honest with us so we know what is going on eBay! 

[tyler@ebay]

@allthingssurplus - thank you for sharing your experience. I will make sure it is relayed to the proper team. 

[valueaddedresource]

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tyler@ebay wrote:

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Hi @valueaddedresource - there isn't an announced change to the way funds are held in managed payments.

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tyler@ebay  - ok, if there hasn't been an announced change, has there been an unannounced change to the way funds are held in managed payments? 😉

I understand you are only relaying information here, but we have several examples now where sellers are saying return requests in Managed Payments are being handled differently now vs previously - it really shouldn't be a state secret and there isn't any good reason payments_team@ebay can't just tell us what the standard operating procedure is here and what sellers can and should be able to expect.

If there isn't an SOP and return requests being held or not is completely random and arbitrary - that's a problem.

If there is a standard procedure and policy for this, it needs to be spelled out somewhere.

While I'm sure the sellers who are not seeing holds anymore are very happy about that, I'm also sure they would be even more happy to have an explanation that lets them know if this is how things will be handled going forward and/or if there is any criteria for that (TRS status, sales volume etc.) rather than waiting to see if the other shoe is going to drop every time a return request comes in.

As @allthingssurplus rightly pointed out, the impact this has on sellers' cash flow, financial stability, and bookkeeping burden is significant - especially for higher volume sellers.  This kind of critical, business impacting information must be clearly and directly communicated to sellers if eBay really does desire to be the "seller partner of choice."

[allthingssurplus]

Tyler, that was a zero answer to any of what I posted.  I guess I'm looking for answers to the points I have made in this thread.  You gave we the standard corp response to questions you don't want to hear.  Another words you blew off the conversation.  You elude to the proper team.  I really don't think that trean exists

[mam98031]

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@allthingssurplus wrote:

Tyler, that was a zero answer to any of what I posted.  I guess I'm looking for answers to the points I have made in this thread.  You gave we the standard corp response to questions you don't want to hear.  Another words you blew off the conversation.  You elude to the proper team.  I really don't think that trean exists

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Shooting the messenger is usually never a good approach.  The Community Team, which Tyler is part of have been upfront and honest with all of us on subjects regarding MP.  It is NOT their fault that the way Ebay has structured this so that the Community Team can not answer many things that are MP in nature, so don't blame them.  They are just doing their jobs.

I understand you are frustrated as many of us are that are struggling to get correct and complete answers from MP and/or about MP.  I get that as I've been there many times myself over the past year.  The customer service for MP it pitiful to non existent and for whatever reason Ebay has, it hasn't improved at all over the past year. 

There is an occasional glimmer of hope like when they did set up a person or persons to respond to the community when they tagged payments_team@ebay .  But then they took that away due to staffing issues.  Is MP/Ebay taking their fiduciary duty to its sellers in MP seriously?  Not from my view point.  The cobble us at every turn when we are on a journey of understanding and compliance with the program.

[siamjane8]

I just read on another forum that a seller was told by an ebay rep that a recent change categorized him as a casual seller and not a business seller so that is why his funds were being held for returns,

  I dont know if I believe that but is it possible that ebay made a distinction in the background and just did not tell us? Main selling account has not had funds held for returns since April 1, and my other account still does.  both accounts are me and payout to same account and the other account actually is selling more volume of items on a daily basis but not as high dollar amount...... I want the other account added to this list and have ebay STOP holding my funds.

   The smoke and mirrors and constant changing of policy and the trickery is just getting so cumbersome here.  We just want honesty and openness about policy - how hard is that?  I have never seen a company fight its customers so much lol- its completely ridiculous

[valueaddedresource]

@siamjane8  that's disappointing but thank you for confirming it is not being applied consistently across multiple accounts for you.

Could you link to that other forum please? Or if you aren't comfortable sharing that here, pm it to me? I'd be interested in those details. 😊

[downunder-61]

Imagine the interest they are making on all of these 'held funds' world wide where MP has been introduced, at least the shareholders will be happy and well taken care of

[siamjane8]

I saw late last night on my phone- pretty sure it was on ecommercebytes.

The sad thing is- I do believe that the departments are doing their best and actually do want to make the marketplace better and successful- problem is they just do not have the experience to understand online retail or the humility to listen to those that do. They just throw stuff at the wall and hope it sticks.

     Case in point: the latest announcement that said after 2 years of hiding shipping options that we sellers provide - ebay realized that buyers were leaving items in their cart because they lost the ability to choose the shipping provider....... Duh- who made that terrible decision two years ago? Sellers all said- what the heck are we taking the time to make our listings up with multiple shipping options if ebay will ignore them?  I had so many people reach out to me asking if I offered next day or expedited shipping and I would say of course- its right there in the listing...... but I would have to end the listing and revise it with only next day shipping in order to keep ebay from hiding it- all more work for nothing and made for a bad buyer experience

[veronicabooksandart]

You seem to be under the impression that eBay owes you an explanation:

Here it is:

"To the extent permitted by law, you hereby irrevocably sell, assign, grant, convey and transfer to eBay and its Affiliates, as applicable, all of your rights, title, and interests in any and all accounts receivable, payments of money, and general intangibles owed in your favor to satisfy any and all obligations or liabilities you owe to eBay or its applicable Affiliate in connection with your use of Managed Payments and eBay Services for the sale of goods or services to your Buyers."

You sold your busines to eBay.

Be glad they're not doing this:

"Reserves

In order to manage risk or secure your obligations under these Payments Terms of Use, we reserve the right at our reasonable discretion to require that you maintain a minimum reserve of transaction proceeds not available for disbursement (in the form of a fixed or rolling reserve) as a means of security. We will notify you of any reserves we require of you. Depending on your performance and the risk associated with your use of Managed Payments, a reserve may be raised, lowered, or removed at any time; if required by law, we will give you prior notice of such changes."
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The only explanation you're owed is why they're sending you a 1099-K...

[mam98031]

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@siamjane8 wrote:

I just read on another forum that a seller was told by an ebay rep that a recent change categorized him as a casual seller and not a business seller so that is why his funds were being held for returns,

  I dont know if I believe that but is it possible that ebay made a distinction in the background and just did not tell us? Main selling account has not had funds held for returns since April 1, and my other account still does.  both accounts are me and payout to same account and the other account actually is selling more volume of items on a daily basis but not as high dollar amount...... I want the other account added to this list and have ebay STOP holding my funds.

   The smoke and mirrors and constant changing of policy and the trickery is just getting so cumbersome here.  We just want honesty and openness about policy - how hard is that?  I have never seen a company fight its customers so much lol- its completely ridiculous

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That is likely incorrect.  I'm a business seller and I'm TRS, my money is held.  I've also never heard of Ebay categorizing sellers as casual.  That would be very new.  But things change fast and furious around here, so lets find out for sure.

tyler@ebay 

brittanie@ebay 

brian@ebay 

[valueaddedresource]

@veronicabooksandart  while it may be true that eBay has enough vague legalese to cover themselves, it's also true they have a CEO that says things like "openness, honesty, respect and doing business with integrity drives our success" and eBay wants to be the "seller partner of choice".

I don't think it's at all unreasonable for sellers to expect more than bare minimum legal CYA here.

If you personally are not particularly concerned about this issue, that's OK, but that doesn't mean other sellers don't have the right to ask these questions or expect answers.

[mam98031]

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@valueaddedresource wrote:

@veronicabooksandart  while it may be true that eBay has enough vague legalese to cover themselves, it's also true they have a CEO that says things like "openness, honesty, respect and doing business with integrity drives our success" and eBay wants to be the "seller partner of choice".

I don't think it's at all unreasonable for sellers to expect more than bare minimum legal CYA here.

If you personally are not particularly concerned about this issue, that's OK, but that doesn't mean other sellers don't have the right to ask these questions or expect answers.

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Yet this CEO has never joined in on a Seller Check in meeting or any other.  Or hosted a Q&A with the sellers.  Under his management we have secrecy and confusion with the MP program and a lack of staffing the program with enough people to actually service the seller as we all deserve to be service.

[tyler@ebay]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@siamjane8 wrote:

I just read on another forum that a seller was told by an ebay rep that a recent change categorized him as a casual seller and not a business seller so that is why his funds were being held for returns,

  I dont know if I believe that but is it possible that ebay made a distinction in the background and just did not tell us? Main selling account has not had funds held for returns since April 1, and my other account still does.  both accounts are me and payout to same account and the other account actually is selling more volume of items on a daily basis but not as high dollar amount...... I want the other account added to this list and have ebay STOP holding my funds.

   The smoke and mirrors and constant changing of policy and the trickery is just getting so cumbersome here.  We just want honesty and openness about policy - how hard is that?  I have never seen a company fight its customers so much lol- its completely ridiculous

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That is likely incorrect.  I'm a business seller and I'm TRS, my money is held.  I've also never heard of Ebay categorizing sellers as casual.  That would be very new.  But things change fast and furious around here, so lets find out for sure.

tyler@ebay 

brittanie@ebay 

brian@ebay 

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Hi @mam98031 - I don't have an update on this, but will update the thread when I do. Thanks!