Why doesn't eBay release payment when USPS has the package?

[cantpickthenameiwant]

I sold an item a few days ago to a buyer in Georgia from Pittsburgh, and it was supposed to be there last night by nine. It has since been bounced all about that region, going from facilities 50 miles north of the buyer, to a facility 350 miles southwest, where it left and went back a half hour later, and has gone through three of the most irreputable USPS facilities in the country. It seems I'm lucky that it even got to the main Distribution Center. I know about the new seller holds and all, but I imagine it'd be pretty hard to fake the fact that USPS has the package, so what I'm wondering, is why eBay doesn't release payment as soon as they can see that the package is at the post office? The tracking info is directly accessible on eBay, after all

[cantpickthenameiwant]

Also, and I'm not exactly relying on this payment, but I imagine some people might. It's not the seller's fault if the US Postal System is lagging behind

[dogofwar777]

Because ebay is not seller friendly. I refuse to sell here and hope I get my money one day. When I sell I want my money immediately. 

[cantpickthenameiwant]

Agreed. eBay has fallen in recent years. Now that I think of it though, people have probably set it up so that the seller sends something and someone at the other end grabs it off the porch, so I guess it does kind of make sense

[kenneth686321 · Accepted solution]

If you need money ASAP to cover urgent expenses. Ebay is not the place to sell. Sell locally for instant quick cash. 

To learn about payment hold see link 

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/getting-paid/getting-paid-items-youve-sold/payments-hold?id=4816 

New sellers like yourself have payments placed on hold for up to 30 days after order. According to my personally experience and other sellers in the community, this happens for roughly the first 25 transactions and for the first 3 months of you selling on Ebay. After you have been selling for a bit you can get daily payouts.   

This to to prevent you from taking the buyer's money, closing your account and running before the item arrives or before the Ebay 30 day money back guarantee expires if the buyer wishes to make a return..

Happy selling and welcome.   

[tobaccocardyahoo]

Being on its way to the buyer is not enough. Arriving on time, without damage and as described is also necessary before releasing the funds if you have not earned Ebay's trust.

About 30 days is enough for Ebay to feel safe.

Once you have earned Ebay's trust, payment arrive as scheduled.

[gone.c-33]

Because you’re brand new and have no track record with eBay.

[1786davycrockett]

@cantpickthenameiwant 

"why eBay doesn't release payment as soon as they can see that the package is at the post office?"

Just because there is an indication that a package is in USPS possession is no indication of the contents of the package.

There are far too many threads on these boards from buyers who purchased a particular item, only to receive something entirely different from what they had ordered.

In addition -- there have been major problems with the Atlanta USPS Distribution Centers for several months now, with no solution in sight --

https://www.wsbradio.com/news/local/not-properly-managed-sen-ossoff-tours-metro-atlanta-usps-distrib...

[lakefor94]

@cantpickthenameiwant  wrote:

"so what I'm wondering, is why eBay doesn't release payment as soon as they can see that the package is at the post office?"

Because the buyer paid for something he does not have when the package is at the post office.

You might be looking at 30 days from the delivery date if you are a new seller. 

As you build a strong track record, the holds will cease.

[cantpickthenameiwant]

Thanks for the replies. I am taking the rest of my listings down and I'll make sure to never sell here again. This has been the worst seller experience I've had, by a long shot. Not only has USPS **bleep**ed me, but in doing so, so has eBay. I'm not going to put in the effort to become a "trusted seller." I'm not a merchant. I just wanted to get rid of some shoes. I'll make do elsewhere.

If I'd known it might take a month to get my money, I'd've just kept the **bleep** shoes. I was trying to get a few bucks until work started.

Couldn't even pick the name I wanted.

[ajs_coins_and_alchemy]

Hey, I can slap the buyer's address on an empty box and ship it and get all those tracking updates too. Let eBay give me my payment and I'll skedaddle. Oh, when the buyer gets the empty box, they'll go to eBay and eBay will have to refund the buyer, eBay will be stuck holding the bill and won't be able to find me because I'll be long gone.

^^^That's why your payment is being held. eBay isn't interested in paying for a potential scam by a new seller. Once you have a proven track record of not being a scammer, you get your money immediately. 

Holds start off on all items no matter the price, then eventually it's only higher value items, and then it starts to fade away all together. It's just a matter of "trust" (or really corporate risk assessment)

[cantpickthenameiwant]

ID verification. If any of the corporate bigwigs took their thumbs out of their asses and implemented an ID verification system, nobody would get scammed on eBay. How can I cut and run when they have my full identity? Surely there's a reason they haven't done it, but I bet it's a goddamn stupid one. 

[lakefor94]

@cantpickthenameiwant 

Fly by night sellers try to take the money and run every day using their own complete credentials.  If they end up oweing eBay Money, eBay just sends it to collections and writes it off on taxes. 

EBay prefers to not have to go that route, thus the holds, which cuts out some of those losses.