International INR Request - Funds on Hold

[treasuresforever]

I'm a little concerned here. I sent a diecast car to Brazil through eBay's International Shipping Program. It was sent to the hub in Illinois, went back and forth from Miami back to Illinois, then arrived in Brazil on the 9th of March (item was sent out Late February). March 14th, it entered customs, then on the 17th, it said "HOLD FOR DUTIES PAYMENT". Today, April 18th, I received an item not received (INR) case against the item.

Here's my concern. If the item was held for duties payment, he has to pay before the item is released, correct? How can an INR case be filed if he did not fulfill this? Am I missing something? This is also off of a message from eBay: "We see that the item has reached our shipping hub and is on its way to the buyer. We’ve got it from here. There’s nothing you need to do. We’ll take care of delivery, resolve any further issues, and inform you when the request is closed".

And then this. Straight off the site, it states that with the new eBay International Shipping, I am protected against: International Returns, Seller & shipping protections for Items Not Received (INRs). So with that being said, MY FUNDS were just put on HOLD. With all that being said, why am I having my money taken and potentially lost? When I bring up the INR case, it states that "We're on the case, and there's nothing you need to do". Yet my money is held, and I am unable to contribute to the case AT ALL. 

Has anyone else experienced this, and what was your outcome? 

[marnotom! · Accepted solution]

This sounds similar to how the old Global Shipping Program worked.  I think the holding of the funds from the sale is just an automated process triggered when somebody files a claim with the MBG.  I strongly suspect that, as with the GSP, the funds will be released once the case is closed.

As eBay has said, you've fulfilled your responsibilities with regards to an item forwarded with eIS.  They're handling it from here.

For what it's worth, Brazil's import-related charges are killer.  Your buyer should have known better.

[fossil6057]

Ebay is in violation of their own rules under their International Shipping Program even holding your funds. Ebay makes sellers an "OFFER" to participate in their International Shipping Program. If a seller "ACCEPTS" eBay's offer, there is an offer and an acceptance which by law constitutes a contract. That contract is governed by the rules that are contained in eBay's program description. First, those rules state that the seller is responsible for getting the package to the eBay U.S. Shipping Hub. At the time it reaches that hub the seller has met his obligation under the contract. Once it reaches the hub, those rules go on to say that the seller has no obligation to refund the buyer, and it further goes on to say the seller is protected against "CHARGEBACKS". Holding a seller's money once a package has reached the eBay U.S. Shipping Hub violates the rules of the contract the seller has with eBay and that hold IS a chargeback. 

It doesn't matter if eBay eventually releases the seller's money. It was against their own rules to hold it in the first place. If it was an automated process, that process needs to be changed.

[broto_64]

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@fossil6057 wrote:

Ebay is in violation of their own rules under their International Shipping Program even holding your funds. Ebay makes sellers an "OFFER" to participate in their International Shipping Program. If a seller "ACCEPTS" eBay's offer, there is an offer and an acceptance which by law constitutes a contract. That contract is governed by the rules that are contained in eBay's program description. First, those rules state that the seller is responsible for getting the package to the eBay U.S. Shipping Hub. At the time it reaches that hub the seller has met his obligation under the contract. Once it reaches the hub, those rules go on to say that the seller has no obligation to refund the buyer, and it further goes on to say the seller is protected against "CHARGEBACKS". Holding a seller's money once a package has reached the eBay U.S. Shipping Hub violates the rules of the contract the seller has with eBay and that hold IS a chargeback. 

It doesn't matter if eBay eventually releases the seller's money. It was against their own rules to hold it in the first place. If it was an automated process, that process needs to be changed.

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That is correct, however...

Getting ebay to change process (in this case code, how the software is programmed to act and react) would require something the equivalent to multiple (at least 50 but maybe 75 or 80) world nations agreeing on one act of Congress in reference to international rule of law that holds preferential treatment in the reverse order of chronology accordant to the full gravitational pull of the Andromeda galaxy on the moon of Galileo, and then even if that is successful there is no guarantee the "fix" will work and not make things even worse.
Just thought I'd mention that, it is often easiest in the case of ebay: if it works at all don't fix it.

[fossil6057]

An interesting and wordy answer. It just gets frustrating that every day, eBay makes it more difficult to do anything. I have been a member for over 25 years. Back in the beginning, they would kiss your feet just to join. Now they are swimming in money and care about no one, but themselves. So many of the rules they create or change daily are idiotic. 

[watchseconds]

This exact sort criminal theft just occured to me today: ebay placed a hold for $1500+ on my selling account and opened an INR case because there own freight forwarder (eIS in glendale heights, illinois) has still not gotten around to shipping the item for over 3 weeks or even post a tracking number even though the tracking shows the package was received at eIS.

As a result of this nonsense I immediately:

1) put my store in vacation mode and will not sell on ebay until they correct this mess (I will sell only on safe platforms.)

2) removed en masse ebay international global shipping as an option from my store and replaced it with good old reliable UPS Worldwide saver insured.

3) will be looking into filing criminal charges.

Am supposed to get an ebay progress report on this next week (i am not holding my breath) and if so will post and update soon.