19 Days for an e-check to clear????

[mr_lincoln]

An item sold on June 1 and the payment is pending because the Buyer is attempting to use an echeck ... the PayPal transaction advises that it should be completed by June 19th ... I seem to recall 3-5 days was the normal time period for echecks to clear?!?

[mr_lincoln]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

I would never wait that long.  You can go to your PP activity, look at that transaction and CANCEL it.  I would notify my buyer that the echeck just didn't seem to want to clear and ask them to submit a proper payment ASAP to cover the item they purchased.  If I didn't hear anything from them in 24-48 hours, I'd open a UID.  But I would NEVER wait that long hoping an echeck cleared.

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I tend to agree about not waiting that long, a week maybe but not almost 3.  Just to clarify, you "cancelled" in PayPal not eBay?  By doing that does it avoid an OOS strike on your eBay account?  Prior to posting I actually messaged the Buyer asking if they could check with PayPal for an update on the echeck payment ... no word back ...

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I didn't Cancel the transaction [Ebay], I cancelled the payment [PP].

As far as Ebay is concerned, it is an unpaid transaction until that payment clears.  So as far as Ebay goes you are fine.  As I previously stated I would then send an email to the buyer telling them that their payment did NOT go through for whatever reason there may be.  I wouldn't say I cancelled it.  And ask them to resubmit their payment using another means, not another echeck.  

Then I'd wait a day or so.  If no answer, I'd filed the UID.

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Thanks for the additional info @mam98031 on the process.  That makes sense. 

[mr_lincoln]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@7606dennis wrote:

I believe the time it takes for echecks to clear can vary quite a bit.  As long as the buyer is aware of the issue and doesn't become hostile or overly demanding I have no problem.  However, I must admit that I've had more echecks from customers go south than I ever did when we took personal checks.  Go figure!

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When 19+ days are involved, it is likely that the first time through the buyer's bank, it bounced.  19+ days is more than enough time for an echeck to be processed even from an international bank.  

On a US bank, it will get cleared inside of a week easily.  If it is any longer than that, there is an issue, you may not know what that issue is, but an issue nonetheless.

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This is a US Buyer with US address ... the address and location do not appear to be a freight forwarding company ...

[jason_incognito]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

I would never wait that long.  You can go to your PP activity, look at that transaction and CANCEL it.  I would notify my buyer that the echeck just didn't seem to want to clear and ask them to submit a proper payment ASAP to cover the item they purchased.  If I didn't hear anything from them in 24-48 hours, I'd open a UID.  But I would NEVER wait that long hoping an echeck cleared.

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I tend to agree about not waiting that long, a week maybe but not almost 3.  Just to clarify, you "cancelled" in PayPal not eBay?  By doing that does it avoid an OOS strike on your eBay account?  Prior to posting I actually messaged the Buyer asking if they could check with PayPal for an update on the echeck payment ... no word back ...

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I didn't Cancel the transaction [Ebay], I cancelled the payment [PP].

As far as Ebay is concerned, it is an unpaid transaction until that payment clears.  So as far as Ebay goes you are fine.  As I previously stated I would then send an email to the buyer telling them that their payment did NOT go through for whatever reason there may be.  I wouldn't say I cancelled it.  And ask them to resubmit their payment using another means, not another echeck.  

Then I'd wait a day or so.  If no answer, I'd filed the UID.

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As a buyer I'd find another way to pay you and then leave a big fat negative for you.

[mam98031]

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@jason_incognito wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

I would never wait that long.  You can go to your PP activity, look at that transaction and CANCEL it.  I would notify my buyer that the echeck just didn't seem to want to clear and ask them to submit a proper payment ASAP to cover the item they purchased.  If I didn't hear anything from them in 24-48 hours, I'd open a UID.  But I would NEVER wait that long hoping an echeck cleared.

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I tend to agree about not waiting that long, a week maybe but not almost 3.  Just to clarify, you "cancelled" in PayPal not eBay?  By doing that does it avoid an OOS strike on your eBay account?  Prior to posting I actually messaged the Buyer asking if they could check with PayPal for an update on the echeck payment ... no word back ...

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I didn't Cancel the transaction [Ebay], I cancelled the payment [PP].

As far as Ebay is concerned, it is an unpaid transaction until that payment clears.  So as far as Ebay goes you are fine.  As I previously stated I would then send an email to the buyer telling them that their payment did NOT go through for whatever reason there may be.  I wouldn't say I cancelled it.  And ask them to resubmit their payment using another means, not another echeck.  

Then I'd wait a day or so.  If no answer, I'd filed the UID.

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As a buyer I'd find another way to pay you and then leave a big fat negative for you.

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Then you would be acting unreasonably, IMHO.  There is no way a seller can make everyone happy no matter what they do.  A 19+ day echeck means it has bounced at least once.  I get it some buyers feel that everything is about them and their needs and to heck with the seller.  The seller just need to deal with it.  But in some things on Ebay we do have at least a little control.  As a seller I do not have to wait weeks to get paid unless I choose to wait weeks.  

A professional and polite email to the buyer after you cancel the payment should not inspire such a harsh reaction by the buyer.  A reasonable person would understand that the seller has already waited close to three weeks for payment and it is time to look at options.  And if the buyer refuses, then a UID is the seller's option.  

[mr_lincoln]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

I would never wait that long.  You can go to your PP activity, look at that transaction and CANCEL it.  I would notify my buyer that the echeck just didn't seem to want to clear and ask them to submit a proper payment ASAP to cover the item they purchased.  If I didn't hear anything from them in 24-48 hours, I'd open a UID.  But I would NEVER wait that long hoping an echeck cleared.

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I tend to agree about not waiting that long, a week maybe but not almost 3.  Just to clarify, you "cancelled" in PayPal not eBay?  By doing that does it avoid an OOS strike on your eBay account?  Prior to posting I actually messaged the Buyer asking if they could check with PayPal for an update on the echeck payment ... no word back ...

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I didn't Cancel the transaction [Ebay], I cancelled the payment [PP].

As far as Ebay is concerned, it is an unpaid transaction until that payment clears.  So as far as Ebay goes you are fine.  As I previously stated I would then send an email to the buyer telling them that their payment did NOT go through for whatever reason there may be.  I wouldn't say I cancelled it.  And ask them to resubmit their payment using another means, not another echeck.  

Then I'd wait a day or so.  If no answer, I'd filed the UID.

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I went to PayPal and the transaction but there was no option to "cancel" the payment ... snooped around a bit but could not find a place to cancel Payments ... would you happen to know exactly where I might find that functionality in PayPal?

[city*satins]

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

I would never wait that long.  You can go to your PP activity, look at that transaction and CANCEL it.  I would notify my buyer that the echeck just didn't seem to want to clear and ask them to submit a proper payment ASAP to cover the item they purchased.  If I didn't hear anything from them in 24-48 hours, I'd open a UID.  But I would NEVER wait that long hoping an echeck cleared.

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I tend to agree about not waiting that long, a week maybe but not almost 3.  Just to clarify, you "cancelled" in PayPal not eBay?  By doing that does it avoid an OOS strike on your eBay account?  Prior to posting I actually messaged the Buyer asking if they could check with PayPal for an update on the echeck payment ... no word back ...

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I didn't Cancel the transaction [Ebay], I cancelled the payment [PP].

As far as Ebay is concerned, it is an unpaid transaction until that payment clears.  So as far as Ebay goes you are fine.  As I previously stated I would then send an email to the buyer telling them that their payment did NOT go through for whatever reason there may be.  I wouldn't say I cancelled it.  And ask them to resubmit their payment using another means, not another echeck.  

Then I'd wait a day or so.  If no answer, I'd filed the UID.

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I went to PayPal and the transaction but there was no option to "cancel" the payment ... snooped around a bit but could not find a place to cancel Payments ... would you happen to know exactly where I might find that functionality in PayPal?

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The functionality is via REFUND.   It won't suck the $ out of your Paypal account, it effectively just cancels the payment to you.

[city*satins]

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

An item sold on June 1 and the payment is pending because the Buyer is attempting to use an echeck ... the PayPal transaction advises that it should be completed by June 19th ... I seem to recall 3-5 days was the normal time period for echecks to clear?!?

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Question - when you originally received the payment, did you check in the Paypal record to see when it was estimated to clear?

If an e-check payment is scheduled from the start as not estimated to clear for a couple of weeks, then there's some other reason for that as it's too early to have bounced for the first time.   When I was in Canada, I had a US $ bank account at a Canadian bank that cleared at Chase Manhattan.  I used it once to pay for an item, and it showed almost 2 weeks predicted time to clear although in fact it cleared in about a week.   This might be a similar situation.

On the other hand, if the original estimate was sooner than 19 days but then changed to 19 days after a few days, that's a good indicator that it bounced and is being presented again and this can happen sometimes 2 or 3 times depending on the bank, which might (not all do) enjoy the benefit of multiple bounced check charges applied to the buyer's account by presenting the check more than once and allowing it to bounce and incur a fee more than once. (rotten trick, right?)

Anyway, a good practice is always to look at that estimated date as soon as the buyer submits payment, and then look again in a few days to see if it's changed. If it's changed, then don't delay in opening an unpaid item case.  It can save you a ton of time.

On rare occasions, a bounced e-check will eventually clear, even after you've closed out the unpaid item case - to prevent that - as soon as the unpaid item case closes as unpaid, go to Paypal and select REFUND on the uncleared payment.   It won't, contrary to popular rumour, result in you somehow paying the buyer the $ in question. It will simply cancel the payment.

[city*satins]

Oh, and personally, I never communicate with a buyer over an apparently bounced e-check. I just treat it the same way I do any payment not received - I chug through the UI process and don't get into any dialog with the buyer unless they contact me.

However, when I see I've received an e-check payment, I write to the buyer to thank them for payment, state when Paypal estimates the e-check clearing, and tell them that as soon as it clears into my account  (this part's important because it's not the same day as when it clears OUT of their bank account)  I will ship and they'll receive notification of shipment from eBay.

[mam98031]

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

I would never wait that long.  You can go to your PP activity, look at that transaction and CANCEL it.  I would notify my buyer that the echeck just didn't seem to want to clear and ask them to submit a proper payment ASAP to cover the item they purchased.  If I didn't hear anything from them in 24-48 hours, I'd open a UID.  But I would NEVER wait that long hoping an echeck cleared.

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I tend to agree about not waiting that long, a week maybe but not almost 3.  Just to clarify, you "cancelled" in PayPal not eBay?  By doing that does it avoid an OOS strike on your eBay account?  Prior to posting I actually messaged the Buyer asking if they could check with PayPal for an update on the echeck payment ... no word back ...

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I didn't Cancel the transaction [Ebay], I cancelled the payment [PP].

As far as Ebay is concerned, it is an unpaid transaction until that payment clears.  So as far as Ebay goes you are fine.  As I previously stated I would then send an email to the buyer telling them that their payment did NOT go through for whatever reason there may be.  I wouldn't say I cancelled it.  And ask them to resubmit their payment using another means, not another echeck.  

Then I'd wait a day or so.  If no answer, I'd filed the UID.

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I went to PayPal and the transaction but there was no option to "cancel" the payment ... snooped around a bit but could not find a place to cancel Payments ... would you happen to know exactly where I might find that functionality in PayPal?

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Yes it is as City*Satin stated.  Click on the refund button.

[mr_lincoln]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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Yes it is as City*Satin stated.  Click on the refund button.

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There is no "Refund this payment" on the PayPal transaction for the echeck purchased item, it does not exist.  Where that button is on other transactions it is not there on the echeck one ... I will have to call PayPal or use their Chat and ask what's up ... but thanks for trying.

[mam98031]

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

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Yes it is as City*Satin stated.  Click on the refund button.

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There is no "Refund this payment" on the PayPal transaction for the echeck purchased item, it does not exist.  Where that button is on other transactions it is not there on the echeck one ... I will have to call PayPal or use their Chat and ask what's up ... but thanks for trying.

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It's there.  It may be hard to see, but it is there.  I should qualify that, unless they made some change without telling us, which is of course not unusual.  But it is small.  Blue words, somewhere on the left side down a bit.  

[mr_lincoln]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

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Yes it is as City*Satin stated.  Click on the refund button.

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There is no "Refund this payment" on the PayPal transaction for the echeck purchased item, it does not exist.  Where that button is on other transactions it is not there on the echeck one ... I will have to call PayPal or use their Chat and ask what's up ... but thanks for trying.

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It's there.  It may be hard to see, but it is there.  I should qualify that, unless they made some change without telling us, which is of course not unusual.  But it is small.  Blue words, somewhere on the left side down a bit.  

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On regular transactions I have the "Refund this payment" button plus the Payment Details section but for the one with the pending echeck payment it is not there nor is the Payment details section that you show ... its quite possible that until the payment clears none of that information is available ... pic below of my PP item ... excuse the red blobs, had to sanitize the pic for public consumption.  @mam98031 I don't think its so much of a change but perhaps this is just the way they process the echeck pending payment situation.

So at present, unless I call in I am destined to wait until the 19th to see what happens ...

[mam98031]

Dang they did change it from the last time I had one.

My guess is then that you have to call PayPal to cancel it and I really wouldn't hesitate to do that since you are now well over 20 days.

[mr_lincoln]

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@mam98031 wrote:

Dang they did change it from the last time I had one.

My guess is then that you have to call PayPal to cancel it and I really wouldn't hesitate to do that since you are now well over 20 days.

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I heard from the Buyer today, they apologized for the length of time it was taking ... I'll let it ride and see what happens.

[mam98031]

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

Dang they did change it from the last time I had one.

My guess is then that you have to call PayPal to cancel it and I really wouldn't hesitate to do that since you are now well over 20 days.

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I heard from the Buyer today, they apologized for the length of time it was taking ... I'll let it ride and see what happens.

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Honestly since you finally had your buyer's attention, you should have asked them to cancel and resubmit.  Clearly there is a significant issue with this echeck.  In all my years here I have never had one take 20+ days to clear.