Is there a minimum time requirement before an unpaid case can be opened? i.e. an official policy

[lizhart999]

An unpaid case was opened against me after two days - for a one cent item!  I wanted to pay for this, but the eBay software wouldn't let me.

  Unfortunately this royally screwed me up.  By way of background, I bought several small items on eBay, and paid for them on June 23, via PayPal. It was about 13 items, and the total was less than $10.  I paid for them all at once, but PayPal submitted the charges individually. My new credit card saw all of those little charges, many from China, and decided to not pay them immediately.  I received an email from credit card company the next day asking if these charges were legitimate.  I called and told them that they were. I thought that was the end of it, but it wasn't  I don't know if the charges were denied, or if PayPal just didn't want to wait for them to clear.

   At any rate, those purchases then went to limbo.  They don't show up on my unpaid list, nor is there any place on eBay that shows me a PAY NOW button.  But the sellers don't have thier money. 

   My next payment via PayPal was for several more items.  I assumed that I was paying for all unpaid items, as that is what showed on eBay's screen.  I eventually was told by eBay that the only way to make a payment was for the sellers to invoice me individually.  I requested them from a few sellers, and received only one reply.  He apologized, but said that he could no longer find the infomation to invoice.  One seller looked and told me that PayPal shows the payment as pending, and not to worry.  

  After many calls with eBay and PayPal, and several e-mails with sellers, I still don't have a way out of this mess.  I have 5 unpaid cases closed against me, and seven more pending.  

  These little inexpensive beads aren't the only thing I purchase on eBay.  I also make large purchases here.  Now several sellers won't accept a bid from me.  I can't imagine anyone wanting to deal with me once I have 12 marks against me for non-payment.

  Any suggestions?  

[emerald40]

In response to the questio i your title - a seller can open a case if you do not pay within 2 days and then can close after 4 days.

[mr_lincoln]

@lizhart999  I only read part way down in your post ... just transfer money from checking in to PayPal for future small purchases and your payment issues with the credit card will go away.  A good credit card company puts holds on for good reasons AND they have a vendor list, if a vendor is not on that list it can cause issues which perhaps you are finding out.

So you bought something for a penny and tried to use a credit card?  They would lose money on processing that payment ... and IMHO the lowest price eBay should allow is 99 cents ...

[lizhart999]

@mr_lincoln For future purchases that makes sense. But it doesn't provide a way to pay for the current unpaid items. They are still in limbo between PayPal and eBay.
BTW, I assume that most of the sellers that offer these very low starting bids use it to develop a quick large feedback rating. At least I think so because they sell mostly other items, not the very inexpensive beads I bid on that day. For many sellers, beads are their main business, and they're priced accordingly.

[mr_lincoln]

@lizhart999 Yes, the low low price could be just to increase their FB count.