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What in the world? Email from "Ebay Collections"

This is a first.  On one of my four selling accounts, I just got an email titled "KEEP YOUR ACCOUNT IN GOOD STANDING - PAYMENT NEEDED".

 

First line: 

Please pay your eBay Seller fees

 

My fees were, and have always been, paid in full through paypal every month.  The account in question had its fees paid on 8/15/18, right on schedule.  

 

And before you ask, no, I don't think it's a spoof.  The email came from collections_us@ebay.com

 

Yet another "improvement" apparently designed to confound the heck out of us?

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What in the world? Email from "Ebay Collections"

I just got the same message and came to the 'boards to see if it was a scam.

 

According to My Ebay>My Account, the required fees were already posted on August 15th.  I have autopay set up.

 

Another "improvement?"  

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What in the world? Email from "Ebay Collections"


@otaku.com wrote:

Probably not an error. But done intentionally.

I was thinking it is a way for ebay to raise this mothns revenues,

given this summer has been especially bad.

 

And then I read this on ecommerebytes, which confirms my thinking

"historically when sellers overpay their accounts, eBay keeps the money and applies it to the next month's invoice rather than refunding it. "Can you imagine the potential investment income on all this overpaid fees if even 25% of the sellers send in the money a second time," he asked."


Well, I see what you are saying, but I hope not because that would be fraud and likely garner the attention of the SEC being that eBay is publicly traded.

 

Honestly, I think it's a poorly handled IT screw up.

 

Having worked in IT, its actually not that big of a deal to reverse an ACH payment. If I had made a duplicate payment to a company I would expect them to reverse it or I would not be doing any other business with that company.

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What in the world? Email from "Ebay Collections"

It's not phishing if our ACCOUNTS ARE RESTRICTED
Mine is restricted. Just sold 10 items (old listings....and ebay sales page has me at 4 sales today). I mean something is REALLY REALLY WRONG. I called. On hold for 3 hours plus. Was told they would try to have me back up tomorrow. This is lunacy.
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What in the world? Email from "Ebay Collections"


@otaku.com wrote:

Probably not an error. But done intentionally.

I was thinking it is a way for ebay to raise this mothns revenues,

given this summer has been especially bad.

 

And then I read this on ecommerebytes, which confirms my thinking

"historically when sellers overpay their accounts, eBay keeps the money and applies it to the next month's invoice rather than refunding it. "Can you imagine the potential investment income on all this overpaid fees if even 25% of the sellers send in the money a second time," he asked."


Well  it  in your must  make's since's  

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What in the world? Email from "Ebay Collections"

I meant to say  ,your most makes  a lot since  ebay  gaming  the billing system   to get  upload  money asap.  .  Because in the 17 + myears with this ID, I never  had  any issue of paying seller fee's off 1 day before they are due  and clear  with no issue  until now . 

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What in the world? Email from "Ebay Collections"

The plain fact is that eBay will have benefited 

from this "glitch" by possibly millions of dollars.

 

Many sellers will have paid the demand

without checking.

 

No way will eBay refund automatically.

Sellers who paid twice will be requested 

to login and request a refund,

which I'm guessing will take 28 days to process

due to "technical issues"

 

 

 

 

 

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What in the world? Email from "Ebay Collections"


@otaku.com wrote:

The plain fact is that eBay will have benefited 

from this "glitch" by possibly millions of dollars.

 

Many sellers will have paid the demand

without checking.

 

No way will eBay refund automatically.

Sellers who paid twice will be requested 

to login and request a refund,

which I'm guessing will take 28 days to process

due to "technical issues"

 

 

 

 

 


One other aspect that another poster brought up that I had not noticed, that unpaid invoices will be charged 1.5% late fee per month.  That means that now I need to make sure that Ebay does not just happen to invoice me the 1.5% penalty somewhere in my next months invoice or maybe even the month after that.  Now I get to spend more time reviewing my Ebay invoice which takes time away from sourcing or listing inventory for sale duye to needing to make sure tht thisaspect of the glitch doesn't automatically become invoiced the next month after the notice is sent to the seller.  Even if ebay says not to worry about it, can anybody else tell me that its now not in the back of their mind and that they won't be checking for the accidental 1.5% charge somewhere in the couple of months invoices?

 

Not that they would do it intentionally but lets say they invoiced sellers the 1.5% late fee that this email says they are entitled to, that would suddenly add about $13 million to the bottom line for doing absolutely nothing but accidentally having a glitch appear. I know that sounds like small potatoes overall, and in reality it is, but if nobody catches it, that increases gross revenue by 1.5% for the month of July when in reality revenues should have gone down.  If the Seller catches it and complains, Ebay, I am sure would refund it, but how much would they automatically refund to the sellers that do not catch it and most Sellers will not be looking for such a small number and may even say its not worth calling and wasting their time on the phone with Ebay about.  I mean 1.5% of a $1000 invoice is only $15 and i am sure that the majority of sellers invoices are under $250 so that amount would only be $3.75. How many Sellers are going to sit on the phone with Ebay for however long it takes to get back $3.75, and you better believe that EBay knows it and plans on that !!!

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What in the world? Email from "Ebay Collections"

Same here. Paid my fees (automatically deducted from my PayPal) 5 days ago. What I found odd is that I received this Collections email to my registered email associated with my account...but in Ebay Messages it does not appear. All messages I have received from Ebay in the past have always been mirrored to Messages...makes me think bug...or they are just getting shadier? Hmm...Recently changed passwords so I see no point in changing again...if I've been hacked, wouldn't they just take the money, or lock me out of my account?? Makes no sense.
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What in the world? Email from "Ebay Collections"

True. I have no idea why ebay thinks they can only give what is basically the same as a "store credit" when they insist their sellers can only refund as "money back". Should be the same for them I'd think.
Reality is the leading cause of stress.
Message 144 of 223
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What in the world? Email from "Ebay Collections"

Over the years I've have many many legit messages from ebay which never appeared in messages, just email.
Reality is the leading cause of stress.
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What in the world? Email from "Ebay Collections"

Got the same email, as all of you, I’m just ignoring the mail,

and it so hard to reach customer service, cause they don’t give an email contact option,

stupid ebay

Message 146 of 223
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What in the world? Email from "Ebay Collections"

Got this email on 8/20, 5 days after paying invoice. Good to hear ebay is working on the issue.

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What in the world? Email from "Ebay Collections"

I didn't receive that email about collections, I did receive on 8/19 my invoice for July/Aug with the normal automticaly deducted between Aug 23-25..neither of which have happened yet? However even though automatic pay is set up those fees are not actually due until Sept 15?  I received a straight forward message my acount was on hold....I don't put money in the account for the automatic payment till necessary, or as many people in this thread are saying, ebay will take it, and maybe take it twice?  So I'm paid up, and now have my current invoice, received this message through the eBay system MC999 EBI NOTICE: eBay Registration On Hold: Non Payment...when I go to my account it shows exactly what I was invoiced, with new fees from the 19th on, but no other information.....I called, 4 chars of account, zip code and was immediately forwarded or put in que rather and was put on hold for 2 hours and 44 min till the music stopped playing, sat there to silence for another 15 min, hung up....called back an same thing except no music after 15 seconds?  Called back, gave a made up 4 chars...ABCE, asked me what i needed, said accounts, restrictions, seller, and it put me in the que and 15 seconds no music again....called back ABCD, same thing.....grabbed my girlfriends phone, she sells....gave the automated system her account, zip, accounts restrictions, seller and it rattled off her limits, the asked is there anything else, so I asked for agent...couple seconds of music then silence.....still restricted this morning at 6AM my time, had 61 items end yesterday evening that I can't relist, can't list new items, I am getting Best Offers, so I'm still in business, but when I try to list and I use InkFrog as my listing inventory tool, their back end says.....A hold has been placed on your eBay account. Our records indicate that your credit card has twice declined for payment, and/or your account is at least 60 days past due.<br />USER_ON_HOLD<br />1012  Problem is new invoice for last month just came out the 19th....that invoice says......You have set up automatic payments using a credit card. Your invoice amount will be charged to your credit card automatically between August 23, 2018 and August 25, 2018....I don't care where you are on the planet....both those dates are still 2 days away in the future?  And it's not truely due or limitations do not occur, not that I have ever had them but I've found others who don't pay until the last minute on threads with messages stating they receive message about limitations on the 13-15th of the next month with reminders to pay before limitations.....I guess I'll be calling here at 8:01 AM my time to see if I can actually get someone....

 

Sorry this is long, but also want to note, I called with a made up ABCE 4chars of an account and asked for Report A Buyer, just to see if I could get someone, same thing music played, never heard the, please stay on the line for the next rep, just music played through the loop maybe 3 times then nothing.....I should have tried returns as well, but I'm assuming all of eBay CS phone lines were down.

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What in the world? Email from "Ebay Collections"

 


@otaku.com wrote:

The plain fact is that eBay will have benefited 

from this "glitch" by possibly millions of dollars.

 

Many sellers will have paid the demand

without checking.

 

No way will eBay refund automatically.

Sellers who paid twice will be requested 

to login and request a refund,

which I'm guessing will take 28 days to process

due to "technical issues"

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

After dealing with EBay/PayPal for 20+ years now that was my first thought too. Just a way to scam more money out of us. Like you said, anybody that paid twice will be out the money for at least one billing cycle. And EBay gets to use that money as an interest-free loan. My GF thinks I'm just being cynical. What do you think?

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What in the world? Email from "Ebay Collections"

I believe its real because it had the right amount due.  But it had been paid.  Bad idea on Ebay's part, "Collection Department" is usually the department that deals with unpaid debts.  They're going to get hammered with emails.  There's been a lot of "improvements" to ebay lately.  If it ain't broke don't fix it!

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