eBay is losing a 20+ year user and SELLER ... do they care?

[Anonymous]

Months ago I wrote here in a couple posts how badly eBay's new managed payment system or whatever screwed me over as a seller. I sold a very high end phone, the transaction went perfect, and despite buyer leaving positive feedback and everything going well, eBay held my nearly $400 payout hostage for over a month. Prior to the managed payments system, as recently as 2020+, when PayPal was still an option, I could get payment from seller and use that money immediately via my PayPal debit card. Now, unless you are someone who sells VERY FREQUENTLY (not a couple times a year but basically every 90 days or so I believe), your "30-day hold requirement" will reset and you'll be treated like an unknown conman. Doesn't matter that in the same time you could buy countless items and eBay not second guess your identity or security then...but when it comes to selling: "Oh no! We can't trust you're who you say you are because it's been 6 months since your last sale, so we NEED to put a 30-day hold on funds!"

Hogwash.

eBay is dead folks, unless you are a power seller. I've already moved my selling to Mercari and sold items, got auto feedback 3 days after delivery confirmation and could get my money within minutes during payout phase. Case in point: Brand new seller on Mercari w/ ZERO selling reputation and like 2 item buys -- I sell an item, buyer pays, I ship out next day, they receive it a couple days later...in less than 7 days I have the money in my bank account and there's zero chance buyer can say "It's not what was promised!" or that Mercari will go back into my bank and yank the transferred funds out (you don't even have to submit bank routing info for payout).

eBay is shockingly bad now that I can see how much better the whole process can be. In fact, Mercari in many ways is what eBay was in the 00s. Yeah the eBay account I now have is ~10 years old but I had another one for 10 years I opened in ~2001. So I clearly remember how much better eBay was.

Across those two accounts I probably sold $10,000 of stuff over the years...and probably bought $20,000 worth of stuff off eBay in the last two decades too. I even bought a car off eBay ages ago. I know how it works. I've generated thousands in revenue and seller fees for eBay.

But they don't want people like me. And so I'm closing the account, once and for all. I've moved all selling to Mercari, I've moved buying to Thriftbooks, Mercari, Amazon, Walmart, etc. and in short, eBay's horribly one-sided behavior to smaller sellers who don't list monthly is just insane. It's a friggin' chore to sell and get paid on eBay, and every auction is a lesson in "will the buyer want a return/refund or screw me over weeks or months later!?!" 

Sayonara eBay. You are a mere shadow of your former self. I recommend all smaller sellers go elsewhere immediately and cut your losses.

[champuchinonu1]

@mam98031 

"What do you expect me to do with that information.  I didn't write Ebay's policy nor to I administer it.  I just gave you the information."

 People should give information to others  just 1 time ( which according to them is information and it could be just an opinion and not facts). Problems arise when they try to enforce their own views on others .

If you are having good on Ebay , good for you, but if someone is having problems they also have the right to express it .

Its solely upto to the person if they accept your solution or not. Few here don't understand that and keep giving information again and again. Very unfortunate.

[powell-memorabilia]

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@sakic92710 wrote:

There was a time I made a sale for $750.  No hold.  Another time, 2x $750 to 1 buyer at the same time.  No hold.  After, suddenly, a hold on a $600+ sale.  Not long after, another hold for less than $250.   Just random holds for no GD reason.  All of these sales were between 2020-22.

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eBay also takes into account return rates - simple analytics to determine associated risk.  Holds do not happen for no reason.  

[sumsum70]

             eBay also takes into account return rates - simple analytics to determine associated risk.  Holds do not happen for no reason.  

It would be nice if eBay used those simple analytics to let sellers block bad buyers. eBay has the data, they know which buyers open returns and leave negs at a rate which vastly deviates from average.

[champuchinonu1]

@sumsum70 

"It would be nice if eBay used those simple analytics to let sellers block bad buyers"

This .Totally agree.

They don't and won't do it. Ebay is buyer centric. So sellers are left with either not selling here or keep getting scammed if they do. 

[sakic92710]

The holds were LONG before that.  Like I said, those sales of high value were in 2020-2022.  Some were holds & some were not.  Ridiculous!

[sakic92710]

Apparently, they do happen for no reason.

[mam98031]

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@champuchinonu1 wrote:

@mam98031 

"What do you expect me to do with that information.  I didn't write Ebay's policy nor to I administer it.  I just gave you the information."

 People should give information to others  just 1 time ( which according to them is information and it could be just an opinion and not facts). Problems arise when they try to enforce their own views on others .

If you are having good on Ebay , good for you, but if someone is having problems they also have the right to express it .

Its solely upto to the person if they accept your solution or not. Few here don't understand that and keep giving information again and again. Very unfortunate.

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You might have a point if I were giving my opinion on something, but that was not the case in the posting excerpt you want to discuss.  

I have NEVER in any post to you said how I was or wasn't doing on Ebay.  I have never even brought it up.

[mam98031]

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@sakic92710 wrote:

Apparently, they do happen for no reason.

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No they don't.  The seller may not agree with the reason, but that doesn't mean there isn't a reason.  Just means the seller doesn't agree, which they have every right to do.

[sakic92710]

When their reason is 'we don't want a buyer to be scammed' that is not a reason.  Not when you are an active seller for several years who has proven he/she does not scam.

[bonjourami]

"When their reason is 'we don't want a buyer to be scammed' that is not a reason.  Not when you are an active seller for several years who has proven he/she does not scam."

Your funds were held for several reasons, you just will not admit that.

[sakic92710]

Great!  Another "all-knowing seller" who has less experience than I do.   lol

[bonjourami]

Ive been here much longer than you.

[andsciamm_0]

I do not think so... they have so many people on their site that I don't think they'd even notice. I apologize if I somehow hurt your feelings or pride, they hit my pride a couple of days ago but you know... I am going to remain a customer but not sell. 

[mam98031]

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@sakic92710 wrote:

When their reason is 'we don't want a buyer to be scammed' that is not a reason.  Not when you are an active seller for several years who has proven he/she does not scam.

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I get it that you don't agree with why Ebay does this, but the simple fact is it is their site, their rules, we don't have to like them or approve them.

You've had a few problems with your account recently and it could have added to the issue for you.  Fortunately these holds are short term.  I do however understand that anyone messing with our money is problematic for many reasons.  I wouldn't like it any better than anyone else.

[mam98031]

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@sakic92710 wrote:

Great!  Another "all-knowing seller" who has less experience than I do.   lol

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That really isn't fair when it has been by your own posts that some of us know about some of the issues you've had in recent memory.