eBay placing temporary hold on payouts for up to 5 days while they review some details?

[ig-trucardaddict]

Any other Sellers on here had to deal with this issue?  I have no current disputes or dissatisfied customers, 100% positive feedback and have been a Top Rated Seller for close to 2 years now.   I called to get to the bottom of why they are holding my payouts and the reasoning behind it?  I spoke with multiple different reps (Sam, Harvey, David & Julius) all of which gave me a different answer without giving me exact details of what is being reviewed and what details need to be confirmed.  I was disconnected multiple times therefore had to make multiple calls where I was strung along and transferred to department after department (Customer service, Trust & Safety & Account Restrictions).  When I was finally able to get a rep on the phone that identified as a manager (Sandy), she explained that all she could tell me was that my payouts would be on hold for up to 5 business days while they review some details.  I asked her multiple times what details needed to be reviewed and was told she could not tell me as that would undermine their review?????  My income on here is my sole income therefore need my payouts to pay bills and purchase all my necessities but that obviously does not matter to them.  Unfortunately eBay continues to jerk around and screw over the sellers/buyers that continually do the right thing and operate based upon their user agreement, rules and guidelines all the while those that continually abuse the platform and screw people over get to continue perpetuating their behavior without consequence.  

[lepke1979]

I'm guessing you got this after that $7,500 sale today. Assuming you don't get a lot of those (and possibly even if you do). eBay probably wants to make sure nothing hinky happens and not be caught owing the buyer money.

Looking more. You sold nearly $20,000 the last few days. eBay is most definitely covering their butt.

[aprilmoviebuf2000]

Understand your frustration, but with the mulitple high dollar sales you have had recently, it's not unusual for eBay to hold funds in these situations.  

[714ricki]

Normally, this is caused when there is a big abnormality in your selling patterns such as the type of item being sold, the quantities, or the overall value of the orders. Ebay just wants to make sure that you're actually shipping the item & that the customer receives the item in a timely manner & that the customer doesn't have any issues with the item.

This type of review is quite common as sellers branch out into higher valued products. As long as you shipped the item, have uploaded the tracking, & the items in question aren't on some type of restrictive list, then you will be OK in a few days. Just hang in there.

[dnasilver]

Just hold on, it is a few days. Yes. I understand your concern about bills, but with the value of these items you are selling by no means are you hurting so much that you cannot wait five days. If need be, your bank would give you a short-term loan against your graded collectibles as collateral. Graded collectibles are highly sought after, they are also items that tend to be stolen. There could be reports to the grading companies that certain cards have been stolen. eBay is responsible for due diligence when reports of stolen collectibles are made or if said cards have been falsely placed in a manipulated holder of a grading company. Grading companies guarantee their work and thus protect with holders and labeling of theirs. Would you not want buyers to feel safe regarding the investment they have made? It only benefits everyone involved in collectibles.

[coolections]

You've averaged around $50 transactions over the last 6 months and now jumped to $1,000 to $8,000 transactions. I would think that is a need for Ebay to check you out before going further.

[richard454]

I still don't understand the guilty until proven innocent vibe.  And why it is totally OK for eBay to hold your money- just because they want to.

I make varied deposits- some big some small- in my bank account as I'm self employed. My bank does not indiscriminately hold my money.  I've been with my bank for a while- as the seller has been with ebay for 4 years. A track record is worth something- just like my credit score is to feedback.

    It has become more and more common- and somebody running a small buisness NEEDS a good cash flow. If ebay continues to turn the water off and on as they feel- seller's (who are also buyers) will leave.

[dnasilver]

What we do not know is how thorough eBay and its money processor are being. There is a high probability that credit reports and balances are being watched since "managed payments" have started. So. it could be very understandable or not.

[fab_finds4u]

Only 5 days? LUCKY YOU!  They can hold funds up to 30 days for items over $1000 or if you sell in a high risk category. Sports cards are high risk for counterfeits. Selling a very expensive item in a high risk category is what triggered the hold.

[richard454]

Yep - not only if your sales are $1000- but if you use Bank of America.... or what ever else they choose to hold "YOUR" money...

[richard454]

Oh- here's the latest- 

I was told with my "New" non Bank of America account- my funds would be released timely.

First story- anything I sold when I was using Bank of America account-would be held for 30 days... After several calls- they released almost $15K due to my verified- microdeposited account...

Now eBay is holding my money again- almost $7K since the first of this month. Have already spoken with several CSR- I was PROMISED it would be released yesterday- and this is the story it received....

How can they continue to legally do this- hold money and continue to make up stories?

[ig-trucardaddict]

Yeah I could completely understand this logic if it was out of the ordinary for me to sell items around that price point but its not, Nothing has changed with my selling activity/practices.  I have sold countless items around, at or above that price point and never had an issue before.  if it had something to do with that transaction specifically, then why not just hold funds for that transaction?  That is what they typically do when a hold has to do with a specific transaction.  I could also understand that logic if I had a history of screwing buyers over but that is not the case either..   

[ig-trucardaddict]

They never once have in the past, as I have stated none of my current selling activity is out of the ordinary, my selling activity/practices have not changed and are no different than they have been for the past 6 months to Year.  Again I could completely understand if I haven't sold items of this value, but that is not the case as I have sold countless items at, around or above the price points of every recent sale I have had therefore using your logic why have they never done it to this point?  I could also completely understand if I had a history of screwing my buyers over however that is not the case either, if it was I wouldn't have 100% positive feedback nor be a top rated seller for the Majority of the time I have sold on eBay.  The other aspect in all of this as I stated in my initial post, nobody within my network has ever had to deal with a random review where every bit of their payouts were held.  Some of which have sold on eBay for 15-20 Years and do 6-7 figures worth of business on here, so if its not unusual for eBay to hold funds in these situations then how come the people I have cited have not had to deal with it?  There is nothing in the user agreement or even managed payments about random review payout holds of every sale unless its a new seller account, which mine is not.  This is what the outline for payout Holds:

1. Registration Holds - which is holding funds for a discrepancy with info provided at registration (Not the case for me, as I have had my account for a few years now)

2. Compliance Holds - Which is holding funds when your account is not in compliance with eBay rules or the Law.  They also state if payouts are held for this reason they will state as much and ask for whatever information they need to verify your account is in compliance.  (again as I stated in my initial post they refused to give me an answer on what they hold was for, therefore if it was a hold for compliance reasons they're in violation of their own user agreement and managed payments policies)

3. Performance Holds - which describes payout holds for unusual activity associated with your account such as increased Customer claims, a sudden change in your selling activity, late deliveries or negative buyer feedback.  (again none of which apply to my account as their has not been a sudden change in selling activity, no increase in customer claims, no late deliveries and no negative feedback)

4. Invalid Payment Method - Which describes a payout hold if they can't deduct your seller fees and other costs from any of your on file payment methods in which case you will be contacted to add another payment method.  (again doesn't apply as I don't owe them $ nor have they ever had an issue collecting money owed from me)

5. Tax information - which states they can put your payouts on hold if they cant validate your form w-9 for tax returns.  (again doesn't apply)

those are the only 5 reasons outlined in their managed payments section for why they can hold funds therefore considering none of these apply to me whatever "reason" their using to hold my payouts isn't outlined in either their user agreement or managed payments policies.  If they expect buyers/sellers to abide by their user agreements and managed payments policies then by law they need to as well.  My biggest thing in all this is give me an explanation of why my payouts are being held which they refused to supply which again contradicts what is outlined in their managed payments section as it clearly states you will be notified as to what kind of hold is being placed on your payouts.  

[ig-trucardaddict]

yeah nothing out of the ordinary for my account, my selling practices and items sold have been the same the entire time I have sold on eBay.  As far as dollar value of items sold goes I have sold countless items at, around and/or above the most expensive item I have recently sold therefore no sudden changes in my selling patterns to justify holding payments for 40+ transactions.  Also I am approved to list up to 300k worth of items therefore if there is an issue with selling 10k worth of items then why give approval to list/sell 30x that?

[ig-trucardaddict]

first off whether or not i am hurting for the $ isn't even a factor in all of this, it has to do with them abiding by the same user agreement and managed payments policy they expect their users to abide by.  also considering I was scheduled to close on my new house today I needed that $ for my deposit, so now that closing is pushed out another 6 weeks.  Fact of the matter is what they are doing is far from ethical, they out line 5 reasons for payout holds in their managed payments section of which none apply to my account therefore whatever their "reason" is, it isn't in the managed payments section or user agreement.  On top of that they clearly state in their managed payments section that when payouts are held they will provide the reasoning for said hold.  They flat out refused to tell me why my funds were being held, its no different than someones employer withholding an employees paycheck and then saying we cant tell you why..  As far as your comments about graded collectibles and cards goes only one grading company guarantees their work which is PSA and Not every transaction that is currently being held is a graded collectible as well therefore that reasoning flies right out the window.  In fact less than 25% of the payments being held was for a graded item and of the graded items being sold every single one was graded by me not to mention has a certification number which could easily identified without holding up every payment for every transaction.  Considering I had everything graded myself there wouldn't have been items reported as stolen or anything remotely close to that reasoning.  Of the non graded items only 1 was set to go thru their authenticator program, not to mention that would not cause all your payments to be held.  My biggest issue in all of this is not so much that they're holding the funds, its the fact they are refusing to supply an explanation of why and the fact their is nothing in their user agreement or managed payment sections outlined that my situation would apply to therefore they are not operating by the policies and agreements they expect their users to operate by, as i stated above its no different than a employer telling an employee were holding your paycheck for an extra week but we cant tell you why were holding it???  How many people would that fly for?  I don't work a regular job, so my income here is my sole income not to mention every item sold was purchased to begin with to resell therefore 100% of what I sell is not profit, believe me I wish it was.