It was bound to happen...100 sales and first return. What can I expect with money on hold.

[bksgolf]

So it's not the return that has me a little peeved but the fact that it looks as if Ebay immediately holds funds until the item is returned.  Is that accurate?  It seems to me they should wait until you've receive the item and inspect it and allow you to approve a full or partial refund.  It'd be nice to have my money continue to flow into my account and not have a chunk of it sitting on hold for weeks..possibly longer.  Is this what I can expect or will Ebay release it until the item returns?

[bonjourami]

They want to make sure the refund comes out of your pocket..not theirs..if this is a snad return, you have no options.Since the buyer is returning it, obviously thats a full refund,unless you are in free returns,and a trs,and the item is damaged, then you can deduct up to fifty percent of the refund.

[disneyshopper]

The hold is placed so it will be available when the time comes to refund the buyer.

[dfoxman1983]

Ebay will side with the buyer and you will have to accept the return. You may not get the item you sent or it may no longer be in condition to sell again. Scammers use forced return to commit all kinds of fraud and generally you have no recourse.

[netwizz760]

Basically, it will remain held until eBay sees a tracking number show delivered to you.   Then you have a couple of days to refund it otherwise eBay steps on and you surely get a worse DEFECT.

At any rate regardless, once a tracking number shows returned they get a refund, so the held money will vanish from you.

The other alternative is the buyer never actually sends the item back.   Supposedly they have a couple of weeks to ship it, but unlike your handling time, the buyer gets no defects for taking his or her sweet time.   If the buyer does not return it in over 30 days you can ask eBay to unfreeze your money, and they might do it depending upon whom you ask.

If it is not returned in 60 days, eBay will unfreeze your money.   Any unused label the buyer is provided will be refunded to you as well eventually if not used.

Just recognize a buyer can stretch this out about 60 days if he or she wants.   The best case scenario at this point is the buyer never ships it back and you get the money unfrozen eventually, OR you can hope the buyer is a liar and the item is actually returned pristine exactly as described and sold ... and  that you get it back quick in which case you can sell it again.

In reality, you can expect this to be in limbo two to four weeks with you not knowing what happened, and if you get something back, it’s probably not at all like what you sent out from missing tags, missing or destroyed packaging, damage, etc.   Most likely you sent it as described, and the buyer makes the item Not as Described before sending it back to you and giving you the defect.  This is the eNay way

[pooh333piglet]

It's basically as you stated. Ebay holds funds until item is returned and then refunds buyer. Theres no approval from you about your money. No releasing unless buyer never returns item

[ra_201044]

At any rate regardless, once a tracking number shows returned they get a refund, so the held money will vanish from you.

That only happens if ebay steps in. Otherwise the seller has 2 days to process the refund. If they don't refund during that period, then ebay will send the money to the buyer.