Paypal's "routine screening process"

frankhardy · August 20, 2008 10:41PM

I have heard that some people are getting payments "held" that are over a year old. After Paypal takes that money back out of a seller's account, it is up to the buyer to "repay" that back. The kicker is that the buyer doesn't have to. The transaction has already taken place months prior. Is this not the most insane thing you've heard?

Even though I would be highly ticked off if I had payment screened of $20 or so, I could at least absorb that. But what if I had one that was several hundred dollars! That would not be good.

MuckyMutt · August 20, 2008 11:41PM

Here's what I think is happening:

Paypal is losing money and they are "grabbing" extra cash from peoples accounts. Since they are not regulated as a financial institution they can do whatever they want and there is no protection whatsoever for account holders. One of these days Paypal is going to declare bankruptcy, and a LOT of people are going to lose their money.

I am trying to close my Paypal account. Interestingly, although I have not had a transaction for over 6 weeks, I get a message that I can't close the account because a payment approval is "pending". What the...!!!! I am seriously worried. I am considering closing my bank account and credit card account that is "connected" to my Payapl account. That would be a real pain and time consuming, but will probably be good protection in the long run.

Just my $.02

Leiascards · August 20, 2008 11:53PM

I had one from April they tried to do that to and won even though I did not have the documentation they needed. I stood up and fought them on it and they backed down.

Some investigation on my part it was the buyers bank that was trying to recoup funds from a negative balance account that caused it to happen. The buyer had paid with an e-check and the account either went into negative or was already and the e-check got cleared as an overdraft. When the buyer did not pay the negative balance the bank tried to recoup their money from Paypal. Paypal took it from my account. Realisticly they should have just eaten it, but they wanted to see my response some people just roll over and take it up the ***. I was fighting it the whole way and the money was returned to my account.

Pete14Rose · August 21, 2008 12:16AM

<< Here's what I think is happening:

Paypal is losing money and they are "grabbing" extra cash from peoples accounts. Since they are not regulated as a financial institution they can do whatever they want and there is no protection whatsoever for account holders. One of these days Paypal is going to declare bankruptcy, and a LOT of people are going to lose their money.

I am trying to close my Paypal account. Interestingly, although I have not had a transaction for over 6 weeks, I get a message that I can't close the account because a payment approval is "pending". What the...!!!! I am seriously worried. I am considering closing my bank account and credit card account that is "connected" to my Payapl account. That would be a real pain and time consuming, but will probably be good protection in the long run.

Just my $.02 >>

You are right. I recently did the same thing. I closed my bank account and cancelled my debit card. Opened a new account, w/ new card. I will not be using PayPal again. Just because Ebay wants to outlaw MO's doesn't mean I still can't make offers to sellers on items I want. Prime example is the 3000 Hit CLub Litho I just bought. Spoke to the seller and he ended the item for me. We'll be concluding our transaction early next week, off Ebay. Where there's a will, there's a way.

frankhardy · August 21, 2008 2:21AM

<< 

<< Here's what I think is happening:

Paypal is losing money and they are "grabbing" extra cash from peoples accounts. Since they are not regulated as a financial institution they can do whatever they want and there is no protection whatsoever for account holders. One of these days Paypal is going to declare bankruptcy, and a LOT of people are going to lose their money.

I am trying to close my Paypal account. Interestingly, although I have not had a transaction for over 6 weeks, I get a message that I can't close the account because a payment approval is "pending". What the...!!!! I am seriously worried. I am considering closing my bank account and credit card account that is "connected" to my Payapl account. That would be a real pain and time consuming, but will probably be good protection in the long run.

Just my $.02 >>

You are right. I recently did the same thing. I closed my bank account and cancelled my debit card. Opened a new account, w/ new card. I will not be using PayPal again. Just because Ebay wants to outlaw MO's doesn't mean I still can't make offers to sellers on items I want. Prime example is the 3000 Hit CLub Litho I just bought. Spoke to the seller and he ended the item for me. We'll be concluding our transaction early next week, off Ebay. Where there's a will, there's a way. >>

The only issue that I see with that tactic is you will both have to trust each other a great deal. You don't have feedback to back you up. Other than that, I love the idea.

Leiascards · August 21, 2008 2:28AM

Its also a great way for both buyer and seller to end up with vacations.

Morgoth · August 21, 2008 2:32AM

Does anyone think that they are just using a algorithim program to randomly hold monies from peoples account, drawing short term interest on that held money and then hoping a percentage of these holds will never be refunded?

Morgoth · August 21, 2008 2:34AM

The vacations only take place when other scumbag dealers or buyers turn them in, just like what happened to Neil's auctions.

Pete14Rose · August 21, 2008 2:35AM

<< 

<< 

<< Here's what I think is happening:

Paypal is losing money and they are "grabbing" extra cash from peoples accounts. Since they are not regulated as a financial institution they can do whatever they want and there is no protection whatsoever for account holders. One of these days Paypal is going to declare bankruptcy, and a LOT of people are going to lose their money.

I am trying to close my Paypal account. Interestingly, although I have not had a transaction for over 6 weeks, I get a message that I can't close the account because a payment approval is "pending". What the...!!!! I am seriously worried. I am considering closing my bank account and credit card account that is "connected" to my Payapl account. That would be a real pain and time consuming, but will probably be good protection in the long run.

Just my $.02 >>

You are right. I recently did the same thing. I closed my bank account and cancelled my debit card. Opened a new account, w/ new card. I will not be using PayPal again. Just because Ebay wants to outlaw MO's doesn't mean I still can't make offers to sellers on items I want. Prime example is the 3000 Hit CLub Litho I just bought. Spoke to the seller and he ended the item for me. We'll be concluding our transaction early next week, off Ebay. Where there's a will, there's a way. >>

The only issue that I see with that tactic is you will both have to trust each other a great deal. You don't have feedback to back you up. Other than that, I love the idea. >>

You're absolutely right. As always, trust is a big concern. In a way, I am returning to the "old school" ways of dealing....trusting my instincts, talking to the other person on the phone, getting a feel for who they are etc. Back in the mid 90's, if we were to strike a deal and you had a problem with speaking to me over the phone....I simply didn't deal with that person. It was, to me, a sign that they had something to hide or were being less than honest. If I got burned, it was because I didn't read you right. It was the same way in the 80's card shop and card show boom. You had to fight through all the sharks and leeches to find the right deal. It won't be all that bad to get back to the basics. Fortunately for me though, this Litho deal will be an in-person deal. We both prefered to avoid the massive shipping costs.

Leiascards · August 21, 2008 2:38AM

<< The vacations only take place when other scumbag dealers or buyers turn them in, just like what happened to Neil's auctions. >>

Not always. I have a regular customer who emailed me through Ebays system about just selling the items to him outright since he always wins, he was willing to pay a slight premium over what the auctions usually end at. We both got a slap by Ebay for solicting off Ebay transactions.

Morgoth · August 21, 2008 2:40AM

How would Ebay find out if the communication took place off Ebay? If he emailed you through their system then its his fault.

Leiascards · August 21, 2008 2:43AM

Most sellers do not put their Email in the listings and it will soon be a violation of the links policy to do so. It actually already is, but the enforcement of it has not happened yet.

So the only way to contact a seller is through their system. Ebay may also start looking closely at sellers who are ending lots of items early this could be a clue to them, at that point they may use a few of their IDs to see if the seller will go for an off Ebay transaction. You cannot tell me T&S does not have IDs they use for this purpose. Where there is a will there is a way.

Pete14Rose · August 21, 2008 2:43AM

<< 

<< The vacations only take place when other scumbag dealers or buyers turn them in, just like what happened to Neil's auctions. >>

Not always. I have a regular customer who emailed me through Ebays system about just selling the items to him outright since he always wins, he was willing to pay a slight premium over what the auctions usually end at. We both got a slap by Ebay for solicting off Ebay transactions. >>

One of you had to do something wrong then. I've been completing off Ebay transactions for years. I think I was "warned" once. And that was from an uppity seller who reported me for asking him to end early. All a buyer has to do in contact the seller through Ebay and ask him/her to email them directly.

As I said - where there's a will, there's a way.

Ebay wants to start imposing all of these new rules on people....people will find a way around them. It's human nature.

Morgoth · August 21, 2008 2:47AM

Yeah but when you email a question you can add it the question. I don't know how they could monitor every question submitted every day for possible email accounts. Even with a bot you could just disguise it like this M.........Y...........E.........M............A..........I........L or other various ways. People will get around it

Leiascards · August 21, 2008 2:52AM

Emailing a seller and telling him to email me can be picked up by bots.

If I recieved an email from a buyer with a M>>Y>>E>>M>>A>I>>L is lalala AT lalalal.com I would ignore it.

Pete14Rose · August 21, 2008 2:58AM

<< Emailing a seller and telling him to email me can be picked up by bots.

If I recieved an email from a buyer with a M>>Y>>E>>M>>A>I>>L is lalala AT lalalal.com I would ignore it. >>

In the end, it will balance itself out. It always does. Ebay will try to control every aspect of how we buy/sell....they can't. It's quite impossible. While you (one out of millions of sellers) might ignore such a message.....there are many, MANY sellers out there willing to work with potential buyers in order to avoid FVF's combined with PayPal fees.

Leiascards · August 21, 2008 3:02AM

I have been Paypal only since June of last year so the fee thing does not bother me just a cost of doing business.

Morgoth · August 21, 2008 3:06AM

You say you would ignore it but if the guy was a huge buyer or was offering big time money you would listen, get off your cross.

SDavid · August 21, 2008 4:13AM

Just because Ebay wants to outlaw MO's doesn't mean I still can't make offers to sellers on items I want. Prime example is the 3000 Hit CLub Litho I just bought. Spoke to the seller and he ended the item for me. We'll be concluding our transaction early next week, off Ebay. Where there's a will, there's a way.

Pete14Rose - Ebay actually hasn't banned buyers from mailing payments - they've just banned sellers from requesting them. If a buyer tells a seller he wants to pay by check, that's still within the rules.

This rule change really only effects sellers like dsl who didn't offer paypal. I expect to get about the same percentage of mailed payments as before once word gets around that buyers aren't required to pay electronically.

Leiascards · August 21, 2008 4:16AM

Even then Paypal is still not going to be required. You can use Propay or your own merchant account.

dontippet · August 21, 2008 4:35AM

I don't understand what the big deal is. Remember, you are not required to use ebay or paypal. If you use either of these services, you are using them because you want to, not because you have to.

Pete14Rose · August 21, 2008 4:44AM

<< I don't understand what the big deal is. Remember, you are not required to use ebay or paypal. If you use either of these services, you are using them because you want to, not because you have to. >>

As long as they don't make it mandatory, then it won't change my buying habits or how I pay.

Paypal's &quot;routine screening process&quot;

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Paypal's "routine screening process"