Ebay canceled my auction listing

rgwill · April 24, 2006 2:33AM

I had a coin listed last night and ebay canceled it this morning. I had on the listing that i would accept paypal but could not take credit cards and they said that was against policy. They said if i accept paypal i have to accept all forms of payment. I don't list many on ebay and i guess i learned a lesson, but i see a lot of auction saying the same thing. My paypal account won't let me accept credit cards!

Barndog · April 24, 2006 2:36AM

I think if you use the paypal icon you must accept all forms of payment with paypal. And that paypal icon pops up if you click paypal as an accepted form of payment when designing your auction. If you do not use the icon and merely state in your shipping/payment instructions that you will accept paypal from bank account, echeck, or paypal balance only, then you can get around ebay's evil doing.

Russ · April 24, 2006 2:42AM

Somebody ratted you out.

Russ, NCNE

drwstr123 · April 24, 2006 2:44AM

I didn't use their logo but someone complained and I too was cancelled.

rgwill · April 24, 2006 2:47AM

I didn't use the logo because the logo says you will accept credit cards. I just noted it in my listing.

messydesk · April 24, 2006 2:49AM

<< Somebody ratted you out. >>

It's happened to me, too, although I wonder if they have a search going for Forbidden Text™, since one auction was yanked pretty quickly after I listed it. Anyway, my payment information now reads something like, "Payment by check, money order, or online funds transfer not involving a credit card."

flaminio · April 24, 2006 2:50AM

<< I had a coin listed last night and ebay canceled it this morning. >>

fc · April 24, 2006 2:51AM

rgwill,

what is the disadvantage of accepting all forms of
payment?

i am a new seller and I have a regular paypal account.
if someone plans to pay me, I imagine I will run into
what you are talking about.

if you could explain a bit more i would appreciate it.

flaminio · April 24, 2006 2:55AM

<< what is the disadvantage of accepting all forms of payment? >>

If you have a personal account and don't accept credit cards or very much money, you can accept money without paying the PayPal fee. Once you cross the credit card line, you have to pay the fee on every transaction, including non-credit card funded ones. Kinda sucks, but their sandbox, their rules, and all that...

flaminio · April 24, 2006 2:56AM

messydesk · April 24, 2006 2:57AM

<< what is the disadvantage of accepting all forms of
payment? >>

PayPal (i.e., eBay) hits you up for another 3% of not only credit card payments, but adds insult to injury and even takes a cut on cash payments if you sign up to accept credit cards. It doesn't matter that they already collected on both ends of your auction.

Rob9874 · April 24, 2006 3:01AM

It's just easier to sign up for the business account, allowing you to accept all payments, and take the 35¢ + 2.9% hit. It'll pay for itself in higher bids. I'd much rather sell an item for $20 because many people bid on it, due to the fact that I accept all forms of payment, than to not accept credit cards and sell it for $10. $20 minus 3% is still more than $10.

Bochiman · April 24, 2006 3:31AM

<< It's just easier to sign up for the business account, allowing you to accept all payments, and take the 35¢ + 2.9% hit. It'll pay for itself in higher bids. I'd much rather sell an item for $20 because many people bid on it, due to the fact that I accept all forms of payment, than to not accept credit cards and sell it for $10. $20 minus 3% is still more than $10. >>

Ya know, sellers always say this...but you aren't looking at the whole picture.
If ALL you do is sell on ebay, then you are correct.

However, my first year with paypal was sending/receiving money from relatives who I sent things to or was helping out on things with.
It was cash transfers....nothing to do with credit cards. So, if I received $2000, then paypal would have stolen $60 for that service. Paypal was convenient (which is why I later used it for ebay) but it would have been a ripoff to me otherwise (maybe a $5-$10 nominal charge for service use would have been fine, but not what they would have taken if I would have allowed credit cards.

So, for the casual seller, or person who uses it in other ways, having the business account will suck....

By the way, for some auctions, having paypal accepted will increase the sale price. For others items, it really doesn't matter.

fc · April 24, 2006 3:40AM

thanks all for your advice.
i bet my first time selling something will be paid with
a paypal payment with a CC.

sigh

BAJJERFAN · April 24, 2006 3:43AM

You CAN HAVE both a personal and a premier PayPal account.

flaminio · April 24, 2006 3:48AM

<< Ya know, sellers always say this...but you aren't looking at the whole picture.
If ALL you do is sell on ebay, then you are correct.

However, my first year with paypal was sending/receiving money from relatives who I sent things to or was helping out on things with. >>

Have two accounts. One for eBay, one for your relatives. Problem solved.

fc · April 24, 2006 9:12AM

when i first paid someone with paypal, i used a CC.
i guess as a first time seller, i should expect the same thing.

do many buyers who use paypal, ever have a positive balance
to transfer funds instead of using a debit or CC?

because if it is always zero like mine was, i better upgrade
my account on paypal before my auction ends.

worry.

Bochiman · April 24, 2006 9:19AM

<< 

<< Ya know, sellers always say this...but you aren't looking at the whole picture.
If ALL you do is sell on ebay, then you are correct.

However, my first year with paypal was sending/receiving money from relatives who I sent things to or was helping out on things with. >>

Have two accounts. One for eBay, one for your relatives. Problem solved. >>

Again,

Sounds easy, but paypal put a cap on the personal account amounts, monthly, right?

Yes, there are ways to work around things....the key point is that it isn't "simple" as people put it.

BAJJERFAN · April 24, 2006 9:21AM

I would imagine that most buyers don't keep much if any balance in their PreyPal account because they are:

1. Constantly broke or otherwise short of funds.

2. They have heard horror stories about how PreyPal raids your PayPal and bank accounts.

3. They like the extra protection that recourse thru a credit card chargeback gives them in the event of a dispute or nonperformance by the seller.

mrpotatoheadd · April 24, 2006 10:03AM

Greetings, all-

Although I haven't posted here for a real long time (and only once, at that), I do read regularly and thought I'd jump in on this...

<< I had on the listing that i would accept paypal but could not take credit cards and they said that was against policy. >>

From eBay's PayPal Payments Policy:

Sellers who offer PayPal as a payment option on eBay (either using logos or text in the item description) must accept all forms of PayPal payment including account balance, bank account transfer, and credit cards. Sellers must have a Premier or Business PayPal Account or be willing to upgrade from a Personal PayPal Account to a Premier or Business Account if sellers receive a credit card payment. Sellers may not communicate to buyers that they accept, or will not accept, specific forms of PayPal payment.

Don't ask me how I know this...

slipgate · April 24, 2006 10:09AM

The real answer is that some people are too cheap to pay the miniscule fees to open their auctions up to millions more people. It's a bad business decision on their part and are rightfully being punished for it. IMHO

BAJJERFAN · April 24, 2006 11:34AM

<< because if it is always zero like mine was, i better upgrade >>

Why not wait till someone actually tries to pay you with a CC then all you need to do is click upgrade and accept.

<< Sounds easy, but paypal put a cap on the personal account amounts, monthly, right? >>

Yes but the $500 monthly cap applies only to those payments for goods and/or services. If you use the category of purchase option quasi-cash you can send as much $$$ as you want to because the limit does NOT apply to quasi-cash transactions.

Bochiman · April 24, 2006 3:47PM

<< 

<< because if it is always zero like mine was, i better upgrade >>

Why not wait till someone actually tries to pay you with a CC then all you need to do is click upgrade and accept.

<< Sounds easy, but paypal put a cap on the personal account amounts, monthly, right? >>

Yes but the $500 monthly cap applies only to those payments for goods and/or services. If you use the category of purchase option quasi-cash you can send as much $$$ as you want to because the limit does NOT apply to quasi-cash transactions. >>

Ah, thanks for that info Tom....I didn't know that (and, I started selling and using paypal for ebay anyway, so I upgraded my account....never did set up 2 accounts because it would be a hassle)

<< The real answer is that some people are too cheap to pay the miniscule fees to open their auctions up to millions more people. It's a bad business decision on their part and are rightfully being punished for it. IMHO >>

Slipgate....I have to laugh at ignorant statements like this......
"people are too cheap"
"miniscule fees"
"millions more people"
"bad business decision"
"rightfully being punished"

Dude, you are funny!!!

Oh, wait....were you serious????

I actually like people that don't use paypal as a seller...sometimes...because then I can save money

I also don't think "millions" of people make the difference on most things......
Everyone has a right to do what they want....and I doubt they are being "punished" for their choices.

BECOKA · April 24, 2006 4:02PM

I agree if you use Paypal for personal transactions that it is tough to deal with the permanent 3% hit. It might be worth having two seperate accounts, 1 for personal and 1 for e-bay. Not sure if that is possible though. I have a business account because I generally get higher being able to offer Pay-pal.

I figure between e-bay and pay-pal you end up eating about 8-9% of the transactoin.

Deadhorse · April 24, 2006 4:46PM

<< 

<< The real answer is that some people are too cheap to pay the miniscule fees to open their auctions up to millions more people. It's a bad business decision on their part and are rightfully being punished for it. IMHO >>

Slipgate....I have to laugh at ignorant statements like this......
"people are too cheap"
"miniscule fees"
"millions more people"
"bad business decision"
"rightfully being punished"

Dude, you are funny!!!

Oh, wait....were you serious????

I actually like people that don't use paypal as a seller...sometimes...because then I can save money

I also don't think "millions" of people make the difference on most things......
Everyone has a right to do what they want....and I doubt they are being "punished" for their choices. >>

I'm sure glad you put it that way.

I wouldn't have been near as kind in my response to the paypal shill.

"Rightfully being punished"........... still shaking my head over the arrogance of that comment.

slipgate · April 24, 2006 10:43PM

Ha! I actually did that to get a rise out of the anti-paypal crowd (they amuse me). I don't have a problem paying the fees. Heck, I even sold a motorcycle on ebay and paid the paypal fees on it. I chalk it up to the price of doing business. But those who don't want to pay should check out creating their own merchant accounts with visa/mastercard and see what fees they are charged directly.

No one seems to have a problem with the exorbitant fees charged by heritage and the other auction houses that sell your stuff - you want to talk about gouging! I never see them bashed for it.

If you have any kind of volume, I would bet that you would increase sales to the extent that you would more than cover the fees charged for the priviledge of being able to accept credit cards without a merchant account (and hence without IRS tax reporting).

For those concerned about losing $3 on a $100 sale, perhaps think about making up for the $3 loss in your shipping/handling fees (I know there is another whole group of people that think a seller's time is worthless and charging any more than actual postage is sacreligious) or set a higher reserve. If $3 is your profit margin, you are in the wrong business (its all relative - $30 on $1000, etc).

fc · April 24, 2006 10:49PM

No one seems to have a problem with the exorbitant fees charged by heritage and the other auction houses that sell your stuff - you want to talk about gouging! I never see them bashed for it.

he has a lot of us there. 15% to me was quite stiff when
i first learned of heritage.

if it was less, i would use it more often.

19Lyds · April 24, 2006 10:51PM

But, aren't those fees paid by the buyer and not the seller??

BAJJERFAN · April 24, 2006 11:00PM

<< "millions more people" >>

LOL I have never had a million watchers for any item. I'm sure eBay has several million potential bidders for my auctions but how many of those want a 1885-o Morgan in SEGS ms62? When I start selling on eBay more than 3 times a year I will consider accepting CC payments; I will do what what is best for ME not what is best for PayPal or eBay. If I owe you $100 and pay with PayPal would you settle for the $97 net or would you prefer that I send $103?

slipgate · April 24, 2006 11:01PM

The seller paid the fees - not directly but indirectly - don't you think that buyers take into account the additional 15% buyer's premium that will be charged to the total and adjust their max bid accordingly?

BAJJERFAN · April 24, 2006 11:07PM

<< The seller paid the fees - not directly but indirectly - don't you think that buyers take into account the additional 15% buyer's premium that will be charged to the total and adjust their max bid accordingly? >>

Probably most of the time, but not always.

airplanenut · April 24, 2006 11:57PM

<< But those who don't want to pay should check out creating their own merchant accounts with visa/mastercard and see what fees they are charged directly. >>

I don't have a problem paying a fee on credit cards. The problem is the same fee that is charged for bank/paypal balance transfers... those used to be free, are free for personal members, and cost paypal nothing, so the fee is exorbitant.

Think about it this way. You can start with $100 in one account, and keep paying a second account (and then back in a loop) and eventually have nothing. All paypal had to do was send some emails and add/subtract numbers.

nankraut · April 25, 2006 12:09AM

"The real answer is that some people are too cheap to pay the miniscule fees to open their auctions up to millions more people. It's a bad business decision on their part and are rightfully being punished for it. IMHO "

MINISCULE??? You must be joking, or very wealthy.

GAT · April 25, 2006 12:48AM

What do you expect from a 1200 pound gorilla? I once read where that Meg girl, who was president of eBay, had stated they wouldn't be satisfied until they received 10% of every auction. I believe there's a way to recover fees paid for accepting credit cards by using a Paypal debit card on your balances. Unless it's been changed they kicked back a percentage every time you used it.

Ebay canceled my auction listing

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