New Rule - eBay to hold sellers funds for 14 days

[charliethethird]

Effective February 2025, ebay will hold private sellers funds for 14 days if the order is posted with an un-tracked delivery service (such as Royal Mail 2nd Class).

I think it's a brilliant idea if they want private sellers to leave the platform in their masses.

More info here:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/getting-paid/getting-paid-items-youve-sold?id=4814

[gorragerritgone]

This is a nightmare. An example of the problem I am currently experiencing. I sold an item, posted it, tracked and signed, delivered. Royal Mail website states delivered. The buyer has left me pos feedback. Ebay is showing awaiting delivery and hasn't updated the confirmation. This was 4 days ago. I am still waiting for the funds to be placed in my 'ebay balance'. Another item I sold was delivered on Monday, Royal Mail HASN'T updated their site so ebay is stating awaiting deliveryI I got the buyers phone number off order details and rang them. I lied to the buyer and said "now you've received your item" (even though I didn't know that they had of course) "are you happy with it"? "Oh yes, it's great and you packed it well, thank you". I am still waiting for Royal Mail to update the delivery status and then will have to wait for ebay to update (that's if they do) before I get payment. I WANT MY MONEY EBAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[goodibags]

"I think ebay assume you're not doing any books."

I'm definitely keeping a tally of my sales (and purchases too). But only because Ebay's reporting is completely useless (for example, with income being shown as net of seller fees (when we paid those) but not postage costs).

If you sell a lot of low value items (like toys or LP records) that require small parcel postage then your 'income' will be some distance short of the figure Ebay thinks it is.

[robinson_flyer]

Quite!  Ebay seem to forget that there is a convenient and environmentally friendly means of posting for physically small cheap items you sell on ebay on many street corners - and they are called POST BOXES.  I use them because:

1. I have two post boxes within a three minute walk

2. Parking in town is rubbish - and I would have to drive from the outskirts so it isn't worth it for what I sell + not environmentally friendly

3. Royal Mail aren't that bad in my experience

4. Some couriers are about the same or even worse - unless you really pay a premium for the big names

5. I can tolerate the occasional loss far better than I can accomodate having to mess about with tracked postage and standing in a queue at a drop shop every day to post one or two envelopes worth just a few quid each

6. The item I sell is a consistent size/weight so I just slap a large letter stamp on it, addres it, job done.  That really is simple postage. 

[madkatshop]

It’s more of the connection between eBay and Royal Mail, than Royal Mail updating their details. I had the same issue many times before where item was delivered and there was no update on eBay end. 

[madkatshop]

If you use just a stamp on your items, you will be waiting 14 days for your money and you won’t have delivery confirmation, nor proof of posting. You’re opening yourself to scammers big time. If you register for Click and Drop with Royal Mail, postman will collect your packets for free and you will have collection receipt sent to your email. You can integrate it with eBay as well, and if you don’t have a label printer, they will print the label for you and bring it with them when they collection your stuff.

[goodibags]

You can certainly get proof of posting over the counter when you use stamps. As well as using them to pay for a tracked service like special delivery or signed for. 

I suspect many sellers may still have heaps of stamps to use up and would like the opportunity to do so before Ebay and the RM between them succeed in making them completely obsolete.

[jonno586]

Yes, I agree. Use real stamps where we can. How do stamp collectors collect stamps if there are none in use?

Let's not start on the whole stamp collecting business... but they (we) are many of the small-scale sellers affected.

[madkatshop]

I get that, but you’re actually overpaying for the postage by using stamps. I, personally, haven’t received anything from any seller on here with stamps on. But each to their own, especially if you don’t mind waiting 14 days for the funds.

Now, they don’t update the tracking straight away - one of my items was delivered two days ago and the tracking on the order page says on its way. So apparently now I have to wait for them to escalate it and I have to wait yet again for the funds to be released. And previously, tracking always updated straight away. 
At least in my case.

[kath3735_wxmjn]

seems to be what i would call private 'business' sellers are the ones doing most moaning!   I do not keep profit and loss records, accrual basis ones or any other business related ones.  I keep the monthly statement from e bay for when the tax man calls!   Not sure how a private seller can keep a profit and loss because i have not got a clue on what most of my stuff cost originally anyway!

[kath3735_wxmjn]

i posted an item on the 7th (fri) and it was recorded as delivered on the 10th (mon) 2nd class just the normal unpaid for tracking number.  Was recorded as delivered on my orders site on the 10th saying money would be in my wallet on 12th.  Money was indeed there as specified, took it out and was in my bank the next morning.   The other item is still not delivered according to RM so money is still in pending but nothing so far from the buyer complaining so it may have arrived or it may not.  Personally in all the time i have been selling (and buying) i have never had an item go missing with RM and i want to stick with them and my local PO.  If i cannot then i will not be selling.  (also i am NOT paying for tracked for my items unless they are worth it and a £3 jigsaw or item of clothing is definitely not worth it)

[goodibags]

Given that some of the things I'm selling now were originally bought on Ebay (years ago) I will often have a record of both the sale AND the original purchase. I even have records of buying records going way back.

I'll admit it may take a certain mindset to get organised but I used to be the complete opposite and it often cost me, so you could say I learnt to be careful the hard way.

@madkatshop  It depends how long you've had the stamps. If you bought them 5 or 6 years ago the price of a 2nd class stamp was around 50p. It definitely makes sense to use them.

[madkatshop]

I agree, but the stamps from 5-6 years ago are no longer in use. Since 2023, the stamps have QR code, so any stamps without it, won’t work. So if you still using them, none of your items will get delivered or the recipient will get charged by Royal Mail 

[bittyboy101]

I think whoever came up with this daft idea of delayed payments and also the daft idea that eBay managed delivery should be made compulsory on all private sellers should be handed their P45 and shown the door ! 

[wintersdawn1]

I use Royal Mail Tracked 48 which seems to have good integration with ebay, deliveries show in ebay usually very quick. 

[bobs_decals]

yep, it was the final straw for me! they have destroyed the platform with all the changes over recent years and now unless you pay extra to advertise your listings you get noticeably less interest that before, then this! the stuff i sold was low value items and sending tracked delivery so i could get payment once arrived would have meant they were too expensive for anyone to want to buy them.

[zillabudgie]

Bless... what an absolute

[r.soles_sneakers]

The platform has been off the last couple of years with my sales dropping dramatically from 200 in 2023 to just only 18 items sold in 2024. The views and watchers on items in 2024 has been almost non existent. Since the free to sell on eBay this year kicked in I decided to make my items free shipping, and that has seemed to have made things better. I just factor it as if I were still paying fees so it balances back out. Money was not on hold until the other day. I just sold a jacket for £230 , sent it and it is saying payment on hold until items delivered. Luckily I sent it special that has tracking which is what I do with anything of value but due to so many weirdos on eBay that wait until you post something to ask all the questions they should have asked prior to buying e.g. I hope it fits me etc even though I put photos with measuring tapes makes me extremely anxious. 
my selling experience on eBay went from great back in the day to *bleep* back to ok thank god and now to oh sh*t !

i am feeling vulnerable and open to modern day scammers.

 Let’s see how this pans out. First sign of any lengthy waiting time to be paid or eBay siding with a buyer instantly Il be finally leaving this platform. 
was good whilst it lasted

[elliedaz]

All fine if it works, but it doesn't.

I have multiple items sold that have received positive feedback, whereby the buyer has the item but they are still showing as awaiting delivery.

[madkatshop]

Or, if you have to reduce the price to account the buyer’s protection, you might end up paying someone to take it away. Make it make sense

[madkatshop]

You might wanna get in touch with them and say that your buyers have received items, it just postman can’t be bothered to scan items on delivery (assuming you sent them 2nd Class, and yes, even standard 2nd Class suppose to get scanned on delivery). 
This will be a joke, as not every buyer is as honest as the ones that left you feedback