PayPal hold on funds?
 

I’m hoping some seasoned sellers might be able to help me figure out why PayPal would have put a hold on funds paid to me via eBay for a transaction recently completed.

The buyer (great guy, also a Net54 man) and I had a terrific transaction, he made a BIN offer on e-bay, I accepted and all seemed fine.

I packaged the item and added a tracking number into the eBay system but it’s still showing funds held, not available.

I found some general policy statements on PayPal suggesting some possibilities for wire the funds may be on hold for 21 days. 21 days??!

I also checked eBay and it shows nothing there in messages suggesting that eBay was putting a hold on the funds or transaction. In fact, it redirected me back to PayPal.

Anyone have any idea what might have triggered this hold? I’m a very infrequent seller on eBay but I have sold several items over the last month or so. My ratings as well as the buyer are both very good, 100%.

Thx for the forensics here... it’s all a mystery and, of course no luck reaching an actual human being at PayPal

Jeff

If you're new to selling, they put a hold on payments, ask the buyer to leave feedback asap, that will free the money faster. Also if this transaction is higher than your usual sales, they might hold the payment, again ask buyer to leave feedback asap. If the buyer pays by echeck, the money won't show up until it clears but you should receive an email telling not ship until it clears.

Ebay is changing all sellers away from PayPal to Ebay Managed Payments, that could be a holdup as well.

I too am a spotty seller on Ebay, but have over a 2400 feedback rating and over 20 years on Ebay. Last week, I had a BIN on a card at $175 that sold in minutes (yes, priced a bit too low, and knew it) and the buyer paid immediately. The money was then placed on a 24 hour hold...I received a couple of automatic emails, but really no explanation. The buyer contacted me and apologized as he noticed it and thought it may be on his end? He also had over 2000 feedback. I waited the 24 hours, then shipped immediately. Again, I had sold a few items the last month or so around the same price range and nothing.

In the end it was a minor inconvenience, but in all years I have never had that happen and have sold items over $2-3k before. Figured something new must have triggered that...

Thanks for the insights... hoping this is a one/done issue

Thanks John.... I wonder if they created a new algorithm due to their change in payment system

As you said, it’s a small inconvenience - I know the buyer is trustworthy (and the timing hold of 21 days is not that big of a deal)

I just wanted to figure out why in hopes of avoiding another delay in the future (as seller OR buyer)

Add the tracking number to PayPal’s website also and have the buyer give feedback like another member mentioned. In addition have them go to PayPal’s website and click on the invoice you are referring to. there should be an option for the buyer to select “received item “ or “received item and satisfied” (not positive on the exact wording.) But if they select this option it will release the funds immediately.