Since when did Paypal become an escrow service?

[Yosh]

isnt that a bit like anti competition since ebay owns paypal?

recently i feel their fee for receiving payments is quite high especially if you receiving another currency. I had an idiot sent me in euros instead of pounds so they took a chunk out. i think it was like 2 euros and they took 50p from me.

but as a buyer i do feel superbly protected. however if i was a scammer then i would feel like a haven for me too

even disputes are taking forever now, it used to be just a few weeks nowadays it can be up to 2 months

I just waited about 2-3 weeks for a refund, i bought a dvd which the seller failed to post, i emailed the seller, called the seller, no response, then the seller got 2-3 more negatives regarding the same issue, i filed a dispute and pointed this out, but still had to wait 2-3 weeks, i think that was a little stupid really when evidence is there in plain sight.

[Uriel]

The only time I ever used Paypal's resolution system I bought a graphics card that never turned up. The seller gave a fake tracking number for the parcel. After waiting ages I got it awarded in my favour and got most of the £120 quid back, minus about £10. They said they'd chase the £10 and then closed the case. This was in 2005.

I'd just about forgotten about it but I feel like being arsey. After the funds get released (hopefully) for the current transaction I'm going to file two complaints. One about being held to ransom now and the other about the £10 all those years ago.

[Uriel]

Hmph!

Happy buyer. Positive feedback and - you've guessed it - funds still on hold.

[^SwITcH^]

Ebay/Paypal are an absolute joke - after going through a smilar issue (withdrawn funds and sent item) I cancelled my account and have never used eba/paypal again since (nor do I ever intend to).

[Uriel]

Funds cleared and I finally get to send them in the general direction of my bank. I feel a lot happier without funds sitting in Paypal.

This was only after I decided to email them to complain though. Don't know how long I'd have been waiting if I'd left it.

At least they've sent a grovelling apology. I may now go and start chasing that tenner from years ago.

[^SwITcH^]

Glad you got one bit sorted - good luck with the other.

Just remembered about a good friend of mine who had fun with Paypal when someone set up an account in his name using his bank account details but in China. Paypal wanted him to prove that he didn't know who this person was and that it wasn't him ... I think his respons was "how the hell am I supposed to prove a negative?"

Worst bit was he had a few hundred quid stuck in paypal and during this "dispute" they froze his account and he couldn't get it out.

[Emirzan]

Yep, it's official. PayPal/eBay are the spawn of the devil.

Sadly they are the only market with enough viewers to get a decent price on quite a few items, hence why I still use them. Would quite like an alternative, especially as the Final value fees have gone up again as of the 12th of March

You're now looking at a 10% loss on everything and then a further 5%+ for the wonderful 'priviledge' that is having receiving money on PayPal. On the plus side listing fees have been reduced by a few pence. Wonderful.

[Yosh]

I'm mildly annoyed. The (Edit: Auzentech X-Fi) Prelude I was selling went as buy it now on ebay. Paypal have sent me a message that they are witholding funds until I receive positive feedback from the buyer or 21 days passes with no dispute being filed. They want me to post the thing now. I logged into my Paypal account, thinking I smelled a rat, but it looks like it's genuine.

Apparrently the transaction has come up as being as a high chance of fraud?! What the? I have 60+ 100% positive feedback on ebay and I didn't get any of this treatment when I sold a much more expensive netbook just before Christmas.

Edit:

Ok it happened to me today. £10 has been stopped by Paypal.

I sold item on March 6th
Posted and Left Positive Feedback
Item was received and feedback left for me on the 11th
Today the 17th the money has been taken from my account by Paypal

Half the above terms dont apply to me, feedback has been left and received and the item has been shipped.

They expect me to supply a proof of postage and a signed for paperwork on a £10 item that went by first class, in order for them to pursue this issue.

Failing this i have been told i do not get seller protection.

Not once in the email did it explain why they have taken the £10 from me, i logged into the website it gives absolutely no reason, i called them and after 15 minutes the CSR said i would need to be passed on because she had no idea and no details on her system to explain why.

I was put through to another CSR who gave me a number of reasons why but wouldnt tell me exactly why they have taken £10 from my account as they say it falls under the data protection act.

So basically im £10 out of pocket, and my game is in the buyers hands, and i cant do anything because i didn't post the item by signed for postage.

This is the reason i never signed up my bank account through Paypal, because they insist on a direct debit giving Paypal access to take money from my account anytime they want to , I DONT THINK SO!

So bye bye £10 and Game

[Uriel]

Ok it happened to me today. £10 has been stopped by Paypal.

Sounds like you're in a slightly different situation. I think this will either be the buyer has paid on credit card and initiated a chargeback or the buyer's paypal account was used fraudulently.

Either way - without proof of postage or delivery, I think you're scuppered.

[KowShak]

I was put through to another CSR who gave me a number of reasons why but wouldnt tell me exactly why they have taken £10 from my account as they say it falls under the data protection act.

One of the provisions made by the data protection act is that you can check whether any data held in any database about you is correct or not, them refusing to tell you what data they hold on your is a breach of the act.

This wikipedia page should give you some idea of your rights under the data protection act, bear in mind this is wikipedia though.

If fraud has taken place and Paypal are not being cooperative, involve the Police and cause Paypal as much of a headache as you can. You may not win the fight against Paypal, but I'm sure you can cost them more than the £10 they have unjustly taken from you.

[Yosh]

Sounds like you're in a slightly different situation. I think this will either be the buyer has paid on credit card and initiated a chargeback or the buyer's paypal account was used fraudulently.

Either way - without proof of postage or delivery, I think you're scuppered.

I've actually been in contact today with the buyer by telephone, he seems very genuine.

He told me he logged on today to find half of his recent transactions have been reversed and its something to do with his bank, the direct debit to paypal, and assures me if its not sorted by a phone call tonight he will post a tenner out to me. (fingers crossed)

[Yosh]

One of the provisions made by the data protection act is that you can check whether any data held in any database about you is correct or not, them refusing to tell you what data they hold on your is a breach of the act.

This wikipedia page should give you some idea of your rights under the data protection act, bear in mind this is wikipedia though.

If fraud has taken place and Paypal are not being cooperative, involve the Police and cause Paypal as much of a headache as you can. You may not win the fight against Paypal, but I'm sure you can cost them more than the £10 they have unjustly taken from you.

Its not my data, i was asking the reason why the payment has been charged back / refunded to the buyer, they said they cant tell me because thats a breach of data protection, i cant see how really, surely they can tell me if the card was stolen or if its a genuine reason rather than fobbing me off with one of several generic reasons. Actually when i login to paypal it says i have paid paypal £10 using paypal, so it looks like they are the ones holding my money.

[McPhee]

I've actually been in contact today with the buyer by telephone, he seems very genuine.

He told me he logged on today to find half of his recent transactions have been reversed and its something to do with his bank, the direct debit to paypal, and assures me if its not sorted by a phone call tonight he will post a tenner out to me. (fingers crossed)

Might be a PayPal problem, i just had an eMail today detailing they're having trouble with my bank and i needed to phone the bank. Phoned the bank, they have no idea what PP are on about... Maybe their system has gone a bit screwy?

[Shooty*]

eBay and Paypal are fast sending themselves down the proverbial pan.

+1

+1 for Mrs Shooty* as well.

[Jay]

I only use paypal for Shattered Crystal (EVE Time cards) and to buy stuff on here. Anything else where I may need a refund then no chance.

[Blitzen]

Ebay/Paypal are an absolute joke - after going through a smilar issue (withdrawn funds and sent item) I cancelled my account and have never used eba/paypal again since (nor do I ever intend to).

Exactly what i did.
Ebay and Paypal were crooked enough when they were separate entities. Now they are 'one force' they are operating just within the law.