Tons of protection for the Buyer... but what about the Seller?

[RaChEltheRabidRabbit]

So as everyone knows, PayPal gives a lot of protection to the buyer of purchases as long as they send their payment as Goods/Purchases.

But what about the protection for sellers? The buyer could hold the seller's payment saying that they never received their item(s) or some other complaint and there isn't anything the seller could do about it besides offer a tracking number but sometimes that is not enough proof for PayPal.

So what do you sellers do to protect yourself?

I am in a problem like this now and haven't been able to get contact back from the buyer so PayPal is holding my money when I know that they received their pins 2 days ago.

Thoughts and comments are appreciated!

 

[Agogley]

PayPal is notorious for going with the buyer over the seller without a fair shake so to speak. Many people have stopped accepting Paypal because of it. I think the best you can do is to use EBay's shipping subsystem, be detailed in your description and make sure "AS Is" is put prominently in the ad. I also insure all shipments so that if the buyer says they didn't get it, then insurance will take care of it. Basically you are paying for insurance against a bad buyer.

There may also be a way to prevent buyers with no rating from bidding, but I'm not sure about that

 

[RaChEltheRabidRabbit]

PayPal is notorious for going with the buyer over the seller without a fair shake so to speak. Many people have stopped accepting Paypal because of it. I think the best you can do is to use EBay's shipping subsystem, be detailed in your description and make sure "AS Is" is put prominently in the ad. I also insure all shipments so that if the buyer says they didn't get it, then insurance will take care of it. Basically you are paying for insurance against a bad buyer.

There may also be a way to prevent buyers with no rating from bidding, but I'm not sure about that

Yeah... only thing is I sold these pins on my own... not through eBay.

 

[QueenBee]

Yeah... only thing is I sold these pins on my own... not through eBay.

weird, I have only shipped once the payment has gone through and I have the funds in my paypal

not sure how paypal is labeling the hold on your funds is it pending? echeck? or something else?

 

[RaChEltheRabidRabbit]

weird, I have only shipped once the payment has gone through and I have the funds in my paypal

not sure how paypal is labeling the hold on your funds is it pending? echeck? or something else?

I received payment and the buyer complained that they hadn't received their pins yet so they opened a case up with PayPal and PayPal is holding my payment until the buyer closes the case.

 

[QueenBee]

Maybe call/email paypal, and give them the time line
payment posted date
shipment date
arrival date

and show them that it was not an extended time, that it was a perfectly reasonable time line and complain that you believe the buyer is making a claim with no merit. see if paypal responds... just an idea

 

[eesser]

How long has gone by? How did you sent it (priority, first class, etc and does it have tracking?) I will make a post in a second on understanding PayPal's buyer and seller protection to help maximize efforts to be covered...

 

[eesser]

As for this situation currently here is an article about finding lost mail... http://www.wikihow.com/Recover-a-Package-Lost-in-the-Mail It depends on how you sent it, with or without tracking, etc If you have tracking and can show it has been scanned at least once, usually when you drop of the packages... It goes from label made to scanned in at X facility. Then if the package never arrives at the final destination, you can call and have them look for it, sometimes it is "found" and delivered after someone calls the local post office. If it is not found but scanned at least once, then after 21 days I think you can submit a lost mail form. I think the post office now covers automatically up to $50 but that may only be on priority mail. There is a minimum amount of time that must pass before you can make any claim on lost mail... So it is just a waiting game after a certain point... but you def want to contact the post office and try to find the package if you can.

 

[QueenBee]

So as everyone knows, PayPal gives a lot of protection to the buyer of purchases as long as they send their payment as Goods/Purchases.

But what about the protection for sellers? The buyer could hold the seller's payment saying that they never received their item(s) or some other complaint and there isn't anything the seller could do about it besides offer a tracking number but sometimes that is not enough proof for PayPal.

So what do you sellers do to protect yourself?

I am in a problem like this now and haven't been able to get contact back from the buyer so PayPal is holding my money when I know that they received their pins 2 days ago.

Thoughts and comments are appreciated!

As for this situation currently here is an article about finding lost mail... http://www.wikihow.com/Recover-a-Package-Lost-in-the-Mail It depends on how you sent it, with or without tracking, etc If you have tracking and can show it has been scanned at least once, usually when you drop of the packages... It goes from label made to scanned in at X facility. Then if the package never arrives at the final destination, you can call and have them look for it, sometimes it is "found" and delivered after someone calls the local post office. If it is not found but scanned at least once, then after 21 days I think you can submit a lost mail form. I think the post office now covers automatically up to $50 but that may only be on priority mail. There is a minimum amount of time that must pass before you can make any claim on lost mail... So it is just a waiting game after a certain point... but you def want to contact the post office and try to find the package if you can.

I believe the package was delivered, or at least tracking says it was delivered.

 

[eesser]

As for protecting yourself going forward I would read through the buyer and seller protections and also usps insurance claims process. You must follow their guidelines exactly to be covered under seller protection...

I would read through the links provided, but a cliff notes version - buyer has 180 days to file a claim as long as account is in good standing. They can file a claim

Always send with tracking and strongly consider insurance with signature confirmation... you must do insurance and signature confirmation for items over $750 according to PayPal rules, the signature confirmation is your best proof of delivery Keep good records of what you paid for the item and it's current market value, photos of the item esp major or unique things (minor dent, smudge, chip, numbers what ever) and serial numbers (so if they say it is fake and send a different product back you have proof of the differences, have the mail person scan the package when they come to pick it up or bring it to the counter to be scanned to start the tracking, which is needed if item is lost in mail and you need to submit insurance claim. You MUST mail to the address on the transaction page in PayPal, keep your receipt from when you mailed package and all slips they give to a)prove you have insurance to post office - requirement for claim and b)need tracking number and city state, country, zip (combination) that it shows for paypal for proof of shipment. If damaged have them take pictures of item AND packaging and send both as is back to you. Also be VERY specific on what is and is not included - if you say or show batteries included they must be included or else a claim can be filed. Making a disclaimer about inherent flaws and selling as is not a bad idea... just over give with information bc then it can't be said you didn't tell them. You also must have a permanent US address to be covered. it can not be a pick up must be a shipment for protection.. I have heard of some people going so far as to video themselves packaging product at post office even for high value items... I would think if it's that high value you have someone witness or a notary or third party get involved to act as a middle man (like art brokers do)... I think this is about all... Hope you get the situation resolved!

Here are the links you should read through :

Buyer Protection: https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/security/buyer-protection

Seller Protection: https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/security/seller-protection

Post Office insurance claims: https://www.usps.com/help/claims.htm

Specific information about claim information needed and proving value of collectables vs just amount it initially sold for... http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/609.htm

And the same article above on tips for finding lost mail: http://www.wikihow.com/Recover-a-Package-Lost-in-the-Mail

(note about lost mail insurance claims - the package must have been scanned in at least once to submit a claim on it... so if it was lost from the drop box to the postal counter and never scanned in initially it can not be proven you ever did more then make a label, so no claim can be made - fix to this, go to the counter to drop off packages as then they scan them in as they get them, or if you have your postal worker come pick up packages, ask that they scan them in there (hopefully you have a good relationship with them when you see them so often!)

 

[docfish2u]

The way to avoid this is to also get signature confirmation. It is a couple of bucks, but it does give you more protection since you have a signature to go along with the delivery confirmation.

The post office does give you 50.00 of insurance with priority mail only.

 

[froggerway]

Huh. I've had it happen twice where buyers said they didn't receive items and opened a case through PayPal. But once I proved the buyer refused insurance and that delivery confirmation confirmed a specific date and delivery time (for the first one) and only a post office receipt showing mail sent to the buyer's zip code (without a DC#) for the second incident, PayPal sided with me and told the buyer too bad, so sad. PayPal did hold the funds while the investigation was underway (they withdrew the amount that had previously been posted as cleared) but it was re deposited into the account once PayPal sent their "official" decision.

 

[starry_solo]

Did you print the shipping label through PayPal so that it's linked to the payment? If not, go and type in the tracking number ASAP into the payment details so that it will show that it was delivered. Provide a copy of the receipt for tracking as well.

If it shows delivered to the buyer, it should come out okay for you.