New FB rules

[coxengines]

Although eBay has not announced the exact day of implementation, I just wanted to let others know that, once implemented, this will affect ALL transactions, even the ones completed before implementation day, meaning that you will only be able to leave +FB from that day onwards, period.

The same will apply for the new 60-day window for leaving FB.

I have a few buyers who are dragging out payment, stalling with "lost in the mail", "re-sending" payment (yeah right!) once I file the UID, ect, likely hoping "D-Day" gets implemented before I leave a neg.

Xena

[dipmicro]

stalling with "lost in the mail"

Xena, do you get many people paying by check or cash? I get nobody.

[lina-mallows]

We don't take cheques. Never have.
In over five years- only one person has ignored all the warning to the contrary, and sent us a cheque.
Recently we posted quite clearly that we no longer accept PayPal e-checks.
Since then- two people have sent them. The first we politely returned.
They have not responded further. Nor have they sent any form of alternate payment.
The second e-check came from a long time regular customer who probably did not notice.
The BIGGEST issue with e-checks is that they take so long to clear- and this adds to the perceived length of time for delivery.

While certainly not the case of a person that pays FRIDAY, before a LONG weekend, and then e-mails on Tuesday asking where there item is, as they PAID FIVE days ago! (Yes- we get those kind of buyers. PLEASE though you aren't likely reading this- BUY ELSEWHERE!!!)

Without expecting it- and we most certainly would have preferred a money order- very small amounts of US$ cash have turned up in our mail.
Nothing more than $10.oo. Just very small amounts. HOWEVER- sending any CASH payment is not recommended. We do not encourage it. However, it seems totally silly to send it back.

[dipmicro]

What's the danger in accepting PayPal e-check?

[whatnerds]

I am on customer 51 who has dragged out payment, I have never filed so many UIDs on eBay before. Thanks.

Sukh
(Dream About Comics)

[coxengines]

dipmicro,

In answer to your question, yes, lots of cheques, money orders and e-cheques. I would guess somewhere around 10% of my sales (in $$ terms) are paid that way, if not more.

E-cheques: Unless the buyer is a total newbie, I ship right away. Never had a problem.

Money orders: I ship right away on arrival, with repeat buyers the day they say it's "in the mail". Never had a problem.

Regular cheques: I ship right away on arrival, with repeat buyers the day they say it's "in the mail". Never had a problem.

I just had 3 problems in the last month or so with buyers saying they would pay but no payment received here. This morning I decided to "clean up" and made some calls.

One guy was (literally) on his deathbed (son offered to pay any debts but I declined). The other has been in hospital for weeks (wife said she would take care of it and I said "no rush") and the 3rd. had just re-mailed the cheque after returning from holidays as he had it returned due to insufficient postage. Didn't know it cost more to Canada LOL!

Sooo, I guess all is well after all. Baby boomers and older are my main customers so I guess the odd glitch is to be expected.

Xena

[lina-mallows]

dipmicro- apparently being in Canada- accepting e-checks form US buyers has not been a happy experience.
Following eBay's & PayPal's advice that ITEMS NOT BE SHIPPED until the funds clear- we wait- and then ship.
The problem, we believe, is that buyers only remember that they did pay- and when the item arrives they fail to take into account the days for the e-check to clear.

To further reinforce our resolve- eBay initiated very clear rules regarding e-checks.
In the "PayPal User Agreement"

4.3 Use of PayPal on eBay.
eCheck is the only Funding Source that eBay Sellers are allowed to block.

Therefore- as PayPal itself has recognized that e-checks can be a problem, and written this specific exemption regarding blocking them- who are we to disagree?

[dipmicro]

I had a problem once in 2006 when we started I shipped before cleared and it bounced. The buyer never responded after that. Since then we always wait till it clears.

After it clears I don't see any problem accepting it. However somebody told me that personal check may bounce even months after it was issued.

[recped]

The problem, we believe, is that buyers only remember that they did pay- and when the item arrives they fail to take into account the days for the e-check to clear.

I get quite a few e-checks and rarely have any problem with buyer expectations of delivery time. If you do it's up to you to remind the buyer, simply forwarding the PayPal notice that shows the expected clearing date and stating "your package will be mailed no later than the day after your e-check clears" should be sufficient.

[whoscloset]

I've never had a problem with buyer expectations on shipping time with e-checks either.

I do send out a "Your payment has cleared...we will be shipping today!" e-mail.

[dipmicro]

It's all about perception. Little reminder about the cleared check changes their perception.

[jeffglobal]

Somebody just told me that a NEUTRAL will soon count as a NEGATIVE towards your Feedback percentage starting shortly. Can somebody qualify this as correct? If it's in fact true, those buyers that casually leave positive NEUTRAL feedback every once in a while will now be directly effecting our ability to maintain PS status!

Has anybody else heard this one?

[recped]

True.....

For the non-performing seller policy a neutral = 2/3 of a neg.

For feedback percentage a neutral = a neg

Powerseller status will depend more on dsr's than overall feedback percentage. You must maintain dsr's of 4.5 to remain as a powerseller.

Keep in mind that feedback percentage will only be based on the last 12 months not life to date.