21 day hold on top rated seller

[incogneato60]

I felt that seller's needed to know this.

This is not my selling ID but I do have one and have been selling on Ebay since early 2007.  I have over 25,000 feedback with star ratings for the year all at 4.9 and 5.  Ratings for the past 3 months are all at or over 4.9 with the exception of shipping time which is at 4.85 even though we ship the same day or the next day.  Most of the time we've been top rated seller's.  If we ever missed that rating it had to do with shipping time.  We've had one buyer complaint with Ebay and one Paypal complaint in the past 3 months.  (not counting the paypal reversals done by the buyer's banks).

Last month we got hit by 4 negs and 5 neutrals.  This is extremely unusual for us.  With the exception of one of those negs, none of the buyers had contacted us.  Most of it had to do with buyer's not buying the right size for themselves.  We have a 14 day return policy so there wasn't any excuse for not getting the right size for themselves.

Although we've not rec'd any info from Ebay on the exact reason why, we now have a 21 day hold on all money from sales, I'm assuming it has to do with the sudden negs and neutrals.  We've also been dropped from a top rated status to a below standard status.

This action taken by Ebay was, in my opinion, extreme.  It would be different if we had been new seller's without much of a history but we are far from new and have excellent ratings.  Our compliancy is rated high as well.

We're currently 2 weeks into the hold so we've been shipping with our own money.

I felt it was important to put this out there for other seller's to know.  Everyone needs to make sure they have back up funds for shipping in the event you get hit with a bunch of bad feedback in one month because your history of great ratings is not going to matter so don't figure that there is any security with this.  In our case it's not an issue since we have a brick and mortar store that covers the cost but many seller's live month by month.

[kitzkrieg]

and lets be honest, you sell stamps... it is pretty hard to compare your feelings or experience as a seller, when the item you sell can be shipped in a bubble mailer, and mine must be boxed and my lowest shipping fee charged is around $10-15 for my smallest item, but can be up to $150 for some kits I sell, you are lucky that you can offer free shipping with your stamps... I tried to do that, but include the shipping in my price, but I did not sell anything for almost 2 weeks with that change.

[bb_cool_stuff]

Can understand why your funds are being held due to your low DSRs. Just a rule to hopefully rid us of unscrupulous sellers. Nothing personal.

What i don't understand is your shipping charges seem reasonable enough to not warrant a low DSR. Are you shipping at cost, some buyers really dislike paying more than cost.

Shoot off a message to Kalvin & Raphael, with scanned copies of your postal receipts. Maybe that will help.

Very odd since you other DSRs seem fine.

[kitzkrieg]

I know, and yeah my shipping rate charged is what the fee is from Canada post, I think the neg I got did'nt help, that item was shipping at a cost of $16.45, and the total from the sale was $15.99, the buyer had the item for 2 weeks, then sent a nasty email demanding a refund, I replied telling him no problem, just send it back, but he instead filed a complaint; just minutes after my response. I spoke with paypal on the phone and they agreed with me, but suggested that we refund him to try and keep him happy, but he got the funds, and the item, but still left a neg... so with the cost of the item, and the shipping I was charged; I lost a grand total of about $20 & all I got in return was my 1st neg. and I think that with a few low DSR's in the shipping and handling, plus the neg, put my account status where it is at, and no matter what I have tried to tell ebay, they will not listen, and continue to hold funds for 21 days, but the thing is, since Feb. 25th I have had 7 positive fb's for items that funds are still being held, in fact I have not been paid for anything sold this year to date, all funds are still on hold, and when I called ebay to ask why, they said they would release those funds, but I need to give them the item numbers for each sale that has been marked as shipped by Canada post, which took over an hour and a 1/2 on the phone, last week, but the funds are not yet released... there really needs to be a better system, or just remove the shipping and handling portion from the DSR, since ebay has no options in their bag of tricks to fix it as a seller, just for example, ebay suggested that I include the shipping in the price, and list it as "free shipping", well that did not work well, as it put my prices up $10-$30 above sellers with the same items at 1st glance, because they most likely did not do the math and compare my free shipping ad with the seller who had his lower but plus shipping...,  ebay also suggested that I explain in my auctions that Canada post in one of the highest postal services around, and that I do not control the shipping costs...well, I might as well tell the buyers to never buy Canadian then,lol or tell them to go find it somewhere cheaper. the thing is, the buyer accepts the costs when they click buy it now, how can I be punished for something they accepted? and that is why I said this part of the DSR policy is unfair, the agreed, now they do not, and I have my funds held for it?

[cumos55]

There have been times  when a seller expands into a new category ...

They go from rarely selling over $20 to $25..

and start selling inventory worth over $500 and more.

That is an instant red flag  for eBay.

and ebay adds a 21 day hold to the seller's ID...  to protect the buyer of those high priced items.

Suddenly selling those high priced items  could also mean  that the ID was highjacked.

One sale  so much different than what is normally sold  can trigger a 21-day hold.

Just another reason for 21 day hold.

[cumos55]

I have been selling on eBay since January 2003....  What I sell today is totally different from that 10 years ago.

My experience has been varied.

------------------------------

One may sell something such as stamps   ... but that was since 1998

Every seller starts off simply and builds a business... Today it is feedback at over 25,000

One does not get there without learning everything there is to learn about eBay, and more.

Stamps... yes... but look at the value..

recent feedback  for prices $155, $165...

 I used to collect stamps... Doesn't everyone collect stamps at some time in their life cycle?

and... when I first looked at Pierre's stamps he had those values in the $10 range... but also sold stamps worth $1000 and more.

It takes a lot of effort and understand to be able to sell high value stamps  and then ship those stamps with adequate insurance.

Each long-time seller that comes here is unique... because each knows their own inventory...

That is the way of Canadian sellers.... unique, innovative, and very knowledgeable  of what it takes to be a Canadian seller on eBay.

The most important thing to do is ask the questions... and you will get answers....

Be positive... be informative  and learn

I hope I never get a 21 day hold...  but atleast I know what it means, why it occurs...  and in turn  how to deal with it...  the Canadian seller way.....

[kitzkrieg]

I appreciate your advise, and understand that your stamps sell for high dollars at times, but all I was saying with regards to the stamp sale as appose to my items being model kits, is that you should be able to ship your items at a fraction of what my much larger items shipping costs are, and I am only assuming, but one would think that most stamps can be mailed in a bubble mailer with some sort of stiff cardboard bracing; insured for around $10, or less (and I know that some of the higher valued stamps would cost more, due to insurance rates), but my model kits cannot be sent in bubble mailers, they NEED to be shipped in a decent box with some weight to it, along with Styrofoam, plus insurance, and this makes it very rare to have a shipping cost under $15 within Canada, add another $5-$10 for USA and if it s overseas... then we lowest rate I have had is $25 for one of my soldier figures, this box is 10x5x3 at around 12oz, if I can, I will take a hit on some of the fees, but it is difficult to get those prices down, and trust me, I am trying to stay positive, but it is not easy when I am making sales, but not getting paid for it, and then you get emails from ebay wanted their cut... but they will not listen, or hide behind a policy when you ask why money has not been released, when feedback has been given over a month ago, because like I said in the other post, the system does not update properly, and even when I call to have then manually release funds, it takes hours of my time, and this is time that I am not being paid for, and the funds are still not released from the sales that the ebay rep said would be, and this is about a week ago, so do I get back on the phone and spend more time asking?it would be easier if they just looked at this fairly, and agreed that if the buyer agrees to the shipping fees at the time of purchase, then they should not be allowed to complain about it after the fact, or at least, just make it so the system does not lock funds over that portion of the DSR, because like I have also said, holding a sellers funds because the shipping and handling fees are considered high by some buyers, does not fix anything, I would be in total agreement, if my funds were held because I did not ship items, or I have a few "not as described" on my account, but this is not the case, my account is otherwise in good standing, this is the only thing that is hurting my account DSR atm.

[cumos55]

I have never sold stamps.

But

I have sold much of what you are selling

Today I mainly sell books  

and that includes weighing less than 0.5 kg and I have shipped parcels of books weighing over 10 kg

I have shipped books, plastic model kits, model trains, race car sets and pieces in all scales, all kinds of toys big and small, lego, pottery, artglass, needlepoint, large paintings, and more  world wide..

I am now mainly books,  and am clearing out old inventory through a local auction house...

Shipping some of the very large pieces of art glass to New Zealand  cost over $100... and they arrived unbroken....   something other sellers had trouble doing  as indicated by the buyer....

I have been through a lot and more... and so have many of the other Canadian sellers who come here...

eBay has changed  and will continue to adjust....

We are always learning....

That hold is temporary....  The money is there... There are rules as to when it gets released...  and eventually that hold will be lifted.

[aubreyclay56]

well put my friend