eBay help please?

[windywillow]

An eBay buyer said he paid me by credit card on 20th February but nothing is showing in my PayPal account. I've tried to determine with him, exactly how he did it (I'm not sure if my account is set up for credit card payments). He replied, 'I clicked on the box in your listing'. He is quite new to eBay (Feedback of 2) so I'm guessing he's as confused as I am.

I've emailed PayPal to ask for help but got an automated email response which didn't help, with a suggestion that I ring them if my query isn't sorted. If I do that, the phone call will probably cost more than I'm getting for the item. :o(

Can anyone suggest anything please? I've tried to fathom out exactly what my account is set up to receive but it's baffling me. Everyone has always paid by PayPal before and it's all gone smoothly.

TIA for any replies. x

[grasscarp]

Just ask him to set up a paypal account if he doesnt have one. He can then use his credit card safely with you or other people. Alternatively if he doesnt want to do this presumably you would accept a cheque which you could cash first and then send out the goods? Get in touch with the buyer.

[Smowball]

Whatever he has done, he hasnt paid you. So if you go into your Paypal account you can send a money request - you just add his email address and the amount you want and he should be able to pay through that.

[woofgang]

Can the payer prove payment from his credit card bill? If he can, then the money went somewhere and he can find out where from the bill and the credit card company.

[joko]

ask him to forward you the email stating he has paid for the item... if he hasnt got one then he probably didnt confirm the payment... there are quite a few windows to go through when paying, he perhaps didnt finish...

[joko]

did he pay with paypal or card..? you do have to set up credit card payments and it can take days... and you need confimation from the bank.

he may not have done that

[joko]

the onus is on himto prove and ensure he has paid correctly... so let him figure it out at his end, as that is clearly where the problem lies

[windywillow]

Thanks all, much appreciated. This is copied and pasted from the latest email he sent me:


///I set mine up with PayPal when i started buying off the i/net only about 2-3 months ago for the first time.

Since then i have purchased about 10 items at least and when i do it auto goes though for me IF i just click on the set up boxes so I think / pretty sure all my orders are though paypal and because i havent had any problems so far thats fine.

But IF you are asking me how it works i dont know other than to say everyone has been paid so far as i'm concerned.///

Reading it, it sounds like he's paid by PP, but I had an email from eBay saying he was going to pay by credit card. I seem to be going round in circles. :o(

I wonder if I should leave it a few more days to show up in my account? I'm getting a bit concerned in case he leaves me bad feedback because it's taking so long for him to receive the item. I've got an excellent feedback rating so far and I'd hate to spoil that.

[vodkancoke]

windywillow, in my experiece contacting paypal by telephone gets you a better response. They are very helpful. Go through the Contact Us, then "call us" where it will give you a web pin and you enter that when prompted.

[boxtops]

It sounds as if there is confusion between paying direct by credit card to you, or paying - using your PayPal account - by card. On my PayPal account, when people pay me, it doesn't matter how they do it, the payment goes direct to my PayPal account.

If you raised an invoice to him (which I always do, at the end of a listing) then this would show how you accept payments - mine doesn't accept direct credit card payments, people can only pay me via PayPal, cheque or cash.

I've phoned PayPal and they were helpful,and not expensive, but why don't you lodge a dispute with eBay now? It's quite long enough to wait for payment... and it's up to the seller then to prove that he send payment and how he did it. Whatever you do, don't post the item until you know that the payment is in your PayPal account.

[Smowball]

Agree with boxtops - ive had people say they are paying me all sorts of ways but it still all goes into my Paypal account. Get him to check his and he will see whether he has paid you or not. If not then do as I suggested, just send him a new money request and he can pay via that.

[windywillow]

I think I'm gonna have to ring PayPal. It's just a bit annoying as the item only sold for 99p and once the eBay and PayPal (???) fees have come off, I expect I'll be lucky if the balance will pay for the call. :o(

Oh well, I guess I'll just have to get on with it. Boxy, I'm a bit weary about starting a non-paying dispute because I don't understand exactly what my account is set up for and I'm worried that somehow I'm to blame for this. On my payments page it says 'PayPal Preferred' but underneath that, there are some credit card logos. Perhaps I should have set something up with my bank but didn't? :o/

I think that between him and me, it's like the blind leading the blind. :0)

[boxtops]

windy, you need to go into your eBay profile and change the way you accept payments - accepting payments by credit card is obviously not working!

[windywillow]

Thanks Boxy. Just come off the phone with PayPal - It transpires that as well as accepting payments by credit card via Paypal, I also have the credit card payments option ticked in the 'Additional Payment Methods' box on the listing.

PayPal have referred me to eBay to help with it. Tried to ring eBay but got a recording saying they are experiencing an unusually high volume of calls at the moment. :0(

Thanks again for all your help, folks. x

[TWR]

Just a quick tip Windy, never ever post any of your items until you are 100% sure that the item has been paid for, its too late when you have sent it, also if you send breakable item do all you can to protect the goods, Bubble wrap as much as you can, I usually stick a label on all sides stating "HANDLE WITHCARE. there's not that expensive.

[windywillow]

Thanks TWR. I had a chat with a sorting-office worker earlier this week, it opened my eyes a bit about how mail is handled. I've bought some tape with "FRAGILE" written on it.

I've decided I am going to send the chap the item FOC, it's my fault that the transaction's c0cked up, I just hope I'll be able to cancel it with eBay.

[TWR]

Another, If you get Emails regarding your Pay Pal account, check the EMail thoroughly & I mean thoroughly, there are scam about from our millionaire friend's in Africa that try & get your details, there are mistakes in their mail so check, if in doubt "DELETE the mail.

[windywillow]

Will do. Thanks.

[boxtops]

Both very good recommendations, TWR - I get spam emails pretending to be from PayPal, never click in any links.

Don't be too obliging, windy - your buyer is expecting to pay postage, he's not losing out financially because you have a problem.

Btw I always email eBay through their contact us facility - they always get back to me.

[windywillow]

I've had a "Live Chat" with eBay and although it was a bit hard-going, putting it into words on the screen, it was very helpful. They've suggested I get in touch with the buyer and ask him to cancel his payment, then re-send it via PayPal or cheque. They've confirmed that he's paid, so where the money is, I don't know.

I've emailed him and asked him to cancel and re-send, but if he says he can't or he's not happy, I won't bother fighting for it, I'll just send him the item for free. It's been a learning curve for me. I'll make sure that bloomin' credit card box is not ticked in future. I've noticed it many times before but thought it referred to payment by credit card via PayPal.