This may have a major impact on all who list large, long, or heavy items on eBay UK!
The background is that eBay are prohibiting the use of cash as a payment method that can be stated in any listing. They advise that any listing that does ask for payment by cash will be removed and the vendor subject to sanction etc., etc.
This is as a result, no doubt, of several recent prominent eBay fraud cases involving sending of cash or Western Union transfers.
All well and good. So being a reasonable person I asked this question, using the eBay "Ask Us a Question" facility...
HERE BEGINS THE CORRESPONDENCE:
"Message: Can you confirm that after 16 January it will still be permissible to list items stating CASH ON COLLECTION? Or that if a buyer wishes to collect an item that they must pay by cash on collection only?
Your new rules appear to state that any listing requiring payment of cash under any circumstance will not be allowed. This may, if it is so, cause problems as sellers will not want to allow travelling buyers to
collect and pay by cheque, even with a Banker's Card, as both are easily mis-used by fraudsters. A updated message giving dated clarification of the new rules in relation to listings stating PAYMENT IN CASH ONLY ON
COLLECTION would be welcomed by myself and other eBay sellers I have spoken to. The CASH option box would also still need to remain available?"
THIS IS THE REPLY:
"Thank you for writing to eBay. My name is xxxx xxxxx and I appreciate
the chance to assist you with your concern at our new policy.
I realise how frustrating this situation must be for you. This new policy means that any listing offering cash as a payment method will not be allowed. We value your suggestions and recommendations and we try to
accommodate as many suggestions as possible from our customers. We are committed to continuous improvement of our site to make it both a fun and safe market place for users to trade. Your suggestion has been forwarded on to our product development team for review."
SO MY REPLY:
"Can you please absolutely confirm that it will not be possible to list an item where the buyer may collect (a heavy or bulky item) with the wording that BUYERS WISHING TO COLLECT MUST PAY CASH ONLY ON COLLECTION in the listing?"
AND THE RESPONSE:
"Yes, we confirm that cash will not be accepted as a payment method on any of the listings. Such listings will not be allowed on eBay. This means that even if you list cash on collection as a post to location, such listing will not be allowed." Claire G. eBay Customer Support .
So, if you sell on eBay any item that you list as "May Be Collected"....it might be something you want to contact eBay about!
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Hi Richard
This looks very important to myself and many others on here I will be ringing customer services when their open and I can get through.
Shouting amended. DD
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How do they really expect this to work with something like Ebay Motors? I mean, you don't have THAT many options for paying 500 quid for a car, do you!
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God I wish there wasn't a swear filter on this site! This policy is absolutely ridiculous! No-one will sell cars on eBay if they keep this policy up. Cheque payment methods have been known to be abused by fraudsters for ages. That leaves PayPal, which for a car gives you no tracking number and so leaves the seller in a vulnerable position to "instant payback" on "underlivered goods", under PayPal policy. PayPal also incurs charges for sellers who use the service.
What is so wrong with cash? It's an ancient form of payment which was around looong before cheque and PayPal and is one that never fails.
eBay will regret this decision.
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Mike Farrow
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Stop press!
Having read through pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/safe-payments-polic...l it states
"... Sellers may accept COD (cash on delivery) or cash for in person transactions... "
which contradicts the answers above. Have eBay customer services got their wires crossed, or am I not reading this right? Seems very confused to me!
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Mike Farrow
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Exactly. You ask a simple question, asking for simple confirmation that stating in a listing cash on collection only will remain OK and you get an ambiguous reply. One that, as you say, directly seems to contradict what eBay themselves say.
That is why, without labouring the point, that sellers of not just cars, but large autojumble such as engines, doors, etc., etc. (especially for classic cars) where collection is the only way of the buyer getting the item ask for transparent clarification.
My question to eBay was essentially "will asking for cash on collection still be allowed in a listing". Their replies don't give me a clear definitive answer.
That is why ALL should also ask!
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My understanding is that e-Bay takes a small financial percentage of each transaction from a seller - if I'm correct, how would this be achieved in the case of a cash on collection sale?
I presume that this is exactly the same reason why the website warns about dealing direct with sellers rather than through PayPal or other payment method.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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I wonder if e-bay owning paypal has anything to do with this....
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My understanding is that e-Bay takes a small financial percentage of each transaction from a seller - if I'm correct, how would this be achieved in the case of a cash on collection sale? I presume that this is exactly the same reason why the website warns about dealing direct with sellers rather than through PayPal or other payment method. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
If I recall correctly you set up an account with them, and they debit the money from your account when the sale completes.
Yes PayPal is owned by ebay, and it is a very lucrative money spinner.
I would never buy anything of value if I could not pay cash on collection. I have seen so many obviously fraudulent sales in the last few months, some of which I spotted as frauds, and there must be more that I did not spot. Many were withdrawn before the sale ended, so ebay seem to be cracking down on some of the fraud. I am astonished at how obvious some frauds are, and yet people continue to bid. I recently saw a German user selling an item on ebay UK, having previously only used ebay Germany, with an item located in China, and payment by Western Union only. Do these people need fraud in big latters in the auction description? The auction was cancelled by ebay.
By paying cash I avoid fraud, and the high Pay Pal charges. PayPal charges more than most credit cards, and yet they are not loaning you money, but merely acting as a middle man. In fact you loan them your money for a short period of time. So it's not surprising they are making record profits.
Leif
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PP is also increasing its profits by dubious methods,a bit of internet searching brings up reams of stuff posted by people who have had money taken by PP,particularly in the US where PP has avoided federal legislation aimed at banks.That does not mean UK users are not at risk.
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PP is also increasing its profits by dubious methods,a bit of internet searching brings up reams of stuff posted by people who have had money taken by PP,particularly in the US where PP has avoided federal legislation aimed at banks.That does not mean UK users are not at risk.
The FSA can be used to deal with Paypal UK accounts. Its not unknown for people's messages to customer services to go unreplied, until the FSA omnibudsman steps in, in order to unfreeze an account and get at their funds.
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My understanding is that e-Bay takes a small financial percentage of each transaction from a seller - if I'm correct, how would this be achieved in the case of a cash on collection sale?
You have a "sellers account", which charges you a certain amount based on the final selling price including postage. They then invoice you at the end of every month and ask you to pay. If you don't, your username is locked up until you do. If the buyer pays by PayPal, that's an entirely seperate charge incurred when the money comes into your PayPal account.
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Mike Farrow
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Definitive answer?!!
pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/safe-payments-polic...l
COD seems to be OK.
OK I'm off to stuff a Turkey. Happy Christmas :o)
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PAYPAL's rules *PROHIBIT* the use of Paypal on collection. It is a condition of seller protection that a trackable posting method be used. Collection does not give you a tracking number.
A common scam is to buy an item & pay by paypal. Then go and pick it up in person. Then because there is no tracking number, you can immediately execute a paypal chargeback. Result, you have item and you have cash back in your paypal account.
OP's advice from eBay is wrong! As others have pointed out.
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this is very simple - you just put in your listing that goods can be collected on receipt of cleared funds - if you don't put the word cash in your advert then ebay's filters won't spot it.
Job Done.
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MapMaker
How do you do an immediate chargeback please.
I recently recieved an article that wasn't as described, so I sent it back for a refund. I used a signed for postal service and know the seller had the item back just 4 days after the original sale. However, ebays system makes one wait 10 days before allowing one to raise a 'not recieved/not as described' alert. I would have liked to raise an immediate chargeback.
Also, is there any way of preventing a buyer raising an immediate chargeback if they have actually recieved the goods? Does using the PayPal tracking facilty do this?
BTW, I recieved my refund a few days later, so happy ending.
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>>Mapmaker How do you do an immediate chargeback please?
No. I wrote you can immediately execute a chargeback, which was a sloppy way of writing 'you can immediately commence the execution of a chargeback'. Paypal will freeze the sum if it is in the seller's account at that time, and then investigate. The money will be moved about 10 days later.
Their 'investigation' will consist of either:
1. Checking whether the item was delivered to the buyer. This will be achieved by asking for the online trackable delivery number. If the seller cannot provide that, then the chargeback goes through.
2. If the item was significantly not as described, you are asked to return the item to the seller using an online trackable method. When you provide the tracking number to paypal, and it shows up as delivered, they will process the refund.
Pretty crude method, but that's it.
Espada: I find eBay fantastic for certain items. It's excellent for second hand fishing tackle. For antiquarian books. Second hand computer hardware like RAM. Antiques. Hunt coats. It's shocking for 'designer goods' as they're inevitably fake, stolen, or don't exist. You have to do your homework, and if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. I love eBay.
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I am not an eBay user. I understand that eBay UK is working with the Met Police to try to limit the rife criminality that goes on, ripping people off.
I believe that they will somehow prevent the use of Western Union as payment and will try to prevent "post auction" sales and "cash back fraud".
Western Union is the preferred method of West African (and some other) criminals to receive payment. It is almost like cash. Cash back fraud (as you all probably know) is the method of offering you a cheque greater than the amount asked for and asking for you to Western Union the difference back to the sender of the cheque.
Forgive me for not knowing the eBay terminology. But I understand that there are ways to tighten up their ship to protect its users. It is about keeping up with the criminals who make use of the anonymity of technology
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I look through eBay from time to time, but the cars are not what I am interested in (frankly appear to be almost scrap) and other items from businesses frequently fake. I wanted a Seiko watch and found loads of 'resellers' selling a Military watch that does not exist in the Seiko catalogues. SWMBO bought a Louis Vuitton bag that was so obviously a fake (the location of the seller, payment method and price gave the game away) and yet eBay allowed the listing to say Genuine. Crazy. She regrets buying it now.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Don't go there for a folding bike either - too many listed by folks who plainly have no idea of features and judging by photos can't even fold the damn thing.
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With ebay, as with most things in life, you have to use your own common sense to judge the seller, product and nature of the sale. There are some obvious cons, bad sellers, horrible products and iffy dealings but the vast majority are not.
As far as cars are concerned I can only speak as I find. I have bought two cars on ebay in the last year and both have been superb buys and both well below what I'd have paid at auction.
The last one I bought was an Audi which turned out to be one of the straightest and best looked after cars I've ever encountered. Best bit was that 2 months afterwards I saw an identical one sell at auction for £1600 more than I paid!
Just use your common sense - if it's too good to be true it probably isn't.
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