Please help me, eBay/PayPal chargeback (I'm the seller and I'm screwed)

I can't give out too many details, but I guess I sold an item way back in April to someone, and it turns out their credit card was stolen when it was paid for.

Now how is this my fault? No idea, but PayPal put a hold on my account for $150 until it gets resolved. In no way am I paying that. I provide tracking numbers for every single item i sell (worth over $20). That's the proof they are looking for, a tracking number. Simple, right? No. Because at some point eBay decided I start deleting listings more than 90 days old (whoever had this idea is an idiot). So now, since it is well over 90 days ago, I can't check what that tracking number is.

I do not keep the little tracking slip because I figure I have no reason to, I never thought I would need it. I always figured I could click the link in eBay to verify its delivery.

What the heck do I do? I need this tracking number so badly. Or else I'm out $150 and the cell phone I sold the guy! I'm freaking out here. It's 4am and PayPal isn't even open, so I can't call them and ask. Please someone has to be able to give me advice

eBay can't do anything about it. I don't know what I'm going to do

SnowDX said:

Did the person pay via PayPal? Doesn't Paypal keep the tracking number along with the transaction info there? I know i can search back way more than 90 days in my Paypal history.

If getting it from PayPal history isn't an option, did you check the tracking along the way at all? Maybe it's in your browser's history? Or maybe it will auto complete when you go the courier's web site if you ever pasted it in?

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PayPal keeps the history yes, but somehow, for this one order they didn't store tracking.

As for auto complete and history, I might have to try it. I search for a lot of USPS tracking numbers though.

firedept said:

Unfortunately I think you have a good chance of losing on this. The CC company has up to 90 days to do a chargeback. If the persons cc was stolen, then you are going to need the auction & mailing details to have any chance of fighting this. Not sure you will be able to win with minimal details.

The program I use for listing on Ebay is my saving grace. I can go back from the day I started with Ebay and tell you almost every detail about any item I ever sold. It is so important to keep detailed info when selling on Ebay.

I am not sure what kind of a chance you stand on this one as it sounds more like your battle will be against the CC company & Ebay. And CC companies are hard to fight against. If you mailed the package to any other address but what was on the cc card, it will be impossible to win, due to the fact that the owner of the card reported it stolen.

You may have to chalk this one up to a learning experience. A suggestion though. A program that has a database for selling on Ebay is cheap and there are several good ones out there. They are well worth the money they cost. They can keep a perfect detailed list on every item sold and it does not matter if Ebay deletes them after 90 days as you will have all the info stored in the programs database.

I feel for you and good luck.

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I'm honestly fed up with losing so much on eBay. I sell a lot of electronics and get screwed over every time. My last invoice was for $60. I only sold around $400 worth the stuff, plus all the paypal fees and everything else that goes along with it, and I'm losing all the time.

Over my history since starting to sell in 2011, I have lost a PowerMac G4 MDD maxed out with 4 hard drives, the LCD version Apple Cinema Display, plus the Pro Keyboard and Mouse. That was just one auction. In another I lost a perfectly good PowerMac G4 due to UPS sucking at shopping (the box was ripped open. RIPPED OPEN!!! How does that even happen?) plus $250 from someone claiming to have not received a computer, $15 for someone claiming to have received an empty box from a Mighty Mouse, and $300 for a camera that arrived broken, and couldn't be shipped back to me (or so they say).

I have let the buyer win for sake of my feedback score, but this is outrageous already. It might not seem like a lot of money for this chargeback, but over the small amount of time I've been selling it's all amounting to a huge loss. I am done selling on eBay. Done. I have tried sticking with them pretending everything would be ok but clearly nothing will change. Ebay is run by those Chinese warehouses that sell 1000s of cheaply manufactured products for pennies and screw over everyone else. eBay is just after money and it is basically a slap in the face. I'm so tired of getting emails telling me that I can list for free because eBay loves sellers, then getting an invoice for $50 because I sold something for $75.

eBay, if for some reason you see this, get a grip. I hope to run a business one day and it will not be run like this. I hope more people quit. I hope Amazon kills you. I hope people smarten up.

thejadedmonkey said:

Did you ever send it via email or message? Would it be in a sent message folder somewhere?

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No the only inbox it would be in would be the buyers. But they already got their money so they won't care

firedept said:

No need to get upset with me. I am all for you and wished you good luck. Was in no way against you.

I had no idea what you were selling. I sell antiques and am probably dealing with a much different type of clientele. I have never sold electronics and probably never will. That seems to be one of the most common areas of selling on Ebay with the most issues for sellers.

Not sure why Ebay allows this to happen, but it is most likely all about the money. I used to do a lot more selling on Ebay, but have since moved my business to my own site several years ago. It had to do with the value of the CDN dollar and Ebay, plus PayPal, charging their larger fees. Now my fees are a very small drop in the bucket.

I now only list occasionally on Ebay for exposure to more clients. Which in turns allows me to direct some to my site where they can pay less for items, as I do not have to account in fees to my selling price.

The program I use to sell allowed me over the years to keep the email address of all my buyers which in turn allowed me to put together a mailing list which I use occasionally for sending out an email from my site. That also allowed my current clientele to forward my email to potential new clients.

Maybe think about your own site or getting away from electronics. It is rife with scams. Like I said before, I feel for you and good luck with your current issue, but I do not see a win for you with this one because you are probably fighting a CC company plus Ebay & PayPal. And that sucks.

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No no I wasn't mad at you or anything. I'm sorry if it came off that way, I just went on a bit of a rant.

I have thought about getting my own site a few times, I may look into it further now that I know its possible to move from eBay to a site and still be successful.

Thank you and good job getting your business mostly off eBay, also that was really smart making a mailing list from the eBay transactions!

PracticalMac said:

This $150 hold is temporary, no?

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No I have to pay it. I removed my card from PayPal and my bank account. I have no payment method set up so I just lost a PayPal account, but I'm not out $150 anymore

velocityg4 said:

They will haunt you until you pay. Eventually it will move to a collection agency. If that collection agency gets nothing it will move on to another. They will keep bothering you until you pay the $150.

I wouldn't be surprised if the TOS now lets them affect your credit report.

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Well actually they took $50 so far from refunds that were supposed to end up on my card for returns from NewEgg, so maybe ill use my other PayPal account to send $20 a month for 5 months. That should keep them at bay. I would pay in full but I'm trying to be difficult