Ebay and Paypal DO NOT PROTECT SELLERS and are in it together, Internet

Both buyers and sellers will get burned on occasion, even shopping or selling on Ebay. S@#t happens. That's life. Bottom line to sellers, if the greater weight of protection isn't given to buyers, none of y'all would have any buyers, because no buyer would trust using Ebay, were they not assured of Ebay backing them up when problems arise.

Again, your alternatives are selling on other, or your own venues, where the promise of protection for buyers would not exist anywhere near to the same degree.

As for Miz April, if y'all don't want your name, or assumed name used, don't make it part of your account name. If y'all don't want rebuttals that tread on sensitive areas, like parenting or child disabilities, then don't bring them into the dialog to begin with. You posted on a public forum and anyone can voice their opinion of what you state, whether you like it or not. You attacked a company based on arguments that are open to opposition, and if you can't understand that, too bad.

You certainly don't get to tell anyone here when the game is over, or to stop responding to you.

And since it is now open to question, I too would like to know how you come to sell a brand new in the box cell phone without being an authorized T Mobile provider. Maybe Ebay, with reason, views with extra scrutiny such sales from unauthorized vendors. Are you indeed an authorized vendor? Were you just selling a freebie phone you decided to forgo in favor of another model? No crime in that, but you're going to attract more scrutiny that a major T Mobile dealer would. That's life.

Years ago when i sold on ebay it seemed to be very open and somewhat like "the wild west". There really was not much protection for buyers, and many transaction went on that were sometimes for the better or worse for everyone concerned.

I was off of ebay for about 5 or 7 years I lost count and started back up about 6 weeks ago. I agree for sellers it is a pain having a hold on an account 3 to 21 days etc, however I can see why ebay went this route. There are many scammers and questionable people in this world, especially on the internet. 

Ebay claims after 25 transactions, $250 in sales, and 90 days as a seller most holds will be lifted. I already meet the first 2 criteria so only need 6 more weeks I guess. Is this fair? maybe. Is it annoying? yes. But truth be told if I was in ebay/paypal's shoes I probably would have a similar policy in place. 

My only concern isn't really funds being held, but scam buyers claiming they didn't get a legit item, or the item at all. The solution to that concern was stated above, get tracking, get delivery confirmation, get sig confirmation. 

Also someone stated that at amazon there will be the same type of wait time for funds. From the brief time I started a merchant account and reviewed their policies, In my opinion amazon is more heavy handed. As a buyer amazon seems great, but on the seller side of things.. Well you better CYA.

To anyone else reading this I would read up on the policies and do some homework carefully too, good luck and take care.

Just how did you come into possession of a brand new-in-the-box T-Mobile phone? Since it is not likely that you are an authorized T-Mobile dealer or distributor, the phone you sold is either stolen or a fake.

There is a lot of stolen stuff sold on eBay and a lot of fake products. You are a new and obviously unsophisticated seller, precisely the kind of person who can be suckered into selling fake electronic products for a third party. Tell me, did you actually have the phone in your possession or were you selling for a drop-shipper? The people who scream loudest about eBay and PayPal are the ones who bought into a get-rich-quick scheme.

Ebay and PayPal are going to hold onto your funds until the customer has received the phone and had a chance to examine it.

You asked for advice from someone who knows about the law. Your pleas that everyone quit doing business on eBay could be construed as intentional interference in a contract. Ebay could sue you, although that is highly unlikely as no one is listening to you.

Your false accusation that voiceofreason was rude (he was not rude) gives little creditability to your claim that an eBay supervisor said, "ebay and paypal are liars and crooks."

You agreed to eBay's policies which includes withholding your funds in an escrow account. That is a fair policy that helps to keep the transaction on an even keel.

Maybe you should take your mean disposition and sell your goods on the street.

First off you do not know me so do not call me by my name, second how dare you say I'm playing a pitty card with my son. Ebay's new policy is ridiculous but you had no right to sayanything about my parenting or my child. Your opinion means nothing at all to me so you can stop running your mouth now. I feel for your child, noone is playing the victim here you just have nothing better to do than run your mouth and pretend you are someone important. I put all of my energy and time into my child, so why don't you use the energy you are using to run your mouth and the time you are wasting trying to be political ad spend time with your child. I'm grown and will not play this game with you. If you did not like what I said about ebay, fine, but insulting me as a parent is pathetic. Stop responding and grow up a little bit, like I said until you walk a day in my shoes don't judge me. May god have mercy on you. This conversation is over so no need to respond again.

Okay first off it is pretty much a given that when someone doesn't like what was said that they say that the person must work for the company.  If you actually read other posts on this site you would realize how silly that is.

Their point and the reasons they gave you was legitimate.  If you don't like the policies of EBay or Paypal then DON'T use them.  You keep talking about how they don't have the right or authority to do this or that.  But that is where you are wrong.  They are allowed to do this because YOU said they could when you agreed to the terms in using the site and posting an item for sale.

You still say you didn't give them permission to hold your funds..well sorry but you did.  I use Ebay on occasion and I also fall into this category of having the funds held, and I am notified BEFORE I post an item that my funds may be held.  It is then my CHOICE to continue or to cancel the posting. 

Now, I will also tell you that you can get your funds faster than the standard 21 day hold.  If you print a label through Ebay or buy postage another way and put the tracking/delivery confirmation number into Ebay they can track it and see when it was delivered.  Once it is delivered they will release the funds which I believe it is 3 days(or sooner if the recipient leaves positive feedback)

You still don't like this policy, then might I suggest selling on C*****L***.  Let us know how that works out for you.

1: No I don't work for Ebay. Insisting us frequent busybodies who post here work for all these companies we occasionally defend, is the the last refuge of Ripoff Report scoundrels.

2: I also have a special needs, autistic child. That doesn't grant me carte blanche to get special treatment from Ebay were I to choose to sell there.

3: The same energy you spend selling whatever on Ebay can be channeled into a cheap Godaddy or Yahoo hosted website.

Of course then you might actually have to sign up and pay for your own credit processing, services provided to you by Ebay.

4: Ebay has to protect not only buyers from less than honest sellers - they have to protect their own brand, which would be destroyed if buyers couldn't trust their charges would be protected in the event they didn't get what they paid for.

The money exchanged between buyer and yourself is essentially being held in escrow, pending to Ebay's satisfaction that whatever you sold actually made it into the buyer's hands. They absolutely do have such authority over those funds. You're choosing to sell within their marketplace and are bound by their terms, which can change and evolve constantly. The only reason anything gets bought from you to begin with is because your buyers' TRUST that Ebay and Paypal have their backs should anything go wrong.

What is it about that you don't understand?

4: By suggesting you open your own site, and disagreeing with you in principle, I WASN'T BEING RUDE!

YOU however, were VERY RUDE in responding to what I wrote. You'll serve your child's needs much better if you lose the poor victim attitude. I'm not rich either and my child needs plenty he doesn't get unless we put out for it without help.

That doesn't mean I can request exemptions from the policies of private companies whose services I wish to avail myself of.

5: Lastly, so now that you've written off Ebay and Paypal, and I've already pointed out Amazon will do the same fund holding, where do you intend to do business now? You think there's any other site you'll do better on? Not likely. This is essentially a 2 site game for small sellers, and they're it.

I suggest you stop burning your bridge with them, ship in whatever way you need to adhere to their guarantees or policies, and always ship with full tracking and insurance to protect yourself to the max possible.

Until you walk a day in my shoes, do not judge. I don't have a business to start ok. Second there are actually people in this world who struggle daily. I'm a single disabled mother of a precious little boy whom has autism. The reason I sell anything is to make sure my son has the things that he needs everyday. There was no reason for you to be rude about this situation, yes you can voice your opinion, but I don't care what you say the way that they do the sellers is not right. Sorry I don't have money at all times like you obviously do, and look down on people who do not. I'm not trying to start a business here, I'm trying to get money to pay for my little boys therapy. I'm glad that you have money when you need it, but I'm on disability with more bills to pay out than what actually comes in. Ebay has no authority over anyone's money, and the way you were so defensive I'm assuming that you work for them. Until you know someone's situation you should really bite your tongue. What these companies are doing is flat out wrong, so like I said, there was no reason for your attitude or rudeness. I'm glad you do not have to struggle to get by, but having a special needs child is very expensive and he needs things now, not when ebay says he can.You should think before you speak or judge, you never know what is actually going on in someones life.

Ebay and paypal deal with a lot of buyer complaints about products not received. The only way they can protect themselves is to pay out the funds once they get confirmation that the merchandise has been delivered.

They allow a buyer 3 days to get the package, open it and make sure there isn't a rock instead of a phone inside the box.
Nothing wrong with that.

If y'all can't afford to wait out the lag time, don't sell there and open your own website.

Amazon does the same now, so don't think of comparing the 2 venues.

As long as you use the shipping they request, and have signature required and tracking on the package, and don't ship to uninsured countries, you ought to be fine.