Money is not being released even though the buyer has received the item and rated the transaction positively
Summary: hazelinius reports a problem with an online sale in which the buyer received the item and left positive feedback, but the platform is not releasing the money. This is because the tracking information was not updated. Other participants explain that this situation happens often and that a rating alone does not count as confirmation of receipt. Several posts point out that even with purchase confirmation, it can often take up to 30 days for the money to be released, and that this is also the case for sellers with many years of experience.
I sold an item on Ebay on 10/08/2026. The buyer paid immediately, so I shipped the goods.
Two days later, the buyer contacted me via private message to say that the item had arrived, and left positive feedback.
But Ebay won’t release the money.
Reason: The tracking was not updated by Deutsche Post, so the item was not delivered.
For a week now, I’ve been in contact with Ebay, every day with a different customer support rep, and none of them is able to resolve the situation.
They just brazenly confirm, yes, we saw that the buyer received the item, and that you received positive feedback,
BUT WE’RE STILL KEEPING THE MONEY BECAUSE WITHOUT TRACKING WE CAN’T KNOW WHETHER THE CUSTOMER REALLY RECEIVED EVERYTHING.
That’s insanity on a whole new level.
Maybe someone here is able to clarify the situation.
Item number is: 267746598954
Order number: 19-14998-38321
hoffigr
·2 weeks agoSimply because eBay doesn’t offer a "item received" option and a rating doesn’t count as confirmation of receipt. The buyer can still change their mind or discover a defect.
It also has nothing to do with confirmed delivery; depending on the item or amount or seller or buyer, the payout sometimes goes faster or otherwise takes up to 30 days.
And there are this kind of follow-up questions here every day (could actually be pinned at the top sometime) and probably no one has ever sped up the availability of the amount with it.
perfect-sally
·2 weeks agoHello @hoffigr you could pin whatever you want and the users still wouldn't read it!
There are now countless threads about this, and for the most part the users simply don't inform themselves and read before they sell.
hazelinius
OP2 weeks agoWow, a really helpful comment. I really hope that someone like-minded in a similar situation holds up a mirror to you.
hazelinius
OP2 weeks agoThe buyer contacted me via private message on Ebay and thanked me for the transaction, and let me know that the item arrived safely. If that isn't enough to not release the payment, then I don't know what is.
perfect-sally
·2 weeks agoYou need proof of shipment and proof of delivery, and then depending on the seller or item, it may still be withheld.
Other confirmations or messages are not accepted!
And if you don't want to read or accept the facts, there's no need to get rude here right away!
hoffigr
·2 weeks ago@perfect-sally It has nothing to do with proof of dispatch or delivery. Even regardless of that, the payment is released shortly afterward.
hoffigr
·2 weeks agoYes, that sounds logical, but it’s not enough for eBay to release the money. People post here every day about this issue, and many even have full proof of delivery. Still, the system decides one way one time and another way the next.
You can actually see under Payments when the money will be available, but since the proof of delivery is missing in the system, it can take up to 30 days.
If you read around a bit, you’ll see merchants who have been selling for many years, fulfill 100%, and still have to wait for many thousands of euros.
perfect-sally
·2 weeks agoYes, but with the sellers who have been selling for a long time, the withholding has completely different reasons according to eBay. But nobody can really understand those either.