Ebay withholding my funds, possibly fraudulently

[der-auktionwolf]

I'm putting this post just to make it public. Here's the first part of the mail I sent customer service just now, regarding the new "compliance" requirement for PaisaPay sellers:

Hello,
My PaisaPay remittance has been placed on hold. I've been told that I need to complete a verification/compiance procedure, which involves faxing some documents to eBay. I have three problems:

1. The fax number provided for this purpose, 022 6669 0007, is busy when I try. This means that there is no way for me to send the documents to eBay. (I do not have, and will not purchase, a scanner.) Unless I send the documents, eBay will not release my payment. But the fax number is busy (last tried: 7 PM, 09/09/10) I believe that eBay is illegally holding my funds by making the fax number unavailable. (The page that mentions the fax number does not mention a time at which to fax.)

2. For every single message that I receive in my Inbox, a copy is sent to my e-mail address. But the messages about "verification required" and the message about "remittance on hold" were not sent to my e-mail address. This means that unless I were to log in to My Ebay, I would not know that my money was being withheld. There is no communication from Ebay to the seller; the seller must seek the information by logging in to My Ebay.

Again, I believe that eBay is illegally holding my funds by not communicating the requirement directly to me in any form.

3. I received three "Item received" e-mails from eBay on the 6th, 7th, and 8th of September 2010. Each of them stated that the remittance would be made to my bank account on the next payment cycle. This was, evidently, false and misleading. That is, three mails I have received from eBay have mentioned that "your payment will be remitted," and no mail from eBay has mentioned that my remittance is on hold. This is misleading and potentially fraudulent.

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User ID: der-auktionwolf

[linusstudios]

1- This verification thing you are worried is KYC verification. After the total remittance sent to you crosses a threshold you need to get KYC verified. This is mandatory by order of RBI.

2- You need not buy a scanner for getting KYC verified. Go to a cyber cafe with a scanner, he will scan your documents in maximum 20 Rs. (If you have a high Pixel Digicam, you can also click a image and crop it to the document as well. Click image in Macro mode with flash off in open )

3- Mail the documents to - paisapaykyc@ebay.com . Get this done tomorrow and you shall receive your "held" money soon.

Its not eBay's mistake, as in "My Paisapay" Page always a notice is flashed that you need to get KYC verified.

In case of further doubt feel free to post.

[spl_ind]

@linusstudios...
What is the threshold limit?

[der-auktionwolf]

@linusstudios... not so simple!
1. Fax number not working; later eBay says casually, "It has not been working for many months now"
2. Send scanned documents; mailed ebay; no acknowledgement
3. Called ebay; person acknowledges receipt
4. Mail from customer support: "NOT received"
5. Call to customer support; "colour scans needed" (Not mentioned anywhere, and not conveyed in e-mail)
6. Mail colour scans; no acknowledgement
7. Called customer support; success

This *could* have been on the site: "Please e-mail documents, not fax them; please send colour scans." That not being there, it took one week.