Paypal eChecks - DO NOT SHIP UNTIL THE CHECK CLEARS!

Let me start by apologizing for the yelling (ya know, all of the capital letters in the title of this post). Just trying to get your attention.

Now, I know this seems like common sense but let me tell you what an idiot I am. I sold a 12" Luke Skywalker from the Collector's Edition series which was released in 1995. The link is here. The selling price was, in a word, "disappointing." However, because I am trying to clear out my excess inventory (my wife calls it "the junk in the garage"), I am not too concerned about making a profit on stuff I purchased over a decade ago.

After the auction ended, I received a message from the buyer that he was having "internet difficulties" and that he would pay soon. Two weeks later, I received notification from paypal that I had received an eCheck from the buyer. For those of you who do not know, an eCheck is just like receiving a written check, only you receive it (and the payor sends it) through the computer. It is also called an "electronic funds transfer" because the money is withdrawn directly from the payor's bank account.

Now, because paypal is such a nightmare (see my earlier post regarding their refusal to release my money), I decided that since I had never had an eCheck "bounce" before, I would send out the package BEFORE the eCheck clears. That would accomplish a few things for me. First, I would have it done. With me traveling on the Thanksgiving holiday, the importance of that fact cannot be under-estimated, especially since that meant I would not have to make another trip to the post office. Also, I was thinking that an eBay buyer, even in this new world of eBay buyer's dominance ("EBD"), might actually give me all 5's on the eBay Seller's Report Card.

Needless-to-say, the eCheck bounced! Accordingly, here are the results:
1. I lost the eBay fees associated with selling the item;
2. I no longer have the item to resell;
3. I wasted valuable time going to the post office to ship it (although, admittedly, I was there shipping other stuff at the same time); and
4. I haven't received positive feedback or any communication from the buyer. Since I sent the item using delivery confirmation, I know he has received my item.

Back in the day, I would at least have the satisfaction of hitting him with some nasty negative feedback. However, since eBay's CEO is a genious, sellers cannot leave anything but positive feedback. How stupid is that?

I know: just about as stupid as I am...