PayPal’s link into eBay is broken again – this time it’s the Postal Insurance connection that’s not transmitting the correct data.

The problem manifests itself in several ways and sellers need to be very careful when printing invoices and shipping notes from within eBay.  Failing to check the exact details of the payment within PayPal, and relying on the eBay transaction record could open sellers up to a world of grief and liability.

One of the problems displayed relates to buyers who decline optional postal insurance.  In some cases, the eBay transaction record is displaying the insurance was declined but leaving the cost displayed on the insurance line of the financial details.  Examining the payment in PayPal shows the insurance line is empty with a 0.00 cost value, but in eBay it is still displaying the optional cost.  In other cases, where the buyer accepts the optional postal insurance, it is showing an incorrect price and allows you to print the invoice, even though the invoice total does not match the PayPal total payment.

Until the last few days, it was not possible to progress to the print invoice page if the eBay invoice total and the PayPal payment total did not agree.  Now it can be done.

Compulsory insurance is also showing problems too.  In some cases, the insurance accepted status is displaying a 0.00 value in the eBay transaction record, even though the correct value is shown at PayPal.  In others, it is showing a paid value below that shown at PayPal.  Again, despite the discrepancy between PayPal’s total and that shown on eBay, Selling Manager Pro allows you to print the invoice.

Sellers need to be triple checking all data displayed in eBay invoicing tools, against the data displayed at PayPal, because buyers will be quick to jump on sellers for sending a “no insurance” invoice when they have paid for it.  Similarly, other buyers will be quick to claim against postal insurance on the invoice, even when fully aware that they never paid for it. 

These issues have been displaying themselves all weekend on both core and shop listings, for items listed on both UK & US eBay sites.  Let us know if you’re seeing them on other sites too.

With sellers due to lose the ability to leave honest negative feedback for PITA and scamming buyers, this is one “glitch” that none of us need at this time.

Ed

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