BIDDERS

[goodnotes88]

This is about bidders who bid up your stuff high and then don't pay. Mostly the ones who just started out.

I am really tired of opening disputes on these buyers. Messages upon messages and no reply. How can anyone avoid this. 31 disputes last year. So frustrating and waste of time.

[pierrelebel]

We all run into some non-paying bidders from time to time.

However 31 in less than four months seems excessive.

Could it be because you run your auctions as "private" to protect the names of the bidders? 

I suggest you run your auctions for a month or so as regular - like most sellers - instead of "private" and see if that reduces or solves the problem.

[femmefan1946]

I'd make a couple of suggestions based on a very quick read of your listings.

First, I would lose the line about payment in 5-7 days. It sounds both preemptory and vague. Bad buyers will ignore it and good buyers will be insulted.

Instead, set your Seller Preferences to require that bidders have an active Paypal account. This will mean that your buyers will be able to pay immediately and not waste time setting up an account.

Then set up your preferences to have eBay start an Unpaid Item Dispute on Day 4 (or 5 or 7). This takes that fuss out of your hands. Although I don't use the automatic dispute, I do send ONE polite reminder on Day Three.

I didn't have time to look at your shipping cost, but I think there are two problems with using Registered Mail for shipments over $40. You can't change the advertised shipping price after the end of the auction. So you are running the risk of very angry customers.

The other problem is that Registered Mail is not PP compatible. Their signature confirmation is not electronically viewable by PP and is useless for your purposes.

Instead, use Calculated Shipping for US and overseas buyers. Small Packet includes up to $100 insurance against loss or damage in transit, so you are covered against claims by Canada Post (not PP).

For Canadian buyers, you can upgrade to Expedited and get a 20-25% discount by printing through Paypal. There is no cheap Delivery Confirmation in Canada.

Remember than both insurance and DC protect you. You can include these costs in your shipping and packaging charge but you can't make them a different line item.

But that is a LOT of UIDs. I guess it comes with the territory. Some categories are worse than others. Who would have suspected that Dolls would be rife with fraud?

[puckstopshere]

I have also noted an increase in non-paying bidders.  I use the automated eBay dispute.  It has prompted many late payers to submit payment - and has yet to have any feedback ramifications.

I usually send a polite note ahead of time.  I ask if there is a problem.  I usually get a response that they "don't have any money in their PayPal account right now".  I usually work out something with them as to timing of payment - or offer to cancel the sale, if they wish. 

Still, the number of non-payers (and non-responders) is rising.  They don't seem to worry about strikes.  I end up adding them to my blocked list.  This list, which contained half a dozen ID's compiled over ten years or so has grown substantially in the past twelve months. 

[ricarmic]

I also use the automagic NPB process, which seems to be working very well (I think mine is 30 days after closing). So far for me as well no bad feedbacks, although I see that ebay automagically removed one, so that may have been from a NPB - can't tell as I don't know how or if I can see the feedback that was removed.

I would say that my NPB numbers are up a wee bit, unfortunately it is rare in my experience so far that the person pays at all despite the reminders etc ebay sends around the case being opened.

I only recall one paying, and one trying to explain that she never bought it. By the time the "never bought it" person said anything, the case was already opened and when I talked to the ebay support people about any options we had to cancel without me risking losing the fees (it was a significant sized lot), they mentioned the ways that I could end up getting burned so I let it go the natural path. Buyer wasn't happy, could have been her that tried to neg me...won't get another chance as she's blocked anyway.

[ricarmic]

Ooops I forgot to add that I doubt many buyers even understand about the NPB strikes, I am shocked at how little it seems the average buyer understands the ebay rules....