Do you think its fair for Buyers to Not Pay and still retain a 100% rating??

[rickhall59]

I just had a buyer back out of over $200.00 worth of sales and lost much of the final value fees because they went over the 32 days.

The reason they went over the time without payment was because he claimed he was in China to visit.... BUT, While there he purchased items from others and paid via pay-pal...

I think its unfair to real sellers that these buyers can do this and sellers can not leave negative feedback to warn other sellers...

Seems that Ebay is protecting bad buyers...

[momcqueen]

Have you tried to call Customer Service about getting your Final Value Fees back? Even if they cannot credit you this amount as a FVF, they might be willing to give you a coupon equal to it to spend on the site.

I do feel your pain.

When I was starting out as a seller here, I was willing to give buyers as long as they needed to pay based on whatever sob story they gave me. That ended after the time the buyer that I gave an extension on an extension on an extension left me petty soft positive feedback complaining she expected to receive something that she didn't purchase. That stung.

Now the buyer gets four days to pay and then a Unpaid Item Strike case is opened. If they communicate they need more time, that's fine and I will wait a week or two. Never past 30 days. If you can't find the money as a buyer to pay for your purchases after a week or two then you really don't want or need what you have bought. It's not as if I sell things that people cannot live without. They move on and forget they wanted it and then you are left, as the seller, holding the bag. It's not like buyers can stroll into a walmart and take things off the shelf and then ask the cashier to save it it for a month without paying, either. 

But do try calling ebay Customer Service - Accounts. Plead your case and they might be able to throw you a bone. Remember, it's the sellers that bring profit to the site. Be polite but firm. Explain how this has hurt your bottom line and dismayed you as a seller here. Allude it may turn you away from selling altogether. Maybe they will help soften the blow. 

[momcqueen]

One other thing, be sure to Report the buyer when you call. For whatever that is worth, do it. Maybe Customer Service can add an Unpaid Item Strike manually. I really don't know if they can or not but it's worth a shot. 

[femmefan1946]

Sorry but you have to take responsibility for your own actions.

You decided to allow the buyer more time than eBay allows for Unpaid Item Disputes.

Your decision cost you money.

This is what is called a "life lesson".

EBay allows us to open Disputes 96 hours after the purchase, and close them after another 96 hours.

You could have opened the Dispute 29 days after purchase, but you made the decision not to do that either.

You still have the item and can relist and resell it to a buyer who will actually pay.

If you use Fixed Price /Immediate Payment Required the listing will stay open until somebody actually sends you money.

I hope you put that deadbeat on your Blocked Bidder List (Site Map-> Manage Bidders).

[rickhall59]

I agree with that .... I am not so much worried about the fees as I am with a Buyer doing this and still being able to have a 100% rating.

[rickhall59]

Reported him 18 times

[rickhall59]

I have not called them as of yet. thought I would go this route first.
Thanks

[i.am.vivian]

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@rickhall59 wrote:
I have not called them as of yet. thought I would go this route first.
Thanks

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Wise choice.  Going this route is a great way to arm yourself with the best information possible, as the other 2 posters have provided.  And even a little commiseration, as they have offered as well.  But at some point you have to take the bull by the horns, at least if you want any money back because no one here can give you that.  Nor can they give that buyer a thrashing.  You will have to call eBay (its a free call, you just have to sit and wait a bit).  

In the meantime, if you have not already found how to add the thoughtless inconsiderate deadbeat to your BLOCKED BIDDER list, 

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/sell/manage_bidders_ov.html#block

and all about how to handle a nonpayer, 

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/sell/unpaid-items.html

[momcqueen]

Buyers can only have 100 per cent feedback. Ebay changed this years ago. What buyers do get is Unpaid Item Strikes (if the cases are opened by sellers before the 32-day mark) behind the scenes which makes it impossible for them to bid on or buy items from many sellers who are set to auto-reject buyers with Unpaid Item Strikes recorded on their accounts. The strictest a seller can prohibit is two within 12 months. 

[cumos55]

Many buyers do not understand the .. Unpaid Item Dispute ..... situation..

----- I had one buyer get so mad  he was ready to leave a negative feedback  if I did not remove the UID.. My answer  was  you pay and the UID is gone....  otherwise I close it and buyer gets UID mark against their ID

-----  Then I had a local buyer  who forgot to make a pickup...  The UID was close.. buyer was blocked.  Buyer had a friend contact me  about the very same book....  and the book was not relisted  for about a year...  Both buyer and friend were blocked.

----- Then I had a blocked buyer.. who could not buy as he asked me.... why... He had a friend buy it for him....  My suggestion was to treat it as a totally new purchase....  No problem  with the transaction

My view is that if a buyer does not pay.. and they get a UID... They are blocked.....by me

Buyers have to learn and understand  that if they buy and do not pay....  they will get blocked....from buying from me... and then other situations as well

Then..... a seller must set up a timetable for payment.... and that never changes.....  

A 30 day wait is a bit too long...  Buyer should have cancelled  and then purchased again after 30 days....Seller could have relisted  after 30 days... and the purchase could have been made a second time...

[cumos55]

Seller must establish a protocol... and follow that protocol... no matter what the buyer wants.

(1) It is pay on time....  within 8 days.... My time table is 14 days as stated in all listings... buy only if the buyers asks for up to 14 days... and no longer....

Communication is important... because the buyer  that promised negative feedback  was going to follow the 14 day window for payment....  My comment  was to communicate with me the seller... and everything worked out... Buyer learned that communication was important....

(2) Cancel the transaction

or....

(3) Get a UID 

[rose-dee]

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@rickhall59 wrote:
I agree with that .... I am not so much worried about the fees as I am with a Buyer doing this and still being able to have a 100% rating.

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Unfortunately when eBay removed sellers' ability to leave negative FB for buyers, they made it impossible for other sellers to openly see buyers' purchasing history.  However, we've been assured that UIDs and other reports are recorded in the background, even though the consequences for the buyer are visible to all or not. 

So the bottom line is to set a time line in which you expect payment from buyers and stick to it (by filing a UID) unless there is a  compelling reason to be lenient.  This will not only protect you, but possibly deter the buyer from future shenanigans.  

In any case, I don't think anything over about 14 days for payment should be necessary.  If a buyer can't pay in that time, it's best to ask them if they just want to cancel and come back when they have the funds.  Personally, I'm willing to wait about 4 to 5 days for payment, and up to 1 week, but only if a buyer contacts me in a courteous way with a request for such an extension.  

Otherwise, if you don't file an UID to enforce payment within a reasonable time, you are letting the buyer "off the hook" to victimize other sellers.  Consider this a useful learning experience, but in the meantime you can try to get eBay to refund you the FVFs and give the buyer a demerit as suggested above.