4 days delay to cancel unpaid cases is abusive.

[rocketscollectibles]

All in the title. 

We all know that if someone don't pay after 1 to 2 days, it will be left unpaid almost all the time. People paying on the 3rd or 4th day represent probably 1%. So this additional 2 days is wasting time to both sellers and eBay. I understand some time is allowed. But this delay should be reduced to 2 days. It would be a way more fair and logical delay.

Why are they allowing an abusive 4 days?

Is anyone ever thought about it on eBay team. Everyone would agree this delay is too long. A buyer do not need 4 days. 

[recped]

What percentage of your sales go unpaid? How many of those are Auctions?

If you think 4 days is bad it makes me think you were not around when  it took more than twice as long and a multi step process to file, wait and then close out a UID.

If non payers are such a big problem for you maybe you should stop running actions or at least reducing the number of auctions, switch to fixed price with (or without) Immediate Payment Required.

Personally I run Fixed Price pretty much exclusively, I don't require Immediate Payment and in the past 10 years I have had only ONE non-payer (rate approximately 0.000125%).

[ericsells75]

Hi,
I don’t know how to say this without sounding offensive and unhelpful so I guess I’ll just say it but I honestly mean this as actual advice…

I think you should find a new online selling platform. All I have read from you over the last few days is how ‘abusive’ eBay is towards sellers. It seems you aren’t happy with any of the policies in place. I get trying to complain to get changes but your posts haven’t really posed much in the way of solutions just anger from how I’ve interpreted them. I’m sure you will disagree with me and that’s fine but these were the policies before you started selling. If you hate all of them so much maybe try somewhere else?

[msau4301]

As recped has said I also remember for many years when you had to wait 4 days to open a case, then another 4 to close it. When they reduced it to 4 days total I thought woohoo.

While I agree that most people pay either immediately or a day or two later I do get some who take 3 or 4 days and don't mind, especially when some of them reach out to say they are waiting for payday, or waiting to combine with another item that ends in a couple of days. There have been a few times I tought I'd be cancelling on day 4 only to see payment received in the nick of time. I mostly do auctions (I've had better luck that way personally) and so have often taken advantage of Second Chance Offer and had the runner up end up buying the item, at least I didn't have to re-list it and go from scratch. I had one last week bought by second chance.

And as mentioned by others you can always set up for Immediate payment required if you are not doing auctions and don't like waiting.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

---

@msau4301 wrote:

As recped has said I also remember for many years when you had to wait 4 days to open a case, then another 4 to close it. When they reduced it to 4 days total I thought woohoo.

While I agree that most people pay either immediately or a day or two later I do get some who take 3 or 4 days and don't mind, especially when some of them reach out to say they are waiting for payday, or waiting to combine with another item that ends in a couple of days. There have been a few times I tought I'd be cancelling on day 4 only to see payment received in the nick of time. I mostly do auctions (I've had better luck that way personally) and so have often taken advantage of Second Chance Offer and had the runner up end up buying the item, at least I didn't have to re-list it and go from scratch. I had one last week bought by second chance.

And as mentioned by others you can always set up for Immediate payment required if you are not doing auctions and don't like waiting.

---

@msau4301 

In the past ( not always but it happened) if buyers were planning to delay payment, they would message the seller to advise. Going forward this rarely (almost never) happens. If they don't pay in 1.5 to 2 days they most likely have zero plan of paying. Majority of cases they didn't look at the shipping prior to hitting/accepting the price. Who knows? Possibly embarrassed because of their gaff. The polite thing would be to advise the seller but anyone who has been on here any length of time knows how often this occurs. Ghosting unfortunately is the new normal.

If the first item in question is auction, maybe they are planning to bid on another and wanted to pay all at once. Difficult to know what their plan is but that also happens.

-Lotz

[brettjet38]

I agree with you 100%

Now that they have cheap EPLite, you will still hear the complaints, wait till Canada Post no longer allows `Goods` to be shipped via letter mail within Canada, so we got Lite!

As for the O poster's 4-day issue, it`s a NON-issue as it has been 4 days one way or the other for decades, I never had a problem with it...

When I have a Non-Payer I simply let eBay cancel the purchase & the Buyer gets a strike, and if a person sends me a message with some `**bleep** & bull` blah, blah, blah, please can you cancel after a few days of not paying...

...they get ghosted & still get their strike.

https://www.ebay.ca/help/policies/payment-policies/unpaid-item-policy?id=4271&st=3&pos=1&query=Unpai...

[msau4301]

I think some of my late to pay (and unpaids) are US buyers who were confused about the Canadian versus US exchange. I say this because on sveral occassions I've had US buyers message me saying I thought shipping was ..... (they quote the US amount) and think since they see Canadian value on check out it's a mistake and panic it's a mistake. Anytime someone has actually messaged me first with their confusion (they had never bought outside of the US before) once I explain it they then pay. No way to know for sure but I still think some of my non-payers are for this reason.

[rocketscollectibles]

I think you should find a new online selling platform. All I have read from you over the last few days is how ‘abusive’ eBay is towards sellers. It seems you aren’t happy with any of the policies in place. I get trying to complain to get changes but your posts haven’t really posed much in the way of solutions just anger from how I’ve interpreted them. I’m sure you will disagree with me and that’s fine but these were the policies before you started selling. If you hate all of them so much maybe try somewhere else?

I apologize for opening totally legit threads and discussions around potential improvements or methods to deal with some situations. 

I don’t know how to say this without sounding offensive and unhelpful

Can't, cause your comment purpose was to be offensive and unhelpful. 

I did not posted for help. I posted to discuss about the why eBay allow a specific 4 days delay, while datas prooves it help neither buyers or sellers. Even eBay probably lose from it. You say i do not talk about solutions while i literally shared  my opinion about a 2 days delay would be more logical and why. 

I'm succesful on the platform and your comment is that i should leave because i do posts trying to understand why they do things a specific way or how to deal with some situations. Just a reminder of why i stopped using community boards for over a year thanks. 

[ericsells75]

Sigh… I knew the point would be missed. You don’t realize how overly negative and dramatic your language is on your repeated posts. Starting a conversation is fine and should happen but perhaps you don’t realize the over the top negative tone you take when you use words like ‘abusive’. I’m sorry you don’t see that and obviously you and I will never be on the same page so I’m done with you. Have a great day.

[rocketscollectibles]

My first language is french. English is not my native language this is obvious i will misuse some words. This is very ironic to say someone is dramatic and negative when you tell him he should maybe leave eBay, just from of the ton you interprete from texts. 

[mrdutch1001]

I have had buyers pay on the 4th day so I have no problem with the 4 day rule...some buyers have legit reasons; others are simply time wasters. However, I see N-O-T-H-I-N-G "abusive" about the 4 day rule and I do think your use of the word "abusive" is rather misplaced, eBay is not being abusive!.

This is eBay's site and this is eBay's rule. When we choose to list and sell on eBay, we agree to these rules and policies, whether or not we like them...and sometimes whether or not we understand them...It is not for us to judge, it is for us to use this site as is, whereis, how is, and the why is, well that is up to us, the seller...

AND, As on  any site where one lists and sells, we sellers must take the bad with the good and keep on  a truckin' OR MOVE ON!

[pjcdn2005]

I don't run auctions so rarely have non payers butI agree that if someone doesn't pay within the first couple of days and they don't contact you, chances are that they won't pay at all. And I agree that waiting for 4 days can be annoying but I wouldn't so far as to say its abusive.  Like others, I remember when it was a lot longer so that could be the 4 days is acceptable to many here. 

The only way to preven non payers is to use fixed price,  require immediate payment and not take offers.

[rocketscollectibles]

I do think your use of the word "abusive" is rather misplaced, eBay is not being abusive!

In french we use the word abusive in many way. Actually this is not the first time english people seems shocked the way i use it. Basically by abusive i just meant excessive. Never meant eBay abuse us. 

[marnotom!]

I remember in the days of mailed payments sometimes having to wait a couple of weeks or so for payment. One particularly delayed payment was mailed off in a timely manner, but it was delayed in the mail and took over a month to reach us.

[mrdutch1001]

No matter, eBay's 4 day rule is NOT excessive and IMHO, is reasonable. Even if eBay had a 2 day rule, there would be sellers complaining that a 2 day duration was TOO short!

As per any rule or policy on eBay we accept, adapt, adjust and carry on!

[femmefan1946]

For us old lags, the four day turnaround is a blessing.

Until a couple of years ago, just about the time you joined , non-US* sellers had to wait four days to manually open a Dispute, no automation available, and then the deadbeat was allowed four more days to pay, or more likely not.

You are probably right, but we're counting our small blessings anyway. (Des benedictions pas des blessures!)

*US sellers could open the Dispute after two days. Still had to wait another four to close it though.

[rocketscollectibles]

No matter, eBay's 4 day rule is NOT excessive and IMHO, is reasonable.

Anyone with minimal experience would agree that if buyers don't pay within the first two days, it means almost all the time that they won't pay. The percentage of payments on the 3rd and 4th day is probably >1%. How this is reasonable to add a 2 days delay to everyone to cover this case almost never hapenning? Also how this is reasonable to need 96 hours as buyer to proceed to payment? 

[mrdutch1001]

There are many reasons, perhaps the buyer is out of town , perhaps the buyer has had a medical distress, perhaps the buyer truly did forget...people do have lives!...and so on...the least we can do is give the buyers the benefit of the doubt..and IF that is not reasons enough for you, then perhaps you really do have a bigger problem with this site than you are willing to admit, and IF you have that many complaints about how eBay runs its site, then perhaps thought ought to be given to opening your OWN website where YOU are the one 100% in charge and YOU can set the rules and policies...

otherwise learn  to accept what is, adapt, adjust and carry on!

[rocketscollectibles]

There are many reasons, perhaps the buyer is out of town , perhaps the buyer has had a medical distress, perhaps the buyer truly did forget...people do have lives!

Indeed. And all that do not point in any logical way why specifically 4-days is allowed. Why not 6-days, 8-days then? Why not 1-month at this point. Maybe someone is out of town for 1 month? What about this guy? He has a live. Where stops your logic.  

As said like 3 times and you just ignore when i write it. Based on actual true facts and experiences, not random assumptions. And most everyone would agree. Buyers paying on the 3rd and 4th days almost never happen. A buyer who don't pay within 2 days very very rarly will pay. Someone with problems will need more than 4 days or have other priorities than paying their eBay order. 

then perhaps you really do have a bigger problem with this site than you are willing to admit, and IF you have that many complaints about how eBay runs its site, then perhaps thought ought to be given to opening your OWN website where YOU are the one 100% in charge and YOU can set the rules and policies...

otherwise learn  to accept what is, adapt, adjust and carry on!

You're the one with a problem. I open legit discussions. If you can't accept that community boards are there to discuss and you need to do personal attacks, you're the one who may should move out. If discussions sounds unnessacery to you, you know you're not forced to participate to those threads. You talk like you know me or my selling pratices. You guys misinterprete my purposes and attack me, you guys are weird. 

[ricarmic]

In my relatively safer stamp world, I've always used the maximum time period for the automagic UID, I think it is 32 days.

In my experience folks who don't pay immediately may be saving items up, waiting for their next pension cheque/pay day etc.

I don't remember the last time I had a non-payer that reached the automagic 32 day limit. I have had to remind folks that they have only 30 days (I like to give them some room) to pay but those did ultimately pay and everything was ok. Like recped, the number of them I've had to deal with is quite small.