Can I cancel a deal if the buyer is new/fishy?

[peter32123]

Haven't sold for a while so I forgot the rules, but I'm selling a different category of goods I'm new in, with more scammers I've read, had enough problems before with having to refund/partial refund to keep a good rating because I knew ebay would always take their side (although it was a largely good experience).

I can't filter that the buyer has to have minimum transactions/account age right?

I'll set it to they have to pay immediately, but if the person joined ebay the previous day and buys my item can I cancel without a defect?

[motomike_canada]

you can use the filters here which should help some:

https://www.ebay.ca/bmgt/buyerrequirements

used to be able to block buyers with "xx" feedback too, but i don't see that option ? (even though it shows mine set to -1 or lower) 

[kawartha-ephemera]

I hadn't checked buyer requirements lately, did just now and noticed it is possible to set the unpaid item strikes period to 1 month. Is that new? I thought it used to be a choice between 6 or 12 months.

[widgetc]

you cannot cancel without penalty unless the buyers asks you to or there is an address problem

[reallynicestamps]

Since only sellers can get negative feedback, and since eBay does not use feedback to monitor member accounts, that reason for cancellation is pointless.

There are only two reasons for cancellation which will not get you a Defect- problem with address and buyer request.

Would you rather have a Defect or the product?

Immediate Payment Required is your best defense, along with Blocks on countries you don't want to ship to.

Note that a Russian scammer could still buy if he has a  shipping address. in an acceptable country.

But if that address is a freight forwarder*, most of the Money Back Guarantee ends when the forwarder accepts the package.

*Check the address on Google Maps Street View.

[mrdutch1001]

Bear in mind , we were all NEW and had 0 feedback in the beginning...we all had/have to start out that way ... I like to let things take their course/give benefit of the doubt and allow the scenario to play out and then work with the buyer and/or take the necessary resolution steps...

[ricarmic]

I've got a couple buyers now, one with feedback I think in the 40s....

ALL of their feedback is from me!

If I'd have blocked them when they were Zero, I'd have missed all those sales...

However, I'm in a safe selling category, don't really know what one you're selling in to cause these worries. (If it is a more worrisome category, I suggest building into your price more $$$ to cover loss, an enhanced "cookie jar" insurance plan so to speak).

[teenytrinkets]

I've sold to plenty of first time buyers, never an issue. I was nervous the first couple of times, but honestly they're often better than the ones with feedback...

[femmefan1946]

problems before with having to refund/partial refund to keep a good rating

Not only is FB not used by eBay anymore, it was always pretty useless since less than 40% of transactions ever got any FB at all.

And most of that I believe was left by sellers.

I have a test account which after two years has less than ten FB, although I have left over 25. That's the new normal.

If you win a Dispute, either by demanding the item be returned and then refunding promptly when you get the item back or by showing Proof of Delivery, the losing buyer cannot leave FB in any case.

Meanwhile opening Unpaid Item Disputes gives them a Strike which prevents the deadbeat from bidding at all.

The FB a seller needs is the buyer's FB Left For Others, which can indicate problems with the buyer. They really don't seem to understand that we can read the FB they leave.