Fake buyers everywhere.

[digitaltangerine]

Using the auction for any item of value results in the top bid being fake most or all of the time these days.  Ebay, you need to fix this.

[pjcdn2005]

You might have better luck listing your item as a fixed price listing with immediate payment required.

There really is. no way for eBay to force an auction winner to pay.  

[femmefan1946]

If your customer is a deadbeat, open an Unpaid Item Dispute and get your selling fees  (FVF) back.

The deadbeat will then be unable to leave feedback.

More importantly, the deadbeat gets a Strike.

Most eBay Sellers have an automatic Block on bidders/buyers who have two or more Strikes.  This cuts down on the number of non-paying bidders.

But mostly, the world has changed.

There are almost no online auction sites left. Most are exclusively Fixed Price and the 21st century customer is not interested in waiting seven days to learn she lost to a last second sniper.

Change your format to Fixed Price and, if you feel it necessary, to Immediate Payment Required.

If you want the customer to have a feeling of bargain hunting, make your asking price a little higher than you would happily accept and add Best Offer. She can then haggle a bit and you will still get your wanted price.

[esclyons]

Your posting id, shows you have only sold 1 item,  it happens, when it is an auction you have the opportunity to send a second chance offer,. to the next highest bidder.. 

If that doesn't work, then try listing it for the price you want, with immediate payment required..

And yes sometimes buyers are dead beats,

[mrdutch1001]

Apparently the state of affairs with buyers making offers on items isn't faring any better either, especially when you have buyers that are of the mindset that: "making an offer does not equate to making a purchase! " when a seller accepts said offer.