Buyer nonpayment

[prodogjuggler]

I have, YET AGAIN, had two items sell with "Buy it Now" and the buter has no intention to pay. Once case has now closed with a "NonPayment" filed on the buyers account. Obviously this is less then a slap on the wrist because it happens so often! Same can be said for the "Report This Buyer" option.

Anyway, the other buyer sent me an email stating they "Accidentally" purchased it an no longer wanted it. I'm picturing them "Accidentally" clicking the "But it Now" button, then "Accidentally" clicking "Confirm". Really?!

I sent a request to cancel 4 days ago and relisted the item, however, I have not had a response from the buyer. I have already clicked "Report This Buyer" and stated the reason.

To save me the frustration of speaking to an eBay representative that has no power, no concerns and no clue, and not that it does any good anyway, but can I escalate this online?

[pjcdn2005]

If the buyer hasn't replied to a mutual cancellation request after 7 days you can close it and your fvf will be refunded.

Ebay does suspend some buyers if they received to many unpaid item strikes but I don't how often that happens.You can file an unpaid item claim after 2 days if the item was purchased on the .com site and after 4 days if it was purchased on any other site. Once the claim is opened you have to wait 4 days before you can close it and receive your fees back.

[triber]

It is very frustrating, I know how you feel. My sales are way down. I had a 0 feedback buyer from Ireland last week who made a purchase and is insisting that she paid, but it is not in my Paypal account, and I have had no confirmation. I sold a $40 plus item yesterday, and within minutes got a message to say that she purchased by mistake (how you do that I don't know!).

Then another 0 feedback buyer from last week just wrote and said that unless I can take Mastercard payment, they won't pay, and they would not have purchased if they knew how much the postage was going to be. I just sent a cancellation notice, not worth the bother.

[borntofarm63]

Be careful if you cancel the transaction instead of opening an unpaid case with these buyers that make "mistakes" and then don't pay. They can still leave you feedback if you cancel. We had one idiot that we did a favour for and cancelled the transaction instead of reporting him for unpaid , he then left neutral feedback saying "did not purchase" !

[Anonymous]

Actually for what reasons they claimed like "make a mistake", etc., I prefer to open the unpaid item process so they get ding with a strike on their file for each item.

I wouldn't use the cancellation process as they buyer can reject and then you wouldn't get the refund on FVFs.  Cannot trust anyone anymore which is sad.

The reasons for using the unpaid item process is 1) to ding the buyer with a strike, 2) their ability to leave me a feedback is removed automatically, 3) I get a refund on my FVFs.  It is to protect myself. 

By using the cancellation process and then they reject them and I lose the refund on FVFs can add up fast.  I do get lots of unpaid item buyers so I have to protect myself.

I am always amazed at what the buyers' claim as "making a mistake", or my grand child was using it, etc.  So what reasons, they shouldn't "play" with us, therefore, they deserved to be dinged with a strike for each item in their file. 

You don't go to WalMart or any stores and then buy them and then oops, "I made a mistake", or do you??

[gotwhatchuneed]

I think alot of the time people click they buy button and then find the same item for a cheaper price. It never ceases to amaze me how many people don't know how to change search terms from best match to price/shipping lowest first, or whatever would better suit them.

There is a specific glitch in Ebay that catches me somtimes, you set your search criteria in the advanced window BUT if you click on the search suggestions in your main window (the blue ones beneath) all your search criteria are erased and you have to manually re-enter it. That caught me a couple times where I had set it to only show items with free shipping then clicked on a suggested search and did not notice I was seeing items with shipping charges.

So yes it is possible to genuinely make a purchase in error.

[comicseller6619]

Yep, new to the E bay selling thing and had my first non payment.  Right after the winning bidder won the auction I had sent him an email to congratulate him and to inform him of the shipping cost and that was it!!   Never herd from him...............Loser

[trikiliki]

I am pretty sure it doesn`t  help that as soon as you buy something, Ebay plasters the post sale page with same or similar items from other sellers...

[kalvin@ebay.com]

Hi everyone,

Sorry to hear about these failed transactions, couple of notes on this:

- Use Buyer requirements to filter the type of buyers you want purchasing your items.

- Drop me a note in situations where you feel there's value in Customer Support having a second look at your cases. I can't promise a resolution in your favour, but we'll definitely take the time to review it once more to make sure we haven't missed anything.

Most transactions on eBay are problem-free, and I'm hoping we can try and uphold that standard as much as possible.

Thanks,

[pierrelebel]

Good morning Kalvin..

We appreciate you taking the time to look into this problem.

However, would it not be easier if eBay enforced the contract entered into when the buyer places a bid or click on Buy-it-Now?

'By clicking Confirm bid, you commit to buy this item from the seller if you are the winning bidder."

What does it mean if eBay does not make any effort to actually enforce that commitment by a buyer?  And that is where the problem is: eBay's refusal to enforce the contract.  It is that simple.

[rose-dee]

Be careful if you cancel the transaction instead of opening an unpaid case with these buyers that make "mistakes" and then don't pay. They can still leave you feedback if you cancel. We had one idiot that we did a favour for and cancelled the transaction instead of reporting him for unpaid , he then left neutral feedback saying "did not purchase" !

Yes!  This is in my view a serious flaw (well, one of many) in the eBay FB process.  You really have to have a strong sense that your buyer is acting honestly, and will not later retaliate (or just leave inappropriate FB) and who can really know this for sure?

By the way, I may be wrong, but I thought a seller could not relist an item on which a cancellation request is pending until the buyer actually agrees to the cancellation or the 7 days has passed without response and the seller closes it.  Someone please correct me if I'm wrong on this point, as I've always waited, just to be on the safe side.   

[pierrelebel]

"I thought a seller could not relist an item on which a cancellation request is pending... '

Actually, a seller should not relist an item on which a cancellation request is pending  However, there is nothing in the system preventing a seller from relisting immediately, using the "relist" or "sell a similar item" functions.

[i*m-still-here]

What does it mean if eBay does not make any effort to actually enforce that commitment by a buyer?  And that is where the problem is: eBay's refusal to enforce the contract.  It is that simple.

Curious:  What would you suggest?

I have NO problem with nonpaying buyers, but I suspect that this is partially because I have no problem waiting for a month and keep friendly contact with my buyers during that time.

It's rare but every once in a while I have to wait............ but I don't mind. 

I get that most sellers don't care to wait........

BUT I'm wondering how  you think that ebay should enforce the "contract"?  

[pierrelebel]

"Curious:  What would you suggest?"

Personally I have had very few problems with non-payers over the years.  However, it is clear from other posts that many sellers experience that problem.

It is also clear from eBay that the problem is huge since they are changing their policies to attempt to minimize the problem.

"Reducing the impact of unpaid items: Over the coming months, to reduce the occurrence of unpaid items, eligible fixed price, Best Offer and Buy It Now items will co...early as two days after the item sold. "

http://announcements.ebay.com/2013/03/2013-spring-seller-update-free-listings-for-all-sellers/ 

One of the many suggestions presented in the past is to request that buyers offer a valid credit card when they register with the understanding their credit card may be charged for their purchase should they have several unpaid items on their record.  It would also mininize instances of the same buyer registering under several user names.

[rose-dee]

I have NO problem with nonpaying buyers, but I suspect that this is partially because I have no problem waiting for a month and keep friendly contact with my buyers during that time.

It's rare but every once in a while I have to wait............ but I don't mind. 

I get that most sellers don't care to wait.......

Perhaps the sorts of items you're selling permit you long payment times.  I'm usually very patient with my buyers, but I can't afford to have more expensive or attractive items in limbo for too long.  My policy is that I give buyers 4 days, send a reminder, then open an Unpaid Item Case after the end of Day 5, unless they contact me, in which case I may given them a week or two to pay.  I always have to balance the time it takes for a purchaser to pay against the time my item is off the market, depending on the value of the item and whether it's a multiple or a unique article. 

However, are you saying you've never had a buyer tell you he/she purchased an item "by accident"?  I've had a few, usually each one has a unique explanation, but I'm sure they don't realize (or perhaps care) that they are removing the item from potential purchase by other buyers while their mistake is cleared up (by me), which can sometimes take a week or two to conclude, whether by UIC or cancellation. 

The fact that a cancelled transaction from one of these scenarios still leaves FB/DSRs open is a real concern to me, since there's no way to know whether the purchaser made an honest mistake (which I find hard to believe), or was fishing around for the best deal by just hitting the "Buy it Now" button, then not paying for the unwanted items, instead of reading the listing information beforehand.

[i*m-still-here]

I've had a few buyers purchase something and then change their minds............. very few.

I have no problem whatsoever cancelling those transaction and I would hate to curtail these impulse purchases in any way.

Most of them follow through even when they might have second thoughts because they can't  really afford the piece.

For me, as a seller, the benefits of impulse buying FAR outweigh the costs.

In my experience, when a buyer is slow to pay it's more often than not about shipping costs.

I can see that this is a problem for others, but I'm at a loss to understand that and I have to wonder if it has to do with an urgency to get paid and/or high shipping costs.

I don't fully understand why its' a complete non-issue for me compared to others.

[breda_decorative_arts]

I get a huge number of non paying winning bidders on my auctions (I only use auctions).   

Its pretty hard to win an auction by accident!

When they have just won one or two auctions, its very straight forward to use the non paying bidder process.

Its more of a problem when the buyer buys several items, and pays for some, but not others.   The non paying bidder process protects the seller from getting negative feedback on that item, but it does not protect the seller from being victimized by malicious negative feedback on the paid for items.

Once upon a time, if a member got three non paying bidder strikes in a certain period, they would get kicked off ebay.   Now there doesn't seem to be a limit, and buyers and not pay for  as many items as they want, without concern.  

Funny how ebay has changed over the years.    Buyers have been protected against negative feedback, and being kicked off for not buying but not paying.

Moreover, just one or two malicious dsr ratings can rob a seller of their top rated seller status  - so sellers are more fearful than ever to start the non paying bidder process.

[i*m-still-here]

""""" I get a huge number of non paying winning bidders on my auctions (I only use auctions). """  

breda:

Curious:  What is a huge number to you?

About 1% of my buyers end up never paying.

What % would you say it is for you?

[gotwhatchuneed]

Breda has alot of expensive items, buyer remorse is probably much more prevalent with big ticket items,

[i*m-still-here]

Breda has alot of expensive items, buyer remorse is probably much more prevalent with big ticket items,

No, that's not it.

My items are also more expensive too.

I'm concerned that some of the moves ebay is making are going to slow impulse buying.

They seem to be reacting to all the complaints from sellers about non-paying bidders........

Whenever I hear that I always think;  "Be Careful What You Wish For." 

They've recently implemented a new rule whereby buyers have to pay right away for BINs and I'm pretty sure that will mean fewer ebay sales for me.

My items are higher end and I have no problem waiting for a month or even longer for payment while my customer gets his or her ducks in a row.

I have quite a bit of that........... and they always do get them lined up in time...........  but with the new system that will no longer be an option.