Rejecting Bidders because of New Feedback Rules Would you?

[tea_past_times]

Good evening, I just finished cancelling bids that a bidder placed on 6 of my items. Why? Well the user Id of the bidder was registered in 2004, no transactions until 2007, then they got 2 positives in May 2007 and nothing since.
I pulled the bidders contact information. The ID was registered in California USA. The phone number given with the registration was a cell phone in Atlanta Georgia.
It seems like a secondary, seldom used ID. Who else but scammers use these types of ID's.
In the past, I would have left the bids, because if the person did not pay, or could not be contacted, I could leave 6 negatives, which would have reduced their feedback to a grand total of 1 and 6 negatives in my profile from a 1 feedback Id would not be paid attention to by anyone.
However, these days, not only could I not leave negative feedback(warning others, and defending myself), those 6 potential negs I might get, could cost me 15% on my bill, and push my DSR's down to the point where my items show up too low in search results. They might even suspend my account for 30 days.
I'm convinced that the new type of Scam Ebay bidder has arrived. The person is likely counting on the future blessing of one way feedback.
This is NOT a reasonable risk to take with an ID that has only 2 transactions in 4 years and an incorrect phone number to boot. That is what is wrong with the new feedback system. Newbies, (0 feedback ID's) and seldom used ID's are not worth the risk they represent. In fact, if the bidder Id has less than 10 feedback, who needs them either. This system makes a better Ebay for the bidders?? I don't think so. I still can and will boot any low feedback Id's that don't look quite right to me. Unfortunately a few legitimate new ebayers will get the boot too, along with the crap. Nice welcome to the site eh. Sorry, I have no way to tell you apart from the scam artists, go away now!!
I'm glad miss 2 feedback in 4 years, wrong phone number did not wait until last minute to bid, or I would have been stuck with her.
This issue highlights the flaw in Ebay's thinking on the feedback system. Anyone else out there screening their bidders and booting the real low feedback ones??

[dipmicro]

I'm convinced that the new type of Scam Ebay bidder has arrived

Tea I think you are being little dramatic, but ...

last week I had a buyer from Toronto (50km from here) tell me he did not receive my package (from a week ago). I used my charm #4 to show that he is a fake (the charm #4 is a little bluff that distinguishes genuine wronged buyer from a smarty).

Another person from USA has claimed receiving wrong items, but he did not know that we take a digital photo of every shipment before packing. I told him that his shipment contained correct items just seconds before sealing into parcel and that I would require the wrong items shipped back to me at my expense. He never replied back.

All this within a week.

Maybe fluke.

[lina-mallows]

Well- such is the NEW eBAY!

You may be able to block as many bidders- now increasing to 5000 (I think that's correct.)

HOWEVER- only if you notice, and only if they bid early.

A LAST MINUTE bid from an 'undesirable' buyer is something that is nearly impossible to protect oneself from.

AND- further- if you BLOCK ONE BIDDER (with a secondary account), no matter what eBay has to say about 'unwelcome bidders'; what prevents this NOW BLOCKED/CANCELLED BID individual from simply bidding with another account?

The system is far from perfect. And now, I believe less so.
I think somehow we are all caught up in being obsessed about 'perfect/near perfect' feedback.
eBay provides mechanisms to remove SOME feedback from deadbeat bidders. The NON PAYING bidder alert system still works. And, I think some of the benefits of using it are being enhanced.

So, all in all, you list, and hope it sells, and the buyer pays.
Beyond that- maybe it's time to all take a deep breath, and hope eBay doesn't decide to change everything yet again in the near future, once the reality of THIS NEW system finally sets in.

[coxengines]

You guys are WAAAYYY to paranoid!!!

I get lots of requests to ship to alternate addresses, lots of zero FB bidders and, sometimes, requests to ship to completely different countries than where the bidding ID is registered.

Real scammers snipe, have stolen CC info and, generally don't buy tea cups (no offense intended Tea).

Likely, Tea, you have contributed to a buyer feeling snubbed and having a bad taste about eBay.

Do you really check all your bids before your auctions close??? Unbelievable the time you must have on your hands hon...

Xena

[whoscloset]

Whoa! I can't believe you screen bidders to that extent...or perhaps you have much more time on your hands than I do. Maybe you should concentrate on increasing your sales rather than playing psychic with your bidders.

I DO NOT screen bidders...never have...never will. My "shrinkage" rate is minuscule compared to my sister's B & M Home Hardware store and I don't have to spend a cent on security. LOL

[dipmicro]

Real scammers snipe, have stolen CC info and

There is absolutely nothing wrong with sniping.

As for being paranoid - It's been shown in labs that people control their behaviour more when they think there might be a consequence or if they are being watched. By cheating for $10 on eBay there is almost no consequence. Some even brag about it:

- Hey dude, I bught this MP3 player on eBay, the postman just dropped it in my mailbox, so I said to the eBay dude - dude I did not get it. He was upset about it but he gave me my money back!

- Coool, duuuude!!! Free stuff!!!!

[westernstargifts]

My daughter is the coordinator of a website for moms online in our area. There are about 800 subscribers so far. One of them just posted that she was scammed out of $5,000 on eBay for a trailer she purchased. I don't know the payment details, etc. but she thought she had done her homework and checked out the seller's reputation. The police were involved so I am sure all avenues were explored. She was warning the rest of the subscribers to beware of buying on eBay.

I don't think we need to scare more people off by screening them. I talk to more people these days who think that eBay is full of sellers out to scam them that not. We need to earn back their trust.

[recped]

Without telling us what they bought there is no way to give you an answer for your situation.

That being said I have never, will never, would never screen bidders. I have never, will never, would never cancel a bid unless I stumbled across a bidder with whom I had a previous unpleasant experience.

Just this week I made a very smooth sale to a previous NPB, last time he couldn't seem to figure out how to pay, this time he paid in 2 days and bought another item off eBay.

In 25 years of traditional retail the only shoppers ever banned from the store where the shoplifters, time wasters, window shoppers, people who intentionally ask for things you don't have, people who complain about the prices, hagglers and even a few drunks.....all welcome.

Believe me you can't tell the thieves until they make an obvious move and I know I had a few customers who were no doubt ripping off Sams or HMV but they would never consider doing it to me.

[tea_past_times]

or perhaps you have much more time on your hands than I do....

Time isn't an issue. I go to my Ebay and click on show all items I'm selling. I look down the list of 40-50 items. Everything above 10 feedback, I don't bother to look at. Below 5 feedback, I look to see what country it's from, when they registered. If it's an Italy, registered yesterday, bye bye it goes. Screening all my auctions once a day and bouncing problem bidders, takes a max of 15 minutes to do. So weekly, that's 1 hour and 45 minutes spent screening.

My MonthlyDSR score is currently 5,5,4.9,4.9
I haven't had a neg since January. I've only had one neg is a year. Only 3 of my customers haven't paid in the last year. Screening works to an extent.

Great discussion everyone!!

[coxengines]

Tea,

Were you not the guy that was do down on the new requirements and the 15% fee reduction (that none of us would obtain)?

Well.... congrats on your score. I'm glad to hear things are going well for you.

Xena