WHAT'S YOUR UNPAID ITEM PROCESS?

[katiusciav]

just wondering how all of you proceed exactly when it comes to your unpaid items? how long do you wait? do you send a reminder email first? two? send another invoice? or just file the unpaid item with no prior communication? just wondering if any of you have a set pattern that works well for you, or do you take it on a case by case basis? i have someone now who hasn't paid for 15 days, i sent him an email two days ago, no reply. the reason i'm questioning whether or not to send this fellow an unpaid notification is that he seems to have a habit of not paying and then retaliating with negetive feedback. i sent him another email this evening stating that if i don't hear back from him in 24 hours from my last email (today), i will assume he's no longer interested in the item, and will second chance offer it. i don't want a negetive over this, so i'm trying to just let him go peacefully. any thoughts??

[cgcgraded]

I actually do something that maybe a lot of sellers here would not agree with, but I am very happy doing.
I send a reminder at 3 days. At 7 days I send out another e-mail offering the buyer to get out of the sale, and have his obligation to me terminated without incurring a strike on his account. The buyer has always responded and I get my selling fees reversed without any negative feedback. I am out the listing fee which I normally get back by relisting if my item sells.
No frustration! No worries!

Andrew

[whoscloset]

Andrew, I think that is a great way to handle it. I might start that myself. 🙂

Normally I send out a payment reminder 3 days after the auction has ended. If there is no communication from the buyer than I file a UPI on the 7th day.

If a customer has notified me that they are sending a money order...I hold off on the reminder until about day 10. If, after the reminder, I get a response that they have sent it I'll hold off on a UPI for about 30 days giving the wonderful postal system time to choke up the mail. If I don't get a response, I'll file a UPI about 3 days later.

[mmc-super]

I send out a reminder at 2 days and at 4 days. My reminder at 4 lets the buyer know about my published policy. I have had 96% success with this letter.

Here's my draft letter:

BOB:

Please advise when payment may be expected for this item. An invoice was issued to you via e-Bay on February 1st. Our listing details indicate that a Non-Payment Dispute will be issued if payment is not received within five days. This auction closed January 31st, four days ago.

Payment of $40.99 US is now due. E-Bay charges sellers Final Value Fees even if the item has not been paid for. The only way e-Bay will refund these fees is for us to file for a Non-Payment Strike against you.

Please make payment by the end of business February 6th or we will have to consider opening a Dispute to obtain credit for our final value fees."

I've received a lot of positive responses from buyers advising they did not know that I would be charged if they didn't pay, or they forgot...

I have yet to receive a neg or even a neutral. I have only had to proceed to dispute in less than 4% of the overdue auctions.

I like Andrew's idea of letting the buyer off the hook but I do not offer that. The reason is, I state right in my listing that placing a bid is binding. I fully expect a buyer to honour that contract they just created. I do.

I have had a few buyers indicate hardship or misreading the auction, those I let out of the sale. I do not want to be uncompassionate, but I also feel I should not offer to do this.

[katiusciav]

thanks for the input...are reminders just regular emails, or do you re send out invoices. i'm surprised of the answers, i would have thought you guys would have waited longer. i don't want to ever come off as being too 'pushy', i think three days is probably too soon, even though in my auction page it states 5 days. i'm always afraid buyers will get ticked off at my impatience, the last thing i want is a negetive over that! i'm going to take all your advices and see where it goes...

[cgcgraded]

I send out a reminder e-mail saying " Hi. Just a quick note to ask how and when I may expect your payment?". In your case I would send it out at 5 days and mention that is in your TOS. Be polite.

Andrew

[cgcgraded]

that is in your TOS

Should read, "that it is in your TOS"..... Sounds better.

Andrew

[duujogl]

After five days I usually say something along the lines of "We haven't heard from you so we're just checking to be sure you got our invoice -- we know that email can be unreliable. Please let us know your plans re payment or, if the invoice was not received, let us know and we will resend."

If I don't get a response in a couple of days, I'll file the UPI and that usually gets the desired result.

[cello10]

If you use selling manager pro you can automate your reminders to be sent after the amount of days you choose to set it for. Also, there is a link on the SMP homepage for items that are eligible for unpaid item reminders and you can file them in bulk. Once they are filed, there's also a link for items eligible for a final value fee credit and they can also be filed in bulk.

[ddc*stuff]

I send an invoice if they havent paid in 3 days.. then on the 7th day..or 8th whichever it lets me.. I file an unpaid dispute.. if it goes all the way through with no response I neg them. If they contact me and need out.. I let them..

[bindy1916]

I give them 7 days to pay. If they haven't paid or made contact by then, I send them an email asking that they please respond within 48 hours.

If they still don't, I file an UPI dispute. If they respond to that, then great, and if not, I leave negative feedback once I have closed it after 7 days.

[tea_past_times]

How about signing them up for 20 or more online dating sites. You know like Adultfriendfinder or Lavalife. Give them a far out profile.(man seeks hairy kangaroo & dwarf) Put a really gross picture with it. Don't forget to include contact information, since you have it handy.]:)

[tea_past_times]

I'm just sayin....

[katiusciav]

as usual.........LOL!!! :^O

[nxtdriver]

I list 14 days as payment on my auctions. I file a non payment dispute at the 10 day mark for the slow or lazy buyers. This way, I don't have to wait long if the buyer doesn't pay to get my fees back. I don't have time to chase people with emails, I have a life to lead. When I buy something, I pay right after the auction ended and I expect that of buyers on my auctions.