Buyers who don't pay and give any response.

[love2shoppe4me]

I don't think issues like non-payment are being addressed with enough seriousness.  Unpaid cases are time consuming and costly both to Ebay and the Sellers. It takes at least a week or more to relist an item or lose the second potential buyer who was bidding on the item. I do understand sometimes there are extenuating circumstances that some buyers cannot follow through with their purchases but from the no "response buyer", the seller at least deserves to be in the know what the buyers intentions are. There should be penalties from no response buyers. One month of blocked buying for an unpaid case with no response, 2 months for two and deleting the account after three. We are here to make money and sell items, not cat and mouse games. Listing, selling, then begging for a customer to respond shouldn't be accepted. Communication is the key and if the buyer refuses the handshake, they shouldn't be here.

[canadianfootballcards]

A small change I wish eBay would consider, if only to placate sellers... a small exception to the no-negative-feedback-for-buyers rule.

If a buyer doesn't pay, give the seller the option of leaving 'unpaid item' in the feedback. No negotiation on the wording. 'unpaid item.'

It's not harsh nor confrontational. It's factual. A buyer cannot argue that they did pay when they didn't. And at least then, it's on the public record and suggests some level of accountability within the community.

Tangibly, it wouldn't do an awful lot, unless you spent your afternoons scanning a few million eBayers in search of people to block.

But psychologically, it might make buyers think twice before bailing, especially if they're serial no-payers. And it might make me feel a bit better about a failed transaction.

[pierrelebel]

"If a buyer doesn't pay, give the seller the option of leaving 'unpaid item' in the feedback. No negotiation on the wording. 'unpaid item.'"

At first sight, the idea looks good.  However, who will pass judgement about its fairness?

For example: Auction listing shows "shipping at cost - will vary depending on location".

Buyer bids and buys the item.  Seller confirms transaction and ask for exhorbitant shipping charge because the auction price was well below seller's expectation.

Buyer refuses to pay.

In this specific case, would it be fair to buyer to have a feedback reading "unpaid item"?

I do not think so.

[love2shoppe4me]

If it were an instance where you at least have communication with the buyer and you are trying to work out a solution to save the deal, I'm all for that. But when you send several invoices and encouraging polite messages to get them to work with you and you still get no response, does ebay or yourself really need no show people like this?

When an unpaid item case is opened and ebay sends a message to the buyer and they don't respond after the alotted time their accounts should be on hold or like you said the "unpaid item" should show up on their feedback, but by Ebay.  I agree this might make them a little more serious about their future purchases.

[canadianfootballcards]

As the seller has the opportunity to respond publically to 'unjust' negative feedback, perhaps a buyer could be extended the same courtesy?

A non-communicative buyer isn't likely to bother with a response.

A buyer who feels they've been treated unfairly will, which will serve to identify the shady seller who jacked up the shipping. As it is right now, a buyer cannot leave feedback after an unpaid item case, correct?

Would this would serve as an avenue for that?

I've read enough of your posts to understand completely where you're coming from. Anything that makes life more difficult for buyers contributes to driving them away, therefore making life more difficult for sellers.

And I understand that the unpaid item strikes are eBay's method of accountability.

As I say, it's more of a psychological thing than anything meaningful, a small tool to help sellers feel better about a transaction that went off the tracks.

[rose-dee]

I know I've said this many times on these boards, but my own view is that eBay is deliberately moving in the direction of discouraging (and eventually eliminating) direct communication between buyer and seller, allowing bots to do the job.  At that point, all bets are off where any hope of human contact and understanding is concerned.  Direct communication doesn't suit eBay's mega-sellers -- far too time-consuming. 

IMO, a lot of apparently innocuous little changes (such as moving the "Ask Seller A Question" from top to very bottom of a listing page, and those silly "FAQ options"  - both of which really got my dander up!), as well as other much more obvious policy changes (like managed returns and automated cases) are a signal that eBay is evolving toward a "seen but not heard" transaction style.  I'm convinced this is what eBay wants.  Buyers are slowly but surely getting the message that they don't need to, or aren't expected to, communicate directly with sellers.  I think the issue the OP describes is just the tip of an oncoming iceberg. 

Unfortunately, for that reason I personally don't think eBay will ever make any concessions or improvements for sellers where direct communication with buyers is concerned.  Why encourage more direct buyer contact when it's opposed to an overall policy?  Sad but true.  Leaner, meaner eBay.  

[pjcdn2005]

IMO, a lot of apparently innocuous little changes (such as moving the "Ask Seller A Question" from top to very bottom of a listing page, and those silly "FAQ options"  - both of which really got my dander up!), as well as other much more obvious policy changes (like managed returns and automated cases) are a signal that eBay is evolving toward a "seen but not heard" transaction style.  I'm convinced this is what eBay wants.  Buyers are slowly but surely getting the message that they don't need to, or aren't expected to, communicate directly with sellers.  I think the issue the OP describes is just the tip of an oncoming iceberg.

The OP is complaining about unpaid buyers that don't answer messages or pay for their items. Those type of buyers have always been around. Do you think that someone who isn't planning on paying does not bother to tell a seller because they think that ebay doesn't want them to communicate with the seller?

I don't disagree that ebay is making it more difficult to communicate but I suspect a buyer who isn't going to pay or communicate today, would have acted the same way a year or two ago.

As far as the FAQ....as I explained before, it can be turned off.

[rose-dee]

---

@pjcdn2005 wrote:

[...] I suspect a buyer who isn't going to pay or communicate today, would have acted the same way a year or two ago.

____________________________________________________________________ 

That hasn't been my experience.  I find there has been a progression over the past 3 or 4 years that has now become distinctly noticeable.  People do a lot more silent "grabbing and running" than they used to.  

I don't think buyers believe eBay doesn't want them to communicate with sellers; I think eBay has done a very good job of subtly discouraging direct contact through various changes made to the site, which is a completely different thing. Add to those changes the removal of sellers' ability to leave FB, and buyers have little incentive to strike up conversations or respond to sellers' pleas for a reply.  

EBay has done nothing concrete in the past 2 years that I can think of to foster and facilitate direct buyer communication with sellers.  In fact, eBay has made it far simpler for buyers to use automated processes to solve problems rather than talking to sellers, and I think buyers for the most part have gotten that message loud and clear.   

The nail in the coffin of buyer-seller communication IMO was the counter-intuitive and apparently absurd idea of rewarding sellers for not directly communicating with buyers.  I say "apparent" because although the concept seems absurd, it was made very much into an advantageous policy for eBay.  Sellers now shy away from direct messaging to protect their DSRs and buyers have become used to that situation as the status quo.  But what a stupifying masterstroke that was by eBay to move the agenda along: fear tactics sold to sellers as self-protection while getting everybody accustomed to less direct contact - brilliant! I don't doubt that even sellers like me, who used to make a point of sending a personal message along after every sale, found themselves hesitant to do so in some instances. 

EBay may tout communication, but it's a hollow claim -- that isn't the kind of environment their policies are creating.  I think this site will morph soon into a completely automated eCommerce platform, with most transactions at arm's length, and that will make big box sellers very happy.  

My comments may sound rather harsh, but this is one area where I have a deep disagreement with eBay policy. Unfortunately, there is not much that can be done about it if one wants to continue selling here.   

"As far as the FAQ....as I explained before, it can be turned off."

I was speaking from the point of view of a buyer actually.  I find these irritating when I just want to contact the seller directly and simply, straight from the listing as it used to be possible to do.  I've not found a way to turn other sellers' FAQ lists off.