What do you do when winning bidder does not acknowledge purchase?

[ypdc_dennis]

If no payment 4 days after the auction closed, then open an unpaid item case in the Resoution Centre.

If they don't pay in the 4 days after you've opened the case, you can then close the case and eBay will refund final value fee (FVF) and the buyer will get a strike against their account.

You can then relist or offer the item to the next highest bidder.

[rose-dee]

Yes, as 'ypdcd_dennis'  says, filing a UIC is the most expedient way to nudge a slow payer into making payment, or a chronic non-payer into eventual eBay oblivion. 

However, I usually send any dilatory buyers a very friendly email reminder about payment after 3 days have passed, then open the UIC on Day 5.  Other sellers are less patient.  

Just remember that if your buyer does end up paying, he/she will be entitled to leave Feedback, DSRs and answer the "on-time" delivery question.  So treat your buyer as a valued, paying customer and use all possible courtesy until the UIC case actually closes due to non-payment (after 4 days of the case being opened). 

And do keep in mind that some people place bids and then truly forget what they've bid on (or even that they've bid at all), especially if they're bidding on or buying several items at a time.  Some just need a polite reminder. 

[maximus7001 · Accepted solution]

Ebay does not do anything to non paying bidders. I know this for a fact. We have a long time computer customer who buys then does not pay on a mass scale. He uses the list of non payed items as a watch list. At any given time he has at least 10 to 20 non payed items and has been doing this for almost a decade with the same account with nothing being done about it by ebay.

The only reason we still deal with this guy is he knows he has to pay us in advance for all the computer work and he is a really bad wrecker of computers so we make lots of money from his blunders.

[flyboy60* · Accepted solution]

Thanks.  I understand now that Ebay cannot or will not enforce compliance of its rules and policies.  It really is the 'wild west' of online commerce.  You roll the dice and take you chances.