How do you handle non-paying eBay buyers?

18 years ago

It's been a month since someone with wretched feedback (70% positive) won one of my books on eBay. I've invoiced him twice and emailed him three times, with no response to anything.

I can send a Second Chance Offer to the next highest bidder. Should I do that, and forget about the deadbeat? Is there a way to report him/her to eBay? I think negative feedback is not only deserved here, but required to keep others from having this experience. Yet more than one seller has advised me not to leave negative feedback because he could turn around and leave it for me. I didn't do anything wrong, so if that's true, the feedback system sucks.

What's your advice? Thanks!

Susan

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Comments (9)

liz
18 years ago
Did you report him as a non paying bidder??...

I think the feedback system sucks too...
heather_on
18 years ago
Report him as a non-paying bidder. I can't remember but after a few times that aren't paid, ebay kicks you off.
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Geez, what a nightmare. Why can't people just be honest and treat others like they'd like to be treated? I just don't get it, it's not that hard. I really wanted to bid on some beautiful RL bedding, a rare style, but I really had to read between the lines and push to get info. Apparently with the shams the seller mentioned although never used, she did launder one "by mistake", but it went right back in the package. Saw no logic in that whatsoever... Since it was cotton and lace (delicate), I wondered if she dried it (which would ruin it). I emailed her asking if the washed sham had been distorted or shrank as a result. No reply. I wait a few days, auction is nearing and end, and basically email her a 'hey, I'd really like to bid, but have not received a reply to my question so I'm giving it one more try here.' That generated a response from her, she admitted that the laundered sham was 'snug' and corners 'curled', but suggested ironing would make it fit properly again. Good grief. (She failed to include that significant detail in her description, even after I asked, she didn't post my question and her answer.) Very cat and mouse. I'm glad I took time to push it, because although it was a beautiful set I might well be out the $, and it would be worthless with only one good sham (and it garnered pretty high $$). I'm watching to see what kind of feedback occurs once the buyer receives it. Anyway, back to valinsv's guy. Clearly there are major issues with some items he sells. Is he too ignorant to realize that having integrity would only bolster his business that much more? That's the part I just don't get. Treat people right, they'll keep coming back. Treat them badly as a habit and sooner or later he's going to lose. Seems to me with the type of volume he does he'd be a lot further ahead if he'd just be honest. Just curious mona if you might know: if he does get kicked off, is his IP address banned, or just his ebay ID? He seems to have such a huge system set up and selling high volume, can't see him just walking away. Could he just come back under a new ID? (Although given his business and volume and listing style, it would be easy to recognize it might be him.)
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I've been buying on eBay and exclusively using PayPal for many, many years. Things may have changed with PayPal in the ensuing years, but when I signed up you put in a credit card number, and all of your payments were against the credit card. There was a PayPal limit of $2,000 that could be charged against the card. After that, if you still wanted to use PayPal you had to give them your checking account number. PayPal then made three random deposits in very tiny amounts (like anywhere from five cents to a dollar); and those deposits were made on different days. You then had to key into PayPal the dates and amounts of the deposits. This verified to them that the account was, indeed, your own account. (And you got to keep whatever amounts they deposited into your checking account.) After that you have the option of paying for an auction by putting it against your credit card or by a cash transfer from your checking account. I only pay for things with a cash transfer if it is $15 or less (including shipping). But if it's a larger amount, or if the seller is relatively new, I'll put it against my credit card because I like the protection that a credit card payment affords -- if an item doesn't show up, or if it is substantially different than what was advertised, I can notify my CC company and cancel payment. I like to pay for my winnings as soon as possible. But, I never, ever, make the payment until the notice shows up in my Inbox that I've won the auction.
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lydia1959
18 years ago
First report him as a non-paying bidder. Ebay will send him a short little note reminding him to pay. After a week or so (there is an actual amount of days you have to wait), then you can close the dispute, request your ebay fees back. Then leave him a negative. Things have changed at eBay and I don't believe a non-paying bidder can leave you feedback at all (as long as you've went through the steps and reported them).
naughtykitty
18 years ago
Also, don't give the neg feedback until the last day it is possible. You don't want him giving you a retalitory negative.
alisande
Original Author
18 years ago
Okay, I just reported him as a non-paying bidder.

Naughtykitty, good idea!

If someone with truly awful feedback bids on one of you auctions, what do you do? I know people who block bidders with zero feedback, but that never bothered me. I figure everyone has to start someplace.
sjarz
18 years ago
What I did was state in my auctions that if I did not receive payment within so many days (or some reasonable communication) I would relist the item. That way I could offer it to the second chance bidder before they forgot they wanted it - LOL.
But if you want Ebay to refund any fees associated with the listing, you have to do the nonpaying bidder thing and follow it through.
And definitely don't leave them feedback til the last possible moment, then you can tell all what true scum they are...hehehe.
Suzan J, who got so sick of Ebay she doesn't do it anymore...
yborgal
18 years ago
You've filed a dispute. He will get a friendly reminder from eBay. He has 7 days to respond. He'll either pay, or attempt to strike a deal for an adjustment or give you a story about family problems, frozen accounts, and try to stall, etc. OR he won't respond at all. If he pays, fine.

But if he doesn't, then.....
At this point you close the dispute by clicking. "I no longer wish to communicate with this buyer". You get your fees back; you can relist; and you leave a negative. Because he did not respond he forfeits the right to leave a negative that counts against you and he gets a Strike against him.. 3 Strikes and he's gone.

As far as leaving a neg, I would simply state the facts.

For example,

"Auction ended 11/05;after 3 emails & invoices no $$.Filed dispute 12/02.

You have 90 days to leave feedback. You also have only 45 days to settle and close this dispute. If you don't proceed in a timely manner eBay will automatically close the dispute and you'll have no decision in the matter. Sounds like you're approaching the cut-off date.
FlamingO in AR
18 years ago
This happened to me last winter. I filed, he declined to pay and said he was sorry, blah blah blah. (He was paying for other auctions, though.) I ended discussion with him and gave him a negative because I thought others would like to know what he was like. He negged me right back. I was mad, but he did it to a few others, too and now he is NARU'd. Not a registered user anymore. Yay. I guess it all caught up to him eventually. And anyone can tell by my feedback and responses to him that his was merely a retaliatory negative, that I did nothing wrong. He bid, he won, he didn't pay.

Good luck. I don't like the feedback system completely, but I think it's better than nothing. And I don't require 100% positive feedback from a seller or buyer because I realize some people don't leave proper feedback, but 70% is dismal and I would cancel bids from someone like that if I had time to, then I would block them from bidding.
ladonna
18 years ago
Im dealing with the same thing too right now, on a polymer clay santa ornament i made. I filed a unpaid item dispute yesterday. Ya know what aggravates me, is its not like it was a lot of money, it was 9.50 she did email me the next day, and ask me if i could send another invoice that her husband must of deleted it....so i did....the item sold on the 16th. I have emailed her, sent her reminders from ebay, and i havent heard a word from her since. What aggravates me more than anything, is because there was another person bidding on it. I was a little suspisious of this person in the first place, because she had 0 feedback, and had just registered 2 days after i listed the item.

How do you handle non-paying eBay buyers?

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liz

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How do you handle non-paying eBay buyers?

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