Can You Stand Another Ebay Question - Non Paying Bidder

[maryisme]

Hello All,

A new ebay member with no history bid on an item I had up. It was for a dollhouse that I was selling for Christmas. She bid and never contacted me after I invoiced her. I waited a day and invoiced again. I finally called her yesterday and she says "Oh, I haven't been online in two days". She then tells me she doesn't want it. I was very civil and pretty much just hung up and didn't go into with her. My item is useless to me now since I can't get it to anyone before Christmas.

I offered a second chance but haven't heard anything yet.

I am going to file a nonpayment with ebay and see what happens. I'm sure this happens often. How does it normally turn out?

Thank you!

Mary

 

[ibleedblue]

Unfortunately there's not a lot you can do. File the non-paying bidder form and request a refund of the final value fee from ebay and leave negative feedback for the 'buyer'.

I've had this happen twice, almost 3 times. I specifiy in the auction payment is expected in 7 days. The first time I waited 8 days and had received no response from the winning bidder (who used buy it now). I filed a non-paying bidder form with ebay and told the guy not to bother since he had ignored my previous attempts to contact him and I had someone else waiting to buy the item. I got a nasty email from this guy saying I was scum of the world and that people like me were what made ebay a bad experience for some. OK??? The second time I didn't hear a thing from the buyer (who again used buy it now) after multiple invoices and emails. I filed with ebay and left negative feedback and never heard a word from the buyer. The almost time, a person (who again used buy it now...I'm seeing a theme here) didn't respond to emails or invoices but responded to the email from ebay saying I had filed a non-paying bidder complaint. I finally was paid after 15 days. I left a neutral feedback for him.

 

[ceecee]

I've had four in the last 3 weeks that did not pay. (Two were Christmas typpe gifts and too late to relist). One finally paid and now Ebay has a hold on the payment for a frauduent bank account and I am out $ and my item which I sent as soon as I got payment (confirmed and verified with Paypal as well). One lady said she "found it cheaper" and another said "she can't afford it" and I didn't hear from the fourth at all. So frustrating. Make sure to leave negative feedback.

 

[DMRick]

Sometimes, when you file the NPB notice, it gives them a shove, if they did intend to pay. Other times, it falls on deaf ears

 

[jwfla422]

Bring it on! Another Ebay question is welcome!! Sorry so lengthly but has some good information.

When you file a NPB alert, Ebay will credit your account the Final Value Fee (FVF) after 7 days as long as you go through the normal steps Ebay requires (pretty simple process), Ebay will not credit the listing fee but you can relist and if it sells you won't have to pay a fee for the 2nd time you list or if you do a 2nd chance offer.

I've had a few NPB since I've been selling with a larger influx that started the end of this past summer. I've gotten to the point where a person with (0) feedback MUST contact me prior to bidding OR I contact them, if they don't email me within 24 hrs of their bid (or if the auction ends prior to that they get less time)...then their bid gets cancelled. I've had enough! Most NPB's don't contact you at all after they win (which is no different than before they win). Of course, they need to start somewhere and that's why I ask for them to contact me first. Yes I've cancelled bids and yes I may have even lost bids but that's the way it goes. I also add that bidders with low feedback or high neg feedback must do the same.

I also require that the winner contact me within 3 days letting me know their method of payment-- with Paypal pymt due within 5 days and MO due (in my hands) within 10 days. Of course there are exceptions-if someone emails me and asks for more time, etc, I'm willing to work with them. Like I said before 9 times out of 10 if they correspond with you they are a legitimate buyer. (this is ALL listed in my auctions/listings).

But that still doesn't guarantee that you won't have an NPB, but this has helped me TREMENDOUSLY!

Keep in mind--when you do a 2nd chance offer..this is considered YOUR RELIST! If they don't repond then your stuck and you will have to pay to relist. I found out the hard way on that-and so far have never had any luck with 2nd chance offers so I NOW EMAIL the 2nd chance offer potential buyer FIRST and ask if they're interested. If not then you can go to the next (if you're willing to sell for whatever that bidder bid)--If they are interested I would then send the 2nd chance offer, if not, at that point you can then just relist it as an auction (and that would be your relist).

Unfortunately there will always be bidders out there who just figure they can hide out in the internet highway and stiff us because they changed their mind or bid on another one at a better price. There are bidders out there who just bid for sport (I've found some kids who do this for the fun of it).

It's very frustrating for sellers who are trying to make a living and sometimes just as frustrating for new buyers trying to earn some good feedback--luckily they are few and far between and you need to set your "terms" to what you feel is right. But, for those "stiffers" and "sporters" that don't pay don't hesitate to leave NEG feedback as other buyers must be aware of their practices.

 

[DMRick]

**When you file a NPB alert, Ebay will credit your account the Final Value Fee (FVF) after 7 days

or 10 days, if the person responds


**Keep in mind--when you do a 2nd chance offer..this is considered YOUR RELIST!

I did not know this, since Vendio still shows it as a relist when I relist it again. Luckily, I've been pretty successful with 2nd chance offers, and since I have many of the same item, I often get to sell it to all the underbidders.

I do sell to -0- bidders, but I often have to hold their hands. But I don't mind. Most of my NPB's, are the 0's though, I agree.

 

[ceecee]

I just checked feedback on one of my non-paying bidders and she has gotten 4 negatives (two for the same item bought from different people) within a few weeks. Why is she still allowed to keep bidding????

 

[disneychrista]

I just checked feedback on one of my non-paying bidders and she has gotten 4 negatives (two for the same item bought from different people) within a few weeks. Why is she still allowed to keep bidding????

Negative FB will not prevent a person from bidding. The only thing that will get them kicked off is the person filling a NPB/unpaid item on the person. Many people do NOT do this for fear of getting negative FB.

Also remember filling an unpaid item dispute DOES NOT get you your fees back. You have to go in close the dispute and request your fees.

 

[Razor Roman]

I don't know how many of you use PayPal for your auctions (I know some people don't like the fee, and others are afraid of losing their money... I use it almost exclusively)

If you use Buy It Now as an option, you can make ebay require an immediate paypal payment for all buy-it-nows.

 

[Nik's Mom]

I have had 3 non paying bidders recently and it drives me crazy! I have the pay within 7 days thing, but still no reply. On two of my npb complaints, the loser still didn't reply and I got my final value fees back. On the third, the lady finally paid up the day after I filed the npb complaint. Ugggh!
JWFLA 422 and DMRick, you have some great tips! I'm going to add on my listings that people with certain amount of neg feedback will have their bids cancelled. On all three of my cases, they had negs for not paying up.

 

[DMRick]

JWFLA 422 and DMRick, you have some great tips! I'm going to add on my listings that people with certain amount of neg feedback will have their bids cancelled. On all three of my cases, they had negs for not paying up.

That wouldn't be my tip . I like as few restrictions as possible, both when buying and selling.
I don't like to see the phrases "no 0 bidders", "Must pay within 7 days" or, "I will leave negative feedback for non payers". I figure the first one, will still bid, since they have no idea what it means, and as for the next two..heck, no one reads the description anyway, why come away sounding negative.

 

[dpratt68]

Maybe all you ebay sellers can answer this one. My husband bid and PAID for an item thru bidsmart. It was suppose to be a surprise for me for XMAS. He has a confirmation # for paying. Since the end of auction he has been loaded with invoices saying pay now you have a contract.......Yesterday it was a dispute form threatening putting this against him on ebay. He has responded every time and gets no response from the seller yet she is threatening to do the nonpaying bidder thing??// Where can he go next?

 

[Franne]

Did your husband try emailing the seller? You can also get the phone number from ebay if you want to give him a call. I would suggest emailing him first and see what happens.

 

[disneychrista]

Have your hubby double check to make sure that the address he used for the payment is the exact same the one the emails are coming from. I had a buyer pay directly through paypal but used the wrong email address (left off numbers in my email addy). So while she did pay I never recieved it.

 

[disneymom3]

That wouldn't be my tip . I like as few restrictions as possible, both when buying and selling.
I don't like to see the phrases "no 0 bidders", "Must pay within 7 days" or, "I will leave negative feedback for non payers". I figure the first one, will still bid, since they have no idea what it means, and as for the next two..heck, no one reads the description anyway, why come away sounding negative.

I agree DMRick--I don't put in all that must do this, can't do that stuff. I have never had a NPB although we don't do the volume that I know some of you do. However, I also won't bid on an auction that has 8 million rules to work through. I don't want to deal with people who come across sounding like the gestapo. (No offense to anyone here. I haven't seen your auctions and am just stating my opinion.) I do have almost 100 feedback so I don't even have to worry about that stuff, it just turns me off and I move on to the next auction that sounds more friendly.

 

[Donna]

You can also change your ebay preferences as to who can and who cannot bid on your auctions. I think i have mine set that no in the negative (showing a minus) bidders can bid on mine. I've had pretty good luck with low feedback bidders paying right away. I make sure i leave their feedback immediately if they're immediate payers; it helps get them started when they bid on other things and it looks good for them.

 

[maryisme]

I just wanted to thank everyone for their experiences and all the advice offered. I haven't done anything yet as I haven't been online -- busy with the holidays!! I didn't want to think about it as every time I do I get really burnt. Oh well, there is not much I can do it comes with the territory I guess.

Thanks again!