Blocked a buyer; they created a new account and bought item

[everard6920]

I blocked an international buyer two days ago, as her initial question was about a SNAD return on an $8 notebook.

Now she's created a new ID and purchased the item. I do not want to complete the transaction. Last time this happened, eBay told me I should. What's the point of a blocked list if they're allowed to make a new account and buy the item anyway?

 I found this on the US site:

"You can't use another account to buy or bid on an item if you're on a seller's blocked bidder or buyer list."

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/unwelcome-buying.html

But naturally, our own site's policy fails to mention anything about this:

http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/policies/unwelcome-buying.html

Does anyone have any experience with this? She's already sent payment via Paypal . . . if I simply refund her payment, I'll receive a defect.

[lyndal1838]

No, she is not allowed to open another account to circumvent your blocks.

Report her to ebay and ask them to remove her bid....that should prevent you from getting a defect and hopefully get her a slap, if not a full on sanction.  Her accounts may even be suspended.

[harley_babes_hoard]

they do if you click on some examples

Failure to meet a seller's terms

Examples:

Seller states item will only be posted domestically. Buyer is registered outside the postage area.

Seller states that buyers with negative feedback comments are not permitted to bid. The buyer has negative feedback.

Report a buyer who participated in a listing without meeting the listing terms.

Buying with the intent to disrupt a listing

Examples:

Buyer places a bid that greatly exceeds the value of the item in order to prevent a sale.

Buyer bids on multiple items listed by a seller without intent to complete the sale.

Buyer attempts to purchase an item after having been placed on a seller's blocked bidder list.

Report a buyer who bid with intent to disrupt a listing.

Note: Buyers who fail to respond or who back out of a transaction do not fall under the Unwelcome and Malicious Buying policy. These listings should be reported as Unpaid Items.

[everard6920]

Oh! I missed that example.

Thanks guys.

[dylan11235813]

ebay is just a platform to trade, they have no control over who buys or lists items, yet they will keep your money and dictate what can be sold and when,

[everard6920]

Apparently, this policy is absolutely worthless and eBay will not adhere to it. Here are the emails I received from Customer Service today:

Hi [me],

Thank you for contacting eBay Customer Support about the buyer [user ID]. I understand that you don’t want this buyer to purchase to your item and I know you are worried about this. Let me help you with this.

I have thoroughly check into the buyers account and I can see that he di make a new account, I also have check into the your account and I can see that this buyer has no intention of ruining your reputation as a seller. But if you don’t want to continue your transaction with this buyer what you can do is you have the option to block this buyer back to your account.

If you have any concern with your transactions with eBay, please do contact us back so that we will be able to assist you immediately.

Thank you for choosing eBay. Have a great day.

--------------------------------------------

Please note that customer service 1. admits that the buyer violated eBay policy and 2. says the buyer had no intention of harming my account (they know this how?). I replied and re-iterated that the buyer had already purchased the item and that I needed it cancelled. They replied:

Thanks for getting back to us.

In cancelling the transaction, it is always the seller who would initiate the process by sending the buyer cancel transaction request. But in this case, I'm afraid that this will still count as your defect unless it is the buyer who requested to cancel the transaction. Moroever, if you would issue a refund for their payment, this will also count as your defect rate for cancelled transaction. Please know that having the seller cancel a transaction is one of the main factors creating buyer dissatisfaction with eBay.

If [user ID] would leave you with negative feedback, please let us know so we can have it reviewed to see if it qualifies for removal. We will also be investigating further on the buyer's account for possible violation. If it's proven that they created another account to bid on your item just to leave you with negative feedback, that would met our criteria for removal.

For a safer transaction in the future, you can set up buyer requirements. With this, you can manage the types of buyers you'd like to have bid on or buy your items. While this may reduce your exposure to buyers who might make transactions difficult or more expensive, or with a history of Unpaid Item records, or policy violation reports, it will also reduce the overall number of potential buyers you'll have for your items. In setting Buyer Requirements, please check on this link:

http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/sell/buyer-requirements.html

We look forward to your future transactions with us.

Warm Regards,

----------------------------------------

So I called them and had a half hour argument with them. Bottom line: they don't agree with my reason for blocking the buyer, so they won't cancel the transaction. They're going to "investigate" the buyer (and we all know that the buyer will get a warning, if that. The ONLY time the transaction will be cancelled will be if the buyer is suspended, which usually only happens after multiple violations).

So . . . if I refund the buyer's payment, I'll receive a defect and probably negative feedback.

If I don't refund their payment, they'll file for Item Not Received.

If I send their item, the ONLY reason is because eBay won't uphold their policy, and I still feel like there is a high chance of the buyer filing a SNAD return. Which I would have to pay return international postage on!

I am seriously CENTIMETRES away from closing my account of ten years.

[everard6920]

I am actually considering sending the buyer a mutual cancellation request, telling them that they're not allowed to do what they did, and then if they neg me I might be able to get it removed. I don't know. What would you do? I'm soooo angry right now

[digital*ghost]

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@everard6920 wrote:

So I called them and had a half hour argument with them. Bottom line: they don't agree with my reason for blocking the buyer, so they won't cancel the transaction. 

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Utterly disgusting behaviour on behalf of ebay, and amounts to interference on an unacceptable level - I don't give a flying fig if someone at eBay agrees with my reason for blocking a buyer, it shouldn't matter and they have no right to make decisions on a seller's behalf based on their opinion or judgement of a seller's reason for taking such action. We all have that right, eBay has the policy, and I expect both to be upheld / respected.   😞

As for them checking the buyer's account or whatever and discovering they have no inention of leaving bad FB etc? My goodness.... I wish they'd tell me their secret for discovering a buyer's intentions to the point where they can be guaranteed.

Sorry, but this kind of thing just outrages me, which is hardly helpful.

You could try sending the buyer a link to the policy, and saying that you'd prefer to mutually cancel rather than anything else.... Probably worth a shot, but you'll need to be sure that you choose the "buyer asked to cancel or there's a problem with their address" option to avoid a defect.

[everard6920]

Right? There is so much wrong with this I don't know where to start.

I mean . . . what's the point of even HAVING a block list if they can just make another account and buy anyway? (I asked this, by the way, and it was met by silence . . . then re-iteration of "you should post the item to the buyer").

It's really sad that my BEST options at this point are:

1. Tell the buyer that she violated eBay policy, and request mutual cancellation (which she could refuse).

2. Not post the item and wait for her to file for Item Not Received, and then refund her payment. In my eyes, this is better than SNAD. If she files a SNAD, she could say I sent her a pile of rocks and then post them back using Super Amazing Express Priority First Class Post from the US for $49854395, which I'd have to pay. The customer service rep couldn't stop laughing when I pointed this out, but it could happen.

Either option can lead to negative feedback and/or defects.

This buyer created another account to bypass my block, and I'm expected to trust her? Rrrright.

[retailtherapist_8]

This is utterly ridiculous behaviour on ebays behalf. Why bother having policies if the only people held accountable are Sellers?

OP you are soooo right why on earth would you trust a Buyer who has openly displayed their lack of morality.

My BBL and who appears on it and why is MY business and I reserve the right NOT to do business with whomever i decide.

Digi, my blood is boiling too, this is clearly outrageous and demonstrates either a total lack of training of the ebay reps involved or an indictment of the general attitude pervading the platform & its policies.