topic Request to cancel a purchase in Selling

Request to cancel a purchase

bookvasity — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 03:37:02 GMT

I recently had someone with no previous feedback score buy a book from me. I sent the invoice for payment and after a day received an email stating he/she does "not want to purchase the item due to personal problems" and request I cancel the sale.

I sent an email saying that Ebay rules do not permit me to cancel their purchase and that they had to do that themselves.

In the email I also asked what sort of personal problem could cause the purchase to not be completed. I have not received a reply yet.

I now notice the buyer has (1) feedback score. Given by a seller from US for the purchase of the same book the buyer wants to cancel from me.

Could experienced sellers advise me on what is a best course of action, please, I should take, if any...

Should I do nothing and leave it up to the buyer and/or Ebay to sort it out?

Re: Request to cancel a purchase

digital*ghost — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 03:44:14 GMT

The cancel transaction request can only be initiated by the seller, and once sent, the buyer needs to agree to cancel it before the FVF are credited back (if they don't respond, you can close the request manually after 7 days to receive the credit).

Your choices are basically to send the request, or open an unpaid item dispute.

The cancel transaction request will finalise the transaction as soon as the buyer agrees, and they will be able to leave feedback etc.

The unpaid item dispute can be opened four days after purchase, then closed for a FVF credit (if payment is not made) another four days later (so, at least 8 days in total). The buyer receives a strike on their account, and they shouldn't be able to leave any feedback.

The choice is yours, though.

Re: Request to cancel a purchase

bookvasity — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 04:03:59 GMT

The cancel transaction request can only be initiated by the seller, and once sent, the buyer needs to agree to cancel it before the FVF are credited back (if they don't respond, you can close the request manually after 7 days to receive the credit).

Is this true... seller needs to request the buyer to cancel when it's the buyer and not the seller who wants to cancel?

Re: Request to cancel a purchase

***super_nova*** — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 04:12:50 GMT

Is this true... seller needs to request the buyer to cancel when it's the buyer and not the seller who wants to cancel?

The seller has to initiate it. The seller has to send mutual cancellation request and the buyer has to respond to it.

As said above; you have to choose if you want to send the cancellation request or after 4 days open not payment case. Or if you just leave it and do nothing, but that means you will pay the FVF on the item, and if you re-list and sell the item the buyer can come few weeks later, pay and then expect the item, and can leave you FB for 60 days.

Re: Request to cancel a purchase

leader-of-the-band — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 04:23:44 GMT

As said above; you have to choose if you want to send the cancellation request or after 4 days open not payment case. Or if you just leave it and do nothing, but that means you will pay the FVF on the item, and if you re-list and sell the item the buyer can come few weeks later, pay and then expect the item, and can leave you FB for 60 days.

. . . . . and they can turn around and do it all again to another seller. If you do the UnPaid Item case and they receive a strike you will be helping all sellers who have bidder blocks in place for non-payers as they can only do this once and avoid the blocks. If they get two strikes in 12 months the blocks can prevent them from bidding or buying.

Re: Request to cancel a purchase

the3coopers — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 04:39:08 GMT

It should be an Unpaid Item Dispute, not a Mutual Cancellation.

It is obvious that the buyer is lying, and therefore they deserve the strike.

Re: Request to cancel a purchase

bookvasity — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 05:40:30 GMT

It should be an Unpaid Item Dispute, not a Mutual Cancellation.

It is obvious that the buyer is lying, and therefore they deserve the strike.

I'm inclined to agree, the buyer is lying, unless I have more info on the problem. It's puzzling. My book cost $7.95 with postage $6.60. Buyer paid US $6.47 for the same book however postage costs from United States to VIC 3029 Aus would have to negate any savings made.

Possibly it was purchased twice by mistake but inless this is explained to me I don't know.

Re: Request to cancel a purchase

leader-of-the-band — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 06:26:45 GMT

So I guess I need to forgive this first time user for stuffing up and for breaking the rules by canceling a purchase to save what she though at the time would have been $4.25

your call

Re: Request to cancel a purchase

davewil1964 — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 06:58:29 GMT

Sounds like the buyer AND seller need to read the site map. Specifically the bits about buying and selling.

Re: Request to cancel a purchase

bookvasity — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 07:53:19 GMT

Sounds like the buyer AND seller need to read the site map. Specifically the bits about buying and selling.

Yeh, It seems the buyer knew more than me about canceling a purchase...

Re: Request to cancel a purchase

peternt2001 — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 09:50:30 GMT

What will you get out of it either way, you lodge a non payer dispute, they will get a strike and you will still be without a sale. You lodge a mutual cancellation and you will be without a sale.

If it had been someone with lots of feedback, a long term ebay membership and should have known better i would say lodge as a non paying buyer.

Seeing as they " may " be a newbie who doesnt have too much of a clue, i would be leaning towards giving them the benefit of the doubt.

We have all heard about people not knowing how this really works and bidding on the same item multiple times not knowing they may win more than once.

It may not be the case of them being a newbie they could be an old timer under a new name i dont know.

But if you give them the benefit of the doubt, maybe send them an email explaining you could have had them issued with a strike, but because they are new you wont and hope they learn a little more about ebay before buying.

You may end up with a potential future loyal customer from your understanding and customer service. ( thats if you want them )

Re: Request to cancel a purchase

***super_nova*** — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 13:35:12 GMT

I would message them that the mutual cancellation is coming and explain that they need to click on the AGREE link to finalise the transaction and to be let off the hook.

If he was not a newbie, he would have known that postage cost from USA will most likely negate any advantage of lower price. It is also possible he bid on both thinking he will be lucky to get one.

I did that when I first joined eBay and desperately needed a dog crate, and was getting outbid the whole week. Finally, there were 2 finishing only seconds apart, so no time to bid on the second if I lost the first. And none in the right size listed for days, so I bid on both, and won both, and paid for both. Fortunately, a friend wanted one as well, so I was able to sell it to her for what I paid for it. 🙂

Re: Request to cancel a purchase

protect*the*innocent — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 08:26:11 GMT

If a buyer takes the time to communicate with the seller to request a mutual cancellation --- the best response is to offer the request to mutually cancel.

Save the unpaid disputes for the buyers who fail to pay or even bother to communicate (these are the real time wasters!).

If a seller feels unduly annoyed just add the buyer's ID to the blocked bidder list.