it is possible as of this date to receive a unpaid item case without receiving an invoice

[ca2832]

An alarming development I was previously unware of on ebay  (I have been here since 2004), that you can receive an unpaid item case prior to receiving an invoice. In my knowledge of commerce and business this should not happen, as it immediately breaks down the relationship between buyer and seller, and ebay itself -for allowing it to occur.  

I recently purchased goods that in the past had been sent successfully and received a request by ebay on each occasion to ask for an exception. i asked 2 times to the seller using eBay messages without reply for my total ie a reliable invoice, and a final plea before I shopped elsewhere, meanwhile the seller was able to file a unpaid item case. I typically pay for goods within a minute of sale, however as I am in New Zealand, sellers cannot apparently post here, although others can.   

It should be impossible for a seller to generate a unpaid item case prior to the buyer receiving an invoice. can we make this a firm rule, otherwise i'm out of here. 

[i-once-was-bump]

Did you click on "request total from seller" on the invoice when you went to pay a minute after the purchase?

There is a time and place for asking such questions but if you failed to ask before purchase then you are at the mercy of the seller but you can request a total and the seller might offer a discount but you have to do it properly or not at all.

[ca2832]

The technique you appear to be supporting is known as pro forma invoicing and it a practice that is both unfair and illegal in most countries. http://www.comcom.govt.nz/fair-trading/fair-trading-act-fact-sheets/unfair-sales-techniques/

A business cannot supply goods or services to someone, and bill them, without that person agreeing to the transaction. Billing without the 'buyer' having agreed to purchase the good or service is known as pro-forma invoicing or false billing.

Now read and remove "bill them" 

A business cannot supply goods or services to someone, without that person agreeing to the transaction. Billing without the 'buyer' having agreed to purchase the good or service is known as pro-forma invoicing or false billing.

In this case the seller was able to commence a unpaid item case, prior to a invoice informing me of the amount to pay. Yes I had indicated to the seller that the item he had was the one I wanted, but a sale cannot proceed without an invoice, its a fundamental moment in commerce that cannot be transgressed.  

[davewil1964]

A sale CAN proceed without an invoice, and by winning an auction or confirming a buy now, you have agreed to purchase the goods.

Do you request an invoice before deciding if you will buy your groceries, eg?

[ca2832]

You receive an invoice when buying your groceries. Similarly you have to know your postage cost before paying on eBay and the invoice creates that moment. There is NO unpaid item case as the buyer cannot complete a sale because he has not been provided an invoice. If lets imagine there was a case well what is the amount that the case describes ? see. There cannot be an unpaid item case without an invoice.   

[phorum_junkie*]

If the postage is shown in the listing when you bid/buy and/or it is stared in the item won/purchased email then you have agreed to pay that amount without any need for an invoice.

If you ask for an invoice for some obscure reason (other than a request for combining or if postage is not stated) then the majority of sellers will get back to you and send an invoice, if they don't you just pay for items individually if it was a combined delivery request and if it was a request for a postage cost that was not supplied then you cannot pay and if the seller goes on to complete an unpaid item dispute you will be able to get ebay to overturn it if you have the requests for a total in email form.

[ca2832]

No neither, rather what I received was;

One or more of the items below cannot be purchased because the seller has not specified postage costs to the location selected.

Change your address or remove the items to continue.

You may also contact the seller for an exception.

I contacted the seller twice for an exception, asking for my total, and a third in Contact member. So you can see the point I am making is quite valid, even eBay state it cannot be purchased, yet the seller was able to proceed with a unpaid item case.

What needs to change via this forum and my contact to eBay is the above message in future if received by a buyer, places the item on hold until such time as the seller provides an invoice. Its a stalemate situation created by the seller not providing postage to in this case NZ, and remain in limbo until correct postage and a invoice is provided. 

[*crikey*mate*]

yep - that's what i got, and couldnt work out where to edit it, so am also waiting for my buyer - cos that's what PayPal said I have to do

[ca2832]

Hi

9 days ago I provided ebay with the following, and have received no reply.

eBay must from today onwards stop sellers from being able to process an unpaid item if they have not provided an invoice. Otherwise eBay is party to a form of pro forma invoicing which is both unfair and illegal in most countries.

In this case the seller was able to commence a unpaid item case, prior to a invoice informing me of the proper amount to pay. Yes I had indicated to the seller that the item he had was the one I wanted, but he had not indicated the total price, in every case a sale cannot proceed without an invoice, its a fundamental moment in commerce that cannot be transgressed. Similarly
eBay needs to recognize this and change its procedures.

Can I have some indication from you that this will occur please.

[amxsuperstores]

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@ca2832 wrote:

Hi

9 days ago I provided ebay with the following, and have received no reply.

eBay must from today onwards stop sellers from being able to process an unpaid item if they have not provided an invoice. Otherwise eBay is party to a form of pro forma invoicing which is both unfair and illegal in most countries.

In this case the seller was able to commence a unpaid item case, prior to a invoice informing me of the proper amount to pay. Yes I had indicated to the seller that the item he had was the one I wanted, but he had not indicated the total price, in every case a sale cannot proceed without an invoice, its a fundamental moment in commerce that cannot be transgressed. Similarly
eBay needs to recognize this and change its procedures.

Can I have some indication from you that this will occur please.

---

I'm actually surprised that you know more about the legalities of selling than the world's largest sales platform with their teams of high-paid sales lawyers, analysts and advisors, and over a decade of experience and surely thousands of attempted court cases by people who don't know what they are talking about.

[ca2832]

Yes it is surprising, but there you go. fascinating when one concentrates on the basic's not being followed on such a large scale.