I have recently started selling a few things on eBay after a few years of buying and have been stunned by how much the environment seems to have changed, not least apparently due to the new feedback policy which doesn't allow buyers to leave negative feedback. Having written to ebay about this, suggesting that they make some changes to their practices including (i) allowing seller preferences to block buyers which have as little as 1 unpaid strike in 12 months and (ii) cease from displaying alternative items to the winning bidder, including items from non-ebay sellers, I can confirm that my responses included the following :
1) you can open an unpaid item case after 4 days of the end of the auction (from that stage, feedback is not possible by either party, unless the seller chooses to complete the transaction;)
2) you are not obliged to receive payment/complete the transaction once you have opened the case, and
3) you can re-list the item at any time i.e. you do not need to wait until you close the case (or it is automatically closed - depending on your settings choices.)
I have no interest in dealing with people who bid and don't pay, whether or not the item remains unsold thereafter, so my approach is as follows :
1) clearly state the auction terms, including payment times and available methods, in the listing. One should always do this anyway!
2) send one friendly reminder to the winner who has not completed checkout and/or paid, within 48 hours of the end of the auction.
3) send another one, if necessary, 24 hours later.
4) if no contact/payment has been received by 4 days after the auction, proceed to do BOTH of the following: (i) add the buyer to my blocked buyers list and (ii) open the unpaid item case, already knowing that I won't be accepting payment/completion of the transaction from the 'buyer'.
5) schedule the item for my standard re-listing time, which is 3 days later i.e. exactly 7 days after the listing, IF I am going to re-list it.
As important as the above, make sure that your seller preferences are set to exclude, to the fullest extent presently (and ineffectively, imo) possible to exclude bids from buyers with existing unpaid items strikes.
NB - according to the written advice I received from eBay, the item can be re-listed at any time before the unpaid item case is closed. Obviously, unless you want to damage your own ebay reputation, it would be stupid to re-list before the buyer has had a chance to comply with the payment terms of the listing, especially if you choose to accept completion of the transaction after the unpaid item case has been opened.
So, to answer your last question, you are allowed to move on, BUT there's no point in doing so before your stated payment terms have elapsed, or opening the unpaid item case, if that is later than the payment terms.
It is a great shame to me that eBay has effectively created a situation which attracts 'buyers' like this and that there is no effective restriction for sellers to block them - completely - from bidding on their auctions. No doubt, many sellers do not follow through with unpaid item cases, which will certainly be adding to the extent of the seemingly (to me) growing problem, but at least there are always the choices to sell items elsewhere.
