Buyer - Stop Blaming The Sellers!

[arnl7178]

Why is it that a buyer will buyer an item, make no contact whatsoever, and then get mad when a non-payment dispute is open?

Honestly, sometimes sellers just can't win.

I added information in my "terms" stating I won't write to buyers after 4 days of non payment because a buyer knows they need to pay and because eBay remind them so that's sufficient notice before a dispute is opened, YET I still do send a quick message telling a buyer if they need more time, just let me know. Communication is key!

If I hear nothing, a dispute is opened.

Once it's opened, they usually pay but are then mad at me. I got my first neutral for "slow postage" recently, because my buyer was annoyed about a dispute being opened and I've had several buyers before and since really mad about me opening a dispute.

Buyers, please just COMMUNICATE with us. We don't know you need more time. We don't know your intentions. We don't know anything if you don't tell us.

What's worse, these buyers who don't let us know what's going on, have no problem using the eBay message system to show their opinions of us once a dispute is opened.

It's infuriating!

[peternt2001]

Thats all great arnl7178 you may be one of those sellers who have great customer service and reply to every email you get from potential buyers as well as buyers. But from my personal experience on ebay as a buyer only, i think my strike rate for a reply from a seller is more than likely about 50%. If i have any questions about something i am looking to buy i will always send off an email before i bid, but i have learned not to hold my breath waiting for a reply. Lots of sellers big and small have lost a sale from me because i havent heard anything back from them.

[arnl7178]

bsal, I was only giving you my perspective. Not attacking you.

Peter, I would be annoyed if a seller didn't answer me either. It's rude, and very very poor customer service.

In fact, I have no idea why a seller wouldn't answer a potential buyer. That baffles me!

[joz*garage]

How much time to do you need to pay? Well Jo, what if an item is won on a Thursday night at about 11:30pm and its a long weekend on the Monday. The buyer goes away for the long weekend straight after work on Friday. Doesn't get back on the computer till at least the following Tuesday night. There's five days for a simple one.

true, but surely if theyre are interested if they won the item or not on friday they might take a peek and while theyre there on the computer - pay for it there and then, doesnt take long to wire funds through.

i agree am1, to me opening a unpaid item dispute is just a reminder to pay, its more effective then a lovey dovey email and their problem if theyre precious about it even knowing they wont receive a strike once theyve paid 

[tall_bearded]

It’s called common courtesy, something which some here seem to believe doesn’t apply when it comes to the conduct of buyers.

If I sell something I expect to be paid for it within the time allowed, and if, for any reason the buyer can’t pay within the time allowed, then common courtesy distracts that they ASK for and extension.

Let’s take the example of a BIN purchase, made on a Thursday before a long weekend with 4 days allowed to make payment.  Now as far as I’m concerned there are two possibilities here.  You either pay on the Thursday immediately after making the purchase, or you email the seller advising them that you are going away and you’ll make the payment as soon as you get back.  I mean how hard can it be? You’re already logged in and in front of the keyboard.  So how long does it take to send the seller a quick email advising them that their will be a delay.  We’ll for some it appears to be too hard.

 So what about the auction which is ending whilst you are away.  We’ll this is what I do.  I email the seller advising them I’ll be away and as such,  if it’s OK, and if I win, can I pay on such and such a date.  Again for some this appears to be too hard and any seller who receives such a request would be an absolute fool to reject it, but that doesn’t negate the onus of the buyer to make the request before they bid.

The point - courtesy is a two way street, and if you chose not to be so, you have no right to take the high moral ground when you are treated in kind.  That is when it comes the selling and sellers, the word is service, not servitude or servile, and it is about time that some buyers learned the difference. 

[***super_nova***]

Let’s take the example of a BIN purchase, made on a Thursday before a long weekend with 4 days allowed to make a payment.  Now as far as I’m concerned there are two possibilities here.  You either pay on the Thursday immediately after making the purchase, or you email the seller advising them that you are going away

 So what about the auction which is ending whilst you are away.  We’ll this is what I do.  I email the seller advising them I’ll be away, and as such,  if it’s OK, and if I win, can I pay on such and such a date.

But that all assumes that the buyer is at their computer at the time the auction ends.  It assumes that the bidder realises they won.  I have on many occasions placed a bid on something I sort of wanted, and then totally forgot about, until I get the message I won it, or outbid notice 🙂  The only once that I received NPB notice was when I bid on something that still had a week or so to go, then somehow did not see the winning message.  The NPB was the 1st time I realised I won it, and of-course, paid immediately.  So if that can happen even to somebody like me, who turns the computer on at 7am and turns it off only in the evening, sometimes checks emails again before going to bed, people who do not always turn their computer on daily may miss the message altogether.

Maybe, eBay could word the NPB slightly less threatening, explaining this is just a reminder and in no way will reflect on their ID provided they pay or make arrangements with seller immediately.

But of-course, there is no reason why should buyer get cross with the seller; whatever reason for the late payment was.

[digital*ghost]

But that all assumes that the buyer is at their computer at the time the auction ends. 

The example was for a BIN item, so they would be. There was a further example of how someone could actually message a seller and let them know they'd like to bid on an auction, but won't be available to pay for several days for X reason if they win. Not realising you've won something is a different circumstance to knowing you've purchased then going completely silent, or knowing at the time of bidding you'll be on holidays when the auction ends - your situation was an accident, the others are choices. 

The point - courtesy is a two way street, and if you chose not to be so, you have no right to take the high moral ground when you are treated in kind.  That is when it comes the selling and sellers, the word is service, not servitude or servile, and it is about time that some buyers learned the difference. 

I agree with this entirely - if people have absolutely no respect for their sellers, not even enough to be courteous and spend a minute to communicate with them, then I don't want them as customers.

[bluelillypilly]

Past feedback on a buyers list means absolutely nothing,because negative feedback from sellers is not allowed. I recently sold an item,the buyer had bought/sold thousands of items, had hundreds of feedback and a 100% record. No contact or payment after 4 days,sent another invoice with a polite note saying the item was packed to go as soon as her payment cleared. Nothing.Opened a dispute - finally paid on the 3rd day.

My point is - feedback and transactions did not anywhere near equal each other so how many negs would there have been IF we were allowed to do it? The majority of my buyers are great but I seem to get one in 20 who either wait days to pay or do not pay at all.

It will always happen,as some people have no thought for others - look on it as a rude customer who comes into your shop - there are many more of them out there in the big wide world than we see here on Ebay.

Another little story - some years ago I put in a dispute. Never heard a thing,just got the fees back . THREE MONTHS later I got an abusive email " how dare I etc etc " Reported that too and blocked her - didn't realise I had not done it !

[arnl7178]

My gripe wasn't about time taken to pay or buyers requesting more time, but more the fact that they get angry when I open a dispute when they've made no contact at all.

It's like they think I have a terrible hide for expecting some kind of notification of when payment will be made on an item I am selling. On an item THEY chose to bid or buy.

We're all human, we can all "miss" an auction, but there's no excuse for BIN's in my opinion. If you're there to buy it, at least message your seller with your intentions if you know there's going to be a delay.

If that delay is unforeseen, don't be mad at a seller that they initiate a dispute. That's what that feature is there for. We're human. We can't read your mind.

Sometimes I think a buyer isn't away that as sellers, we list an item, could wait up to 30 days for it to sell, wait a further 4 days without receiving payment, another 4 days to close a dispute JUST to be able to RE-LIST it and start the process all over again. It isn't a matter of buyers not paying, and we just selling again the following day. It takes time. All of which, we don't get paid for.

As tall_bearded said. Common courtesy.

[arnl7178]

Sometimes I think a buyer is not aware* - that should have read.

And further, it's even worse when these angry buyers leave you unfair feedback and/or DSR's because THEY paid late.

Buyers really do need to see it from a sellers point of view once in a while.

[*crikey*mate*]

If I go onto a store I expect to pay for my purchases there and then. If I can't afford the items at that time, I ask if they offer lay by, and how much deposit is required.

I do find it a bit difficult to comprehend why people think that sellers on eBay would operate their businesses any differently to this.