Would it be alright if you outlined your method on resolving non-payers to a positive outcome? I'm probably not the only one who would be interested in hearing how a successful seller handles these things.
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No problem, but like most things, my method definitely won't suit or work for everyone, particuarly as I never get people buying things by "mistake", and my customers don't seem to have any errant two year olds or clever pets seeking a brand new look.
My ethos is based on doing the simplest things to get the best outcome for everyone, so as strange as it might sound, I actually never ask my buyers for payment, not directly anyway. I have the payment reminders switched off, and once a buyer purchases something, I give them the time to pay that my listings say I do. My theory is we both know they've bought something, and we know it's awaiting payment, so when I contact them I want to get a response that hopefully gives me information I don't know yet so I can decide the best thing to do next; hence the simple request to contact me and let me know how they would like to proceed with the transaction.(I aslo don't ask for payment because every now and again there can be errors that cause payments to be missed, so I don't say you haven't paid, but I haven't received your payment).
Because I allow 7 days for payment, I send a message on day 5 or 6 (the other reason for the message is so that it at least shows I've attempted to touch base with the buyer and invited them to communicate with me, rather than launching straight into the dispute - if they don't respond then they can't really blame me for taking action...in theory anyway!), then give around 48 hours for a response. Most of the time people just respond by paying, some have asked for a little extra time or said payment will be made on X date, no one has responded yet by saying they want to cancel the transaction. A few times the message has been ignored, so I opened UPI disputes. That's not because I want to get the buyer to pay (so I really wish eBay would not send emails that make the dispute look like that's the only reason for it), but because I want my FVF back. As I mentioned, in the last few years only a handful of transactions had gotten to that stage, and just one ended up closing without payment.
I used to message a buyer twice before opening a UPI, but now I think one message is more than enough. Early on in my selling, after having sent two enquiries to a buyer (two days apart) and not getting a response, I opened the dispute and within 24 hours had a very angry direct email from the customer who had apparently just got back from travelling overseas, giving me "what for" for threatening them into paying and demanding an apology for my poor treatment of them. I decided then and there that I would never let the fear of getting a negative dictate how I handle my business. (I certainly don't try to do anything that knowingly invites them, but I refuse to be cowed, limited or pander to buyers by the possibility of one). So I responded to this very indignant person pretty much by explaining that my decision was based on the information I had - which was none thanks to their lack of response to my enquiries - and that the dispute was to get my FVF back, not make them pay. (The words I used was "it is a process available to me to ensure I do not pay the fees for incomplete transactions and can then safely relist the item).
I ended the message by pretty much saying he was wrong, I was right, I wasn't going to apologise and had nothing further to say about it - was convinced I was going to get a neg either way, but I'll be darned if I'll be spoken to like that and just take it! Anyway, they paid and I didn't get a neg.
No, a cancellation can only be initiated by the seller. Buyers can ask that a transaction be cancelled, but it's up to the seller to agree and send the request.
