Regarding Unpaid Item Cases, what does this mean?

[justajunk]

Over the Australia Day long weekend, I had two buyers win auctions from me and then not pay for their items. With Unpaid Item Assistant in place, disputes were automatically opened after 4 days and were closed 4 days after that without payment or communication from the buyers in question. For both transactions, I received the standard eBay message (You've received a final value fee credit. Also, an unpaid item has been recorded on the buyer's account.).

Two days after the strikes were issued, one of the buyers contacted me, apologising for taking 10 days to communicate, explaining that they did not have internet access for over a week. They wanted to pay for the item still, and I had to apologise and explain how eBay had blocked them from paying for the item because they took more than 8 days to pay/communicate. Never heard back from the buyer after that.

I noticed something curious today though went I went to re-list to the two items sold to non-payers.

For the other transaction (the one where I never heard back from the buyer at all) the standard eBay note appears: "eBay note: This unpaid item case closed without payment and you received a final value fee credit."

For the item where the buyer communicated with me 10 days later, it says next to it: "eBay note: Unpaid item case is removed from your account. See case details".

When I click on the "See case details" link, it brings me to a screen that says: "Your request could not be processed at this time. The unpaid item case for this transaction was closed on Jan 31, 2015."

So... what exactly does all this mean?

Does this mean that the buyer appealed the strike and had it removed?? Does it mean that eBay decided to go back on giving me a final value fee credit??

All very confusing. Any thoughts or ideas are greatly appreciated!

[dylan11235813]

Ebays system is full of glitches that they cant seem to get rid of. It will effect your ranking in the cassini search engine but they dont care.

[justajunk]

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@dylan11235813 wrote:

Ebays system is full of glitches that they cant seem to get rid of. It will effect your ranking in the cassini search engine but they dont care.

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I'm sorry dylan, but what exactly will affect my search engine ranking?

I still have no idea what has happened; whether the unpaid item strike was removed or whether something else has happened.

Nothing is clear and eBay has reported nothing to me. Had I not gone to relist the items today, I would have never known that anything happened beyond what was directly communicated to me.

[kopenhagen5]

I don't know but it's possible the strike was removed on appeal.

But you will still get the refund of FVF.

The buyer is probably still trying to purchase so add them to your blocked bidders list if you don't want them to purchase or bid.

[justajunk]

Thanks for that kopenhagen.

The first thing that I did when the Unpaid Item Case closed was to add the buyer to my blocked list (no point going through the same process again if her internet connection dies for 10 days again).

I have also held back from re-listing the item in question for the moment... just because I really don't know what on earth is going on.

I'm just hoping that this hasn't been turned into a policy violation, but then again, how could it? The whole idea of being able to close Unpaid Item Cases in 8 days is that it gives you a chance to offer the item to the next highest bidder before they lose interest. It would kind of be self-defeating if we were expected to hold off selling an item indefinitely in case a non-paying bidder suddenly decides that they actually want it. All very confusing.

[dylan11235813]

ebays ranking system is a closely gaurded secret but it is easy to see the overall effect, many things effect it, including cases that have been opened/closed. In your case it would appear that ebays sytstem has decided that the case is indefinitely open. I am talking from experience and not some BS that I read online, the fact that the numbers don't add up should be concerning.

[justajunk]

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@dylan11235813 wrote:

ebays ranking system is a closely gaurded secret but it is easy to see the overall effect, many things effect it, including cases that have been opened/closed. In your case it would appear that ebays sytstem has decided that the case is indefinitely open. I am talking from experience and not some BS that I read online, the fact that the numbers don't add up should be concerning.

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Hmm. Well, I have checked in the Resolution Centre, and it definitely says that the case is closed there with a Final Value Fee credit to my account. Also, the buyer is blocked (as usual) from leaving feedback and paying. All signs indicate that the case is closed.... except for the message next to the item in my Sold list which says "Unpaid item case is removed from your account".

No real issue with numbers not adding up or anything, it's just very weird having a different message than usual next to the item.... but at this stage, I guess a glitch is as good an explanation as anything. I'm just hoping that someone else out there has had this exact thing happen to them so that they can shed some more light on the situation.

[dylan11235813]

thats actually what I meant about numbers not adding up (not literally). I have never had the same issue you have but have had issues with the "cancel transaction" thing (never my fault). It is like it never registers or something and sticks on the account for months. I still have numbers on my main ebay page that when I click into nothing is there.

[kopi.tea]

May I know how you relist that item? Did you use the "Relist" function.

Sometimes the system "remembers" (glitch) prior case on that item and thinks it is dealing with the same case and not recognise that it is a relist.

I encountered some funny comments (that I have no clue what it was all about) from eBay a year ago when I tried to relist an item and I have since stopped using the "Relist" function and stick with "Sell Similar".

Not sure if you are encountering the same issue but just a thought.

[justajunk]

Hi kopi. Sounds like a completely different issue. I actually haven't relisted the item in question in yet -- I have been worried about doing so due to the unusual message next to it in my Sold list. Thanks for chiming in though.

If it helps, this is what things look like in my 'Sold' list.... with bits of information edited out for privacy reasons.

The top item (with the red star) is the one with the funny message... for the bottom one, the message appears as usual...

(P.S. apologies if the image comes across as too large -- this is the first time I have tried to include an image in a message here)