Should eBay start charging non-paying bidders?

[whatagoodprice]

I like many sellers are annoyed with the constant array of non-paying buyers.

Although eBay does compensate final value fees (by using the unpaid item dispute process) listing fees for fixed listings are not refunded.  

All buyers receive is a strike which is nothing compared to the consequences handed out for those who participate in shill bidding - no restriction on buying/selling on eBay no tutorial which buyers must complete so they understand that non-payment is unacceptable.

Perhaps if eBay fined non-paying buyers between $2-$5 every time they refused to pay it would stamp out this practice of non-payment. This would also save eBay effort and the money raised could be donated (at eBay's discretion) to benefit local charities.

I look forward to other buyer's opinions on this issue...   

[lyndal1838]

The seller should also be able to leave a negative feedback to a non paying bidder, as it stands now you can only leave a positive

Why would you want to leave a positive for a non payer?

Just leave no feedback at all.  If you leave positive with a negative comment you run the risk of being sanctioned and the buyer can have it removed anyway.

[thecatspjs]

A seller is able to leave feedback for a non-payer, before they close a case and issue the strike that IMO all non-payers should receive when contact or payment has not been made.

At the non-paying buyers request, ebay may remove the feedback comment left by the seller if it is "sufficiently" negative. In this case ebay may also issue the seller a policy violation.  

Much the same as removal of negatives and neutrals left for sellers, it depends on the exact wording of the comment left, and the rep dealing with the request.

[wishuponastarcelebrationsandgifts]

IHow is ebay profiting? if you pay an insertion fee then you pay that fee regardless of if the item sells or not so why should the seller get that back if the transaction is cancelled? If you go through, and complete, the unpaid item process you get you FVFs refunded so you have no financial loss and ebay are out a minuscule amount for having to use their bandwidth to process the dispute and refund.

Nobody profits, the buyer gets a strike, the seller ends up in the same position as if the transaction never happened and ebay lose out on a thousandth of a cent (approx) :^O

If an item is listed GTC and, for example,  sold the day after it is listed to the non paying buyer, then the seller effectively has to pay double the listing fees. I do not see how the seller is not out of pocket in this scenario.

Furthermore the seller cannot relist the item or sell it elsewhere until the unpaid item case is closed. At a minimum this is 8 days after the sale. The seller therefore may miss out on a potential sale of the item to another interested buyer - whether that be a buyer on ebay or elsewhere.

[davewil1964]

A seller is able to leave feedback for a non-payer, before they close a case and issue the strike that IMO all non-payers should receive when contact or payment has not been made.

At the non-paying buyers request, ebay may remove the feedback comment left by the seller if it is "sufficiently" negative. In this case ebay may also issue the seller a policy violation.  

Much the same as removal of negatives and neutrals left for sellers, it depends on the exact wording of the comment left, and the rep dealing with the request.

I suspect the 'may' would become a certainty given the case closure is irrefutable proof that no transaction occurred.

[thecatspjs]

You might be right. But IMO whilst payment has not been received a transaction does indeed occur and a sales record generated.

Ebay charges fees for the listing and/or the final value fee, which may or may not be credited until the next months bill.  All financial transactions form part of your income and expenditure records, and the costs for the sale, without payment, accounted for accordingly.

In addition, the non-payment strike system and the feedback comment system are not linked, system wise. I don't believe it is a given, however I am happy to follow up and get more formal advice from ebay regarding this.

[davewil1964]

I would also be happy to follow it up. I just need to wait for the situation to occur. Four years and counting....

[falcor1927]

I don't think this would work. I think Ebay its self is the problem they need to change policies and how they deal with non payers. On many occasions I have checked feed back of a non payer and the feed back indicates these people have, for months prior been continuing to buy items and not pay. Makes you question Ebay as to why is this allowed to go on? The other inconvenience you face is often ebay has already charged you the fee by taking it from your bank account and when the final fee is credited it does not go back in your bank it is just given as a credit in your Ebay account.

I believe sellers should be able to leave negative feedback on non payers and be able to block any one with excessive negative feed back from bidding on your item. Unfortunately the only way to get your message out to other sellers is to list a positive on the non payer and write a comment such as negative feed back or sellers beware. Im in two minds about this because at the end of the day the non payer is still receiving a positive feedback score when they should not be. I have personally contacted Ebay twice on this issue perhaps if more of us put in complaints they might action some change in policies.

[foxette-in-sox]

falcor1927-Did you open a non payer dispute after 4 days,wait 4 days then close so that no payer received a strike fom ebay ?

Do you have blocks in place to stop people with 1 or more unpaid item strikes from bidding on or buying your items ?

Are you aware that all those sellers who have left postive with negative comments have not only increased the non payers feedback score but they've also breached ebay policy?

[jameshouseofstyle]

Are you aware that all those sellers who have left postive with negative comments have not only increased the non payers feedback score but they've also breached ebay policy?

Hi foxy, they breached the policy - big deal!

At least it is eveident that those buyers should have had more than enough strikes to be not able to buy anything from most sellers with preferences set, yet they  continue buying anabated, business as usual. We had one like that just recently, unpaid items as long as your arm, by rights she should have never been able to buy or bid, yet she won the auction - and didn't pay, of course. What else is new?

She got the strike from us, and according to Ebay their explanation for her ability to continue buying was muddled, from what we gather it was to do "with overal value?????" of what they don't pay for directly related to how much they are penalized!

But even repeat offenders get out of it if they put a "reasonable" explanation for not paying.

In the case of this woman, she was "too busy at work, she forgot to pay" she has used the same excuse every time and that was perfectly acceptable by Ebay - good enough to keep removing the strikes.

Cheers, Helen

[the-kazbar]

The online auction place that starts with G and is a colour makes you register with a credit card and you are automatically billed for your purchases at the conclusion of the auction.

I had a large pick up only item for auction last week here on ebay (other ID). I really need the room and want it gone so I listed it super cheap. It had plenty of watchers but only 2 bidders, c'est la vie, but what irks me is the winning bidder has now gone all quiet and won't even bother to reply to my messages. I would cancel the transaction if they just bothered to show the courtesy of sending a message but ive got nothing.

Now I have to wait until I can strike them, then relist and do it all over again, and all the while this thing is sitting in my hallway taking up very valuable space grrr X-(

Dare I say it ... If compulsory PP only had have come in when they tried it a few years back then NPB would be a thing of the past now.