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...   

[thesoulyearns]

eBay loves sellers more than buyers! NO BUYER ever paid eBay a cent! That is why eBay bought out Paypal then locked them in as the monopoly payment method! Paypal loves buyers!!

It's hard to tell who eBay and PP love more. The fees per item sold is generally taken out of the seller's account but it comes from the buyer. It's the chicken and the egg.

[critter748]

My 2 bob's worth..

Feedback should be given for both Buyers and Sellers. Not just Postage <- I h8 that 1

Sellers could have a mechanism to detect NPB's and reject their bid if their rating indicates such practices ... Some fine tuning and eBay could become attractive for sellers, who are constantly being charged for such.

[davewil1964]

My 2 bob's worth..

Feedback should be given for both Buyers and Sellers. Not just Postage <- I h8 that 1

Sellers could have a mechanism to detect NPB's and reject their bid if their rating indicates such practices ... Some fine tuning and eBay could become attractive for sellers, who are constantly being charged for such.

Sellers DO have a mechanism for detecting NPBs. It's called blocking those with a selected number of strikes, starting from two. No need to reject their bid (and the issues attendant thereto); they don't get to bid in the first place.

[wishuponastarcelebrationsandgifts]

Sellers DO have a mechanism for detecting NPBs. It's called blocking those with a selected number of strikes, starting from two. No need to reject their bid (and the issues attendant thereto); they don't get to bid in the first place.

That mechanism doesn't work when you are dealing with non payers that have low feedback to begin with. Every non payer starts somewhere.....

[davewil1964]

How do you work that out?

Two strikes is two strikes, regardless of feedback. If they're new IDs of existing serial NPBs no mechanism is going to be able to detect them until they win or BIN and the seller gets their address.

[g-man0077]

The answer is simply to bring back negative feedback for buyers. Negative feedback hurts more than a $2 fine and easy to implement (re-implement)

What does the forum think about this? How can we make ebay hear us?

[thesoulyearns]

That mechanism doesn't work when you are dealing with non payers that have low feedback to begin with. Every non payer starts somewhere.....

LOL, yes... but it's repeat habit that is the most worrying. Everyone can make one mistake. Do the wrong things often and you're asking for trouble. Sometimes it may be unavoidable and in those times, the non-payer should contact the seller to explain their situation. A little communication can go a long way on both ends.

[davewil1964]

The answer is simply to bring back negative feedback for buyers. Negative feedback hurts more than a $2 fine and easy to implement (re-implement)

What does the forum think about this? How can we make ebay hear us?

Negative feedback rarely hurts buyers. If you bothered to read the numerous posts in various threads about this matter, you would know why eBay got rid of it and why there is a snowball's chance of them reintroducing it.

Negative feedback doesn't help a seller using BIN or against buyers who snipe. That pretty much covers the bulk of transactions on eBay, so even if it were possible, it would be of no benefit.

[thecatspjs]

I don't think moving backwards and restoring old systems is the way to go... BUT

...there has been some great suggestions by posters on this and similar threads about how the current system could be significantly improved to make it a safer trading place for all and prevent some of the losses in money and time that sellers experience by non-payers and weed out those who bid and buy-it-now with no intention (or means $$) of paying.

[wishuponastarcelebrationsandgifts]

LOL, yes... but it's repeat habit that is the most worrying. Everyone can make one mistake. Do the wrong things often and you're asking for trouble. Sometimes it may be unavoidable and in those times, the non-payer should contact the seller to explain their situation. A little communication can go a long way on both ends.

This is the issue. Currently there are a significant number of buyers that don't pay as they request a cancellation rather than fail to communicate at all. A seller has two choices. To accept the reason why the buyer has given for not being able to go through with the sale (which may or may not be reasonable) and send through a cancellation request, or to tell the buyer they must complete the transaction.

How so sellers currently ascertain if the buyer is someone that habitually requests sales be cancelled? There are those that fail to communicate at all and end up with a strike, but others may go down the path of making up a sob story to get the seller to send through a cancellation request. Sellers have no way to determine how frequently a buyer has done this in the past.