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...   

[davewil1964]

I just open NPBs. Mainly because I've never had a buyer request a MC.

[thesoulyearns]

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.

The importance of a Mutual Cancellations probably depends on the seller rather than the buyer. For various reasons, particularly in a auction setting, a MC can appear to be a shill bid or something to bid the price up to the second last bidder's maximum. In that sense, it makes sense to be stern and want them to pay. Though, I do prefer it when buyer's contact me about things.

I'd rather take a MC than someone who doesn't make any contact at all. I guess it's kind of the same in a way, except only one is where a buyer can end up with a strike.

[wishuponastarcelebrationsandgifts]

The importance of a Mutual Cancellations probably depends on the seller rather than the buyer. For various reasons, particularly in a auction setting, a MC can appear to be a shill bid or something to bid the price up to the second last bidder's maximum. In that sense, it makes sense to be stern and want them to pay. Though, I do prefer it when buyer's contact me about things.

I'd rather take a MC than someone who doesn't make any contact at all. I guess it's kind of the same in a way, except only one is where a buyer can end up with a strike.

I typically only sell BIN and have a lot of buyers request cancellations. Often when the cancellation request is sent to them they do not bother to respond so I am left with a NPB with no strike, potential relisting fees, and have wait a week to relist.

Sellers currently have to make a judgement call with little to go on when a potential NPB actually makes contact. Buyers all have 100% feedback so this is meaningless in assisting with the decision.

If the system was automated so that a record is left for the number of cancelled transactions, strikes, claims for SNAD and item not received etc then sellers would have something to assist in deciding whether to open an unpaid item case or agree to a cancellation etc. Perhaps then those sellers that leave positives with negative comments would not feel the need to do so.

Conversely having a similar record for sellers may assist buyers to determine whether they would like to buy from a particular seller.

[the-kazbar]

I typically only sell BIN and have a lot of buyers request cancellations. Often when the cancellation request is sent to them they do not bother to respond so I am left with a NPB with no strike, potential relisting fees, and have wait a week to relist.

Sellers currently have to make a judgement call with little to go on when a potential NPB actually makes contact. Buyers all have 100% feedback so this is meaningless in assisting with the decision.

If the system was automated so that a record is left for the number of cancelled transactions, strikes, claims for SNAD and item not received etc then sellers would have something to assist in deciding whether to open an unpaid item case or agree to a cancellation etc. Perhaps then those sellers that leave positives with negative comments would not feel the need to do so.

Conversely having a similar record for sellers may assist buyers to determine whether they would like to buy from a particular seller.

THIS!

I get requests every day of the week for cancellations and the way some of those messages are worded sonds very well versed. I imagine there are alot more NPB disguised as MC than many realise

[thecatspjs]

Waves to mods

... what a shame that the mods have not considered the increased activity on this thread from a broader range of posters than usual, with the number of views rising at a very high rate over past 3 days, before this thread was dropped as the featured post.

[wishuponastarcelebrationsandgifts]

Waves to mods

... what a shame that the mods have not considered the increased activity on this thread from a broader range of posters than usual, with the number of views rising at a very high rate over past 3 days, before this thread was dropped as the featured post.

I think both buyers and sellers have some very good ideas as to how the system could be improved to overcome some of the inherent weaknesses.

The fact that few (if any) suggestions that have been put forward time and time again have been implemented causes a certain degree of frustration for many members, hence they air their concerns on the boards.

[jensmanchester-australia]

I get requests every day of the week for cancellations and the way some of those messages are worded sonds very well versed. I imagine there are alot more NPB disguised as MC than many realise

Totally agree

I had a buyer the other week deciding they didn't want the item they had purchased so I opened an UPI dispute. They emailed me and told me they wanted a cancellation instead as that is what all the other sellers did for them.

The buyer was so clued up on how the system works it is obviously something they do on a regular basis. Now if all the others sellers had issued strikes, the buyer would have been blocked from purchasing of me.

[motherbear2003]

I had one of those too, JenX-(  She was so busy and tied up at work that she couldn't get onto the computer for six days - funny thing was, she was able to contact me within thirty minutes of my opening an NPB.  She asked for a cancellation and I simply told her I couldn't do anything as the dispute was already open;\

[wishuponastarcelebrationsandgifts]

What is sad though is that there are genuine reasons as to why some buyer want, or need to cancel a sale.

I am sure almost every seller has received numerous requests to cancel a sale due to a death or serious illness in the family etc. At the moment we are confronted with accepting this as truth and issuing a cancellation request, or effectively telling the buyer we don't care and opening a dispute. This is hardly an acceptable scenario. As has been said there are many members that know how to work the weaknesses in the system.

[thesoulyearns]

There's alot to agree with in this thread. For the sellers that get their FVFs back but have to pay a re-listing fee to re-list the item, I totally understand. eBay should acknowledge this and give a free re-list in cases of UPI or Mutual Cancellation. Though, I guess they don't do that already because they want the seller to complete the sale instead of giving an incentive to cancel it with no repurcussions. So, I can understand both arguements there.

If sellers got the re-list fee comped then there would be nothing much to worry about. Buyer is allowed to cancel the sale, seller re-lists without losing any fees. I think it's about working out the genuine times of "I can't pay as I have no money" or dire situations like that from the simple "changed mind" situations. I dunno... there's alot to look at. I imagine it bothers big-time sellers more than the little guys.