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...   

[***super_nova***]

Going by your 20* feedback i take it you haven't had to deal with this situation time & time again, If & when you do you will change your tune quick smart.

well, actually this is my posting ID, which I accidentally buy something with now and then.  I have other buying ID, and couple of selling IDs.  But you are right, I have not had many people I had to chase for payments; but my log shows heaps who tried to bid and were blocked because they had too many strikes.  🙂

[***super_nova***]

 I presume we are still "allowed" to talk to you, aren't we?

  And in any case the bidder would be able to snipe in the last 2 seconds, or buy BIN. 

We had happen several times over the years, someone with a repetitive bad behaviour won or bought items, especially those who win in a last few seconds.

They didn't receive it,

Of-course, you can talk to me 🙂

If all the sellers who left the false positives gave the buyers strike, and IF you have your blocks in place, then you would not have to go through all the hassle; the bidder would have been blocked.  I would have thought, that a large business like yours would not be wasting their time, reading through FBs and then dealing with NEG removal, non performing seller reports etc.

[***super_nova***]

How do you know nova is an experienced member... did they tell you?

maybe because some other long term posters remember when I was posting under my original ID 🙂 

[jameshouseofstyle]

I would have thought, that a large business like yours would not be wasting their time, reading through FBs and then dealing with NEG removal, non performing seller reports etc

What a strange comment to make!

Super nova, we don't "waste our time reading f/backs " It's only when someone doesn't pay, after they bought or last minute bid at the auction when it's too late to somehow prevent them from shopping with you - we may check on f.back.

Our prefferences are in place, 2 or more strikes, spoke to Ebay about it yesterday, asked how many does it take to kick the member out and the reply was non specific:

"It depends on the value of unpaid items"

Ebay has their rules, we have ours - if they are in agreement well and good, but if not - we go by our rules - like: if one is rude, is a serial neg giver, habitually doesn't pay they don't get the item that they have bid or bought from us.

Same response as if one was in a real store - people like that get escorted out.

When it's all said and done any seller (not Ebay) reserves the right on whom they choose to deal with - and having settings in place and counting on them to prevent such customers and Ebay ignores it or removes the strikes or leaves such terrible people as memeber - they are welcome to them!

[thesoulyearns]

... having settings in place and counting on them to prevent such customers and Ebay ignores it or removes the strikes or leaves such terrible people as memeber - they are welcome to them!

How/why does eBay remove their strikes? If you're worried about that, just set it at the absolute maximum level, which is something like "2 Unpaid Item cases in the last 12 months."

I personally just lowered mine to "2 in the last 1 month" to see if it helps with bidders.

[nonny_muss]

Disagree.  The purpose of giving payment details/proof of identity at an Auction house is to dissuade bidders from bidding, winning, and not paying.  Whether the item is bought with the intent to sell or whether item is kept or purchased for someone else is not really relevant because the fact is, the bidder entered a bid, won the auction which is seen as a contract, and should pay.

If bidders don't pay (excluding legitimate reasons) then they should be held accountable. 

And I also disagree with the 'buyer didn't lose any money on it because they can just relist the item' argument.  

My time is worth something.  And I have had the experience once of having 'sold' an iphone for hundreds of dollars, but buyer didn't pay because they only bid 'just wanted to see what would happen/boyfriend bid accidentally/ changed their mind blah blah'.  Second chance bidders had moved on by the time dispute had been opened and closed, on relisting, the demand for the item had then waned to the effect that I made a loss rather than the profit I would have made if the bidder had 1) not bid or 2) paid. 

So yes.  I lost money because a bidder didn't pay.  Depreciation and auction timing do come into play with the sellability of some items. 

And I think there should be higher penalties.  I like the idea of 'three strikes you're out' (for a certain timeframe).  And while I'm thinking about it, I also think there should be a limit to bid retractions.  (Or is there one already and have I missed something?)  But perhaps that last one's best for the 'bid retraction' thread . . . .

[nonny_muss]

Sorry, previous post was a reply to the 'you don't lose anything with non payers' posts which somehow didn't get quoted . . .  '

Why don't eBay let buyer see unpaid item strikes in feedback?0  It seems like an easy solution to me . . . and far less double standards . . . 

[libbyloujo]

I absolutely agree with this, there has to be more to answer for than a little strike, which is

clearly NO deterent, I am having non-payers constantly, I think the word is out...'just dont pay

if you've changed your mind, nothing much happens'   I'm at the point of stoppping ebay

selling, i'm not enjoying it at all, in fact i'm finding it quiet stressfull, wondering if anyone will

pay me!! I have 2 at the moment who haven't paid yet, from Saturday winning bids.  😕  and 2

from last month who didin't pay at all. It's time consuming & not fun anymore.

[thesoulyearns]

If people were getting really harsh punishment (even moreso than currently) for not paying, it could very well be that less people would bid for fear of that punishment. Less bidders = less money made for eBay.

The way it works now is fine, aslong as sellers follow through the UPI's and putting their blocks in place.

[leamarsie]

I think there should be an option to leave negative feedback for non-paying bidders.

I sold an item ($100) and when I checked the buyer's feedback there were 12/22 "positive" "DID NOT PAY". Surprise surprise I have not been paid either. Obviously this person has at least 12 non payment strikes so how can they continue to bid???