Slow & Rude Payer

[lrtmms]

I have sold a water damaged iPhone 4s that I had used as a parts donor at the starting bid of $20 + $8.50 post four days ago (Friday 11th). I sent the buyer a payment reminder a day after the listing ended as I wanted to ship it out on Monday along with other items at the same time. (It is a 20km/12.5mile round trip to the post office).

This is the response I got: I have 3 days don't be pushy

I know I was probably being a bit pushy but certainly didn't expect such a response! (Normally buyers pay within 12 hours)

The buyer only has two positive feedback scores. I thought I had enabled buyer restrictions on the listing but that may not have been the case.

Now that it is four days without payment, what is the best way to deal with this customer without them turning and destroying my eBay reputation. What if he recieves the item and starts a case arguing it is not as described etc? My description was very clear.

It is surprising it has to take so long to pay for an item you intend to purchase.

Ideally, I would like to cancel the purchase and consider hanging onto it as I don't want to sell it just to have my eBay reputation destroyed.

What are your thoughts and what are the options I can legally take through eBay?

[lyndal1838]

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@lrtmms wrote:
As the buyer enters a binding agreement to pay for the item, I feel inclined to put up a dispute tomorrow as I don't want it to drag out for another week. Or could this expose the risk of my ebay reputation being ruined unnecessarily? (I expect to get a neg after how offensive the messages were)

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The binding agreement to pay is as binding as the seller's agreement to actually sell the item....no-one can force either party to honour the agreement.  That is why ebay gives you to tools to end the transaction one way or the other and get your fees refunded.

As far as that buyer is concerned your reputation is already ruined...no matter how your proceed now you are likely to get a negative.  The only way to avoid it is to hope the buyer does not pay and you can close the dispute and give him a strike.

[lrtmms]

Thanks Lyndal. He (or she as the username and name on address may suggest) is about 250km up north in Dimboola.

[lyndal1838]

I really would not be worried about them coming gunning for you....a lot of members like to flex their muscles from behind a computer so to speak but just go weak at the knees when it comes to actually carrying through with any threats they may make.

[lrtmms]

Yes. It's mainly eBay suspending my account that I'd be more worried about as I've had it since 2009.

[lyndal1838]

Your account will not be suspended over one transaction that has gone sour.

It might hurt your feedback score if you get a neg with your low turnover but if you are not going to sell regularly it probably will not have real effect on sales.

If you cannot get the neg removed just make sure you answer it very carefully and there should be no noticable fallout with your sales

[lm-entertainment]

i haven't looked at your listing to see whether or not the iphone turns on - but if it does, you can turn it on and go into the settings and view the info about the phone and the IMEI is displayed in there. you can photograph that screen or screenshot it and save a copy. obviously, the IMEI doesn't change regardless of SIM card etc. it's unique to the phone (which i'm sure you already know).

failing the things that tippy said - you can also photograph any identifying marks on a used phone. if there's scratches, no matter how small, try and take photos or two or three of them or any other identfying marks there may be - chances are, any other phone won't have the same marks in the same places. 

[lrtmms]

Thanks. I have great difficulty trying to get things to sell. When they do sell its usually at a loss.

No the phone is water damaged and the screen doesn't work so can't get the IMEI off it. It does have some unique scratches and markings on it though.

I think I'll stop using auctions from now on as I would prefer to throw out something rather than getting negative feedback.

Ideally I'd just like to close a no payment case and just keep it for spares. But then to be nice I probably should wait for their money to clear etc before opening a case. Do you have to run 4 days with the no payment case?

[bakeandfry]

If you are usually selling at a loss why are you selling?
You are letting your fear of getting a neg rule how you ate conducting yourself as a seller.

[lrtmms]

Good point. I purchased a bulk lot of old stock parts but they don't shift. In meaning a loss, I'm not loosing out on fees or post but just my time to list them and then the storage space they take up means it's not really worth the effort to try and sell.

Yes I'll admit I don't want a negative feedback just because I sold a $20 item. Even though it's $8 less than what I paid in total for it, I would still use the $20 to pay the eBay account rather than just throwing it out.

You can probably gather that I'm new to the selling side of things 

I'm open to advice on selling as I'm keen to learn from other people's experience. Many thanks for everyone's helpful responses so far. I've learned a lot!

[bakeandfry]

Everyone starts out new.
You have not got neg feedback so stop worrying over it, i believe Stawka already made that point.
Even if you do get neg feedback it wont have any impact on your account, i think Clarry made that point.
Thats great you open to advice!!
It is easy for someone to give advice, and hard for it to be actually done,
But in saying that i will put my two bobs worth in.
The buyer has had ample time to pay, open a dispute for item, do not pass go, do not collect $200.
Add the id to your blocked buyer list.
Thats my two bobs worth.