WARNING: Non-paying buyers can still leave negative feedback after you close an Unpaid Item Case.

[thegaminggamer]

I know because this happened to me (sold an item, buyer didn't pay, closed Unpaid Item Case, received negative feedback) and I had to manually ask eBay to remove it. This is a massive oversight.

So for anyone who was under the impression that just closing an Unpaid Item Case prevents a buyer from leaving feedback, YOU ARE MISTAKEN.

[lyndal1838]

It is doubtful but I am feeling kind today.....although I am getting less and less patient.

I feel that the fourth time might be the straw that breaks this camel's back.

[thegaminggamer]

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@davewil1964 wrote:

3rd time lucky? That your advice will actually be read?

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I don't recall asking for advice. If you read the first post properly, you would also see that I didn't need advice.

[lyndal1838]

No, it is true that you did not ask for advice but you were warning members about a problem that was not a problem as it is easily fixed.

Most of us have just reinforced that there are very simple remedies for getting the negative feedback removed.

[thegaminggamer · Accepted solution]

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@lyndal1838 wrote:

No, it is true that you did not ask for advice but you were warning members about a problem that was not a problem as it is easily fixed.

Most of us have just reinforced that there are very simple remedies for getting the negative feedback removed.

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The purpose of the post was threefold:

1) That non-paying buyers can leave negative feedback even after being issued an Unpaid Item Strike.

2) That the statement that "non-paying buyers cannot leave feedback after being issued a strike" which has been made many times by the 10,000 posters on this forum is false.

3) To warn readers of this fact.

In addition:

4) The simple remedies should not only be simple, but also automatic.

That is all.

Any passive aggressiveness coming from certain users with a superiority complex (not you) who think I'm here seeking advice is misdirected and unappreciated.

[lyndal1838]

In a perfec world you are quite correct but nobody ever said ebay is a perfect world.

As for warning anyone......these boards are frequented by a very very small percentage of members so your warning will not be seen by many.

If you read the boards you will see that it is the same questions being asked time after time.....members just don't read or remember the same questions so we get the pleasure of parroting the same answers to the same questions all the time.

Maybe it would make more sense if we did not answer a post that has the same information as a post we have answered in the last 6 months.   There would be a lot of unanswered posts on these boards.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@thegaminggamer wrote:

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@lyndal1838 wrote:

No, it is true that you did not ask for advice but you were warning members about a problem that was not a problem as it is easily fixed.

Most of us have just reinforced that there are very simple remedies for getting the negative feedback removed.

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The purpose of the post was threefold:

1) That non-paying buyers can leave negative feedback even after being issued an Unpaid Item Strike.

2) That the statement that "non-paying buyers cannot leave feedback after being issued a strike" which has been made many times by the 10,000 posters on this forum is false.

3) To warn readers of this fact.

In addition:

4) The simple remedies should not only be simple, but also automatic.

That is all.

Any passive aggressiveness coming from certain users with a superiority complex (not you) who think I'm here seeking advice is misdirected and unappreciated.

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sorry, I couldn’t stop focusing on the part of your post I have made bold and red.

I doubt that 10,000 members would even visit these boards let alone post on them!

What month is it?

[davewil1964]

I believe it's....

November

[padi*0409]

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@thegaminggamer wrote:

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2) That the statement that "non-paying buyers cannot leave feedback after being issued a strike" which has been made many times by the 10,000 posters on this forum is false.

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I think you might be mixing up your commas and decimal points there, and I'd suggest that the number of regular responders here would number a couple of dozen or so.

And even that figure would not tally with the number of posts or threads on the subject of this thread.

[countessalmirena]

@thegaminggamer,

It's supposed to be the case that a non-paying bidder/buyer, who fails to respond to the NPB process and who is issued with a non-payment strike, is not able to leave feedback. You're already aware of that ("That is the way it is supposed to work.").

The majority of posters on these boards would give the general advice that this is what happens. Apparently there are a few instances when the "buyer" in that scenario is still able to leave feedback; I would (in the absence of any other explanation) view those instances as anomalies due to eBay technical glitches. It should be straightforward, but as I think we all know, eBay's IT aren't always coding optimally. (I pause here to roll my eyes and give a wry smile.) If there's a discrepancy between what should be (according to eBay's T&Cs and policies) and what is, the chances are high that it's a technical problem.

When such glitches occur, the seller can - and should - contact eBay by phone to report that this has happened, and to request that the feedback be removed. (Again, you already know this, as it's what you posted that you did, in your opening post. Other posters in this thread have repeated that information as clearly as possible, because people coming here to read this thread are most likely to find it after searching for what to do in such a case. The remedy should be highlighted and easy to find, to help any seller in that situation in the future.)

The request should be actioned without any argument, thankfully! I understand that you want to alert posters or lurkers on the boards that this situation can occur. I suppose what most responders on here already take as read is the underlying realisation that when it comes to technical glitches, anything can happen... eBay's clunky code is responsible for many a mishmash.

What eBay policies and help pages say:

Spoiler

 eBay's Resolving unpaid items page states:

❝When you let us know that a buyer hasn’t paid, we can step in and help you. We will get in touch with the buyer on your behalf and ask them to pay you. We can also protect you against negative feedback.❞

     ... and ... as tippy*toes has pointed out,

❝[...]Feedback from buyers who haven't paid is blocked automatically with Unpaid Item Assistant. As soon as the Unpaid Item Assistant opens a case, the buyer can't leave Feedback until the case is closed and you've received payment.❞

eBay's Feedback policies page states:

❝I received Feedback that violates eBay policies. What should I do?

If a member has violated one of our Feedback policies, you can ask us to have it removed. Once we review it, we may remove the entire Feedback, or just the comment or the rating.❞

eBay's Seller performance and defect removal policy states:

❝We automatically remove defects, adjust your late shipment rate and remove Feedback when:

• The buyer didn't pay for a purchase and an unpaid item case is recorded against the buyer.❞

... and ...

❝There are some circumstances where a defect, Feedback or late shipment can be manually reviewed. Sellers may appeal in these cases, but must make the request within 90 days of the transaction.❞

eBay's Cancel a transaction page states:

❝If at all possible, try to avoid cancelling a transaction because you don't have the item to send – it's considered a transaction defect and may affect your seller performance level. The buyer will still be able to leave you negative or neutral Feedback about the transaction.❞

 ... and ...

❝When a buyer cancels a transaction, they can't leave negative or neutral Feedback or low detailed seller ratings for you.❞

It is not specifically stated in eBay policies that a buyer can't leave feedback for a transaction where they haven't paid. However, it's at least alluded to in the Leaving feedback for sellers page:  ❝After you make a purchase, we'll remind you via email to leave Feedback for your seller.❞

(Bolding and rubrication mine.)

And... from eBay's Feedback policies page: ❝If you've successfully completed a transaction with another eBay member and they haven't left you Feedback, it's fine to send a message as a reminder. Remember though, leaving Feedback is completely voluntary.❞

(Again, bolding and rubrication mine.)

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@thegaminggamer wrote:

1) That non-paying buyers can leave negative feedback even after being issued an Unpaid Item Strike.

2) That the statement that "non-paying buyers cannot leave feedback after being issued a strike" which has been made many times by the 10,000 posters on this forum is false.

3) To warn readers of this fact.

In addition:

4) The simple remedies should not only be simple, but also automatic.

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So... in light of all of that...

1. If non-paying buyers can on occasion leave negative feedback even after being issued an Unpaid Item Strike, there isn't anything in eBay's policies allowing that. An occurrence of it must therefore be due to technical issues.
2. The statement that "non-paying buyers cannot leave feedback after being issued a strike" is true, with any exceptions proving the rule. (See Fowler, p. 157 - in particular I draw your attention to meaning 1, in which sense the idiom is generally used.) That there are exceptions (and I argue that these are technical glitch-based exceptions), does not negate the rule and doesn't preclude a person from truthfully being able to say that "non-paying buyers cannot leave feedback after being issued a strike". Of course, the person saying this can add a caveat that, in the event that a technical glitch or any other circumstance results in a non-paying buyer from being able to leave feedback after receiving a strike, and the buyer actually does leave feedback, the seller has a remedy to hand... He/she can contact eBay, point out that feedback was left after the buyer received a strike, and the feedback should be removed as a matter of course.
3. It's good to warn readers... I would just caution against phrasing the warning in a way that suggests that buyers with a strike for non-payment can as a general rule leave feedback for the respective transaction. You brought up an exception that occurred in your personal experience; that is definitely worth noting, in that it exemplifies what can happen in some circumstances.
4. I doubt that anyone here would argue with your fourth point. Yes, the simple remedies should not only be simple, but also automatic. eBay should not have these sorts of glitches; it's ridiculous. It's not just a technical issue, either (in my opinion). I think that eBay should be looking at its Feedback policies, and adding very specific information that in the event of the buyer not completing the transaction by making payment, feedback cannot be left. (This is because I primarily infer that non-paying bidders/buyers can't leave feedback from what eBay's policies say.) But ... getting back to why it's happening at all in any circumstance, eBay IT have a habit of fixing what doesn't need fixing, and not fixing what does. In the absence of their fixing this, sellers should note that a simple phone call to eBay (using Have us call you, for preference) will at least result in a manual individual fix after the fact.

[thegaminggamer]

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@thegaminggamer wrote:

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2) That the statement that "non-paying buyers cannot leave feedback after being issued a strike" which has been made many times by the 10,000 post posters on this forum is false.

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@countessalmirena wrote:

@thegaminggamer,

1. If non-paying buyers can on occasion leave negative feedback even after being issued an Unpaid Item Strike, there isn't anything in eBay's policies allowing that. An occurrence of it must therefore be due to technical issues.

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It could be a technical issue or just an issue that eBay doesn't care to fix and because as you say, they prefer to fix things that don't need fixing.

In any case, my above 4 points have been made and this thread is becoming a 10,000 post posters (as aforementioned) circlejerk so I have nothing more to add.