What has gone wrong on Ebay!!

[wannabepos]

Hi all, Sorry I am having a bit of a rant but am a tad frustrated by the selling process at the mo. 

I havent been a seller for a good long while now, just a buyer, but thought I would get back into selling.  In the past as a seller, I rarely had to wait for my buyer to pay for what they bought.  Now I have 3 items sold and monies outstanding!  One as long as 8 days now and not a word from the buyer.  I have requested contact details and, of course, the number doesnt exist!

I think I will be scared back into not selling anymore as I dont think I can deal with these frustrating buyers!! Is this the norm now or is it the exception?

[growingold54]

Hi Everybody, I do not understand why buyers are so rude,I  believe that sellers deserve better,I pay as soon as possible/either as soon as auction is finished or BIN. They should consider themselves extremely fortunate to have folk willing to go to so much effort,They should also consider that fact that if they tried the same action outside of eBay it would be considered by Law to be shoplifting.

[daydream**believer]

i am like the OP.

Was a seller about 5 years ago and rarely had an issue.

Have just started selling again recently and am having lots more problems.

I think ebay screwed it over for sellers when they took away their ability to give negs .

[12revolver]

I too got frustrated by this a long time ago.

Mainly on auctions. 

I decided to open a store, set prices and sell everything "buy it now."

95% of the time items are purchased and payed for Immediately

[at_wicks_end]

Yes, I am certainly having a lot more non payers in the last couple of months, always have at least one case on the go.  Rare to get them prior to this.

Had one buyer who had bought a few times from me, then spent up over 4 auctions, total close to $300.  Then, nothing.  Zip, no replies.  Then decided to have a look at her spending after a week, and of course was buying up all over the place and leaving feedback.  So, opened dispute, then closed after 4 days.  Straight away got an email with a "sad face" smiley saying she had, yep, been in hospital and how sad she was I had given her a strike.  Right over the time she had been writing up feedback to her sellers about how her deliveries just arrived and how gorgeous they were etc.  No response was my reply, not playing those games.

[phorum_junkie*]

Hi Everybody, I do not understand why buyers are so rude,I  believe that sellers deserve better,I pay as soon as possible/either as soon as auction is finished or BIN. They should consider themselves extremely fortunate to have folk willing to go to so much effort,They should also consider that fact that if they tried the same action outside of eBay it would be considered by Law to be shoplifting.

What do you mean by deserve better? I have never felt that a buyer HAS to pay straight away, why should they? There is nothing in the ebay policy that says they must. If I was concerned about getting paid straight away I would have instant payment required on my listings.

Effort? What effort would that be? Most of us sell on ebay because it takes less effort and is cheaper than running a real world business and I certainly don't put any more effort into selling than is required to make it worth my while ]:)

If they tried the same action outside ebay how would it be shoplifting? Rather it is the equivalent of walking round the store putting things in the trolly and then leaving it in store and walking out without the goods, it would only be stealing if they received the goods and didn't pay and any seller who posts before they get payment id effectively gifting them the item.

[jensmanchester-australia]

Rather it is the equivalent of walking round the store putting things in the trolly and then leaving it in store and walking out without the goods,

PJ - This is not really true. A customer in my shop might walk around with something in their hand and then put it down and decide not to pay for it. Once they have done that it immediately becomes available to be sold to the next interested person.

With non paying bidders on eBay the stock is effectively removed from the shelf for 8 days or longer. In the meantime another buyer who may be interested in the item has probably gone and purchased it elsewhere as they don't want to wait for it to become available again.

There is miminal cost to the business when a customer in a shop puts something in a trolley and then changes their mind - the only thing that needs to be done is for someone to put it back in it's place.

There is a higher cost to a business when an eBay buyer doesn't complete their purchase.

It actually takes far less effort to sell in a retail outlet than it does to sell through eBay.

[phorum_junkie*]

There is miminal cost to the business when a customer in a shop puts something in a trolley and then changes their mind

Not if some of the items were from the frozen food isle lol

There are also staff costs for putting it back on the shelves, if indeed that can be done, chilled food would presumably be dumped as the store would have no idea it had been out of the chilled food cabinet.

In a clothing store assistants spend hours rehanging and refolding clothes that the buyer has decided not to buy, all added costs.

[viewmont1071]

PJ

In a clothing store assistants spend hours rehanging and refolding clothes that the buyer has decided not to buy, all added costs.

I guess the assistant could just stand there, looking cute, and get paid for nothing ..... or..... utilize the time to hang clothes back on the coathangers while they are waiting to supply assistance or assisting with a sale.

PJ.... how many clothing store do you know that gets in the  exclusive "clothes rehanging" brigade... ie... do nothing else but rehang clothes???

... now that would be added costs...

.... the assistant's retail "chores" come with the original wages, some days there may be a lot of rehanging...some days there will be none.....

The strawman lives....hurrah

[lisakpatton]

Yes, it is worse than ever.  Non paying bidders all over the place.   It is all the time.  I heard it's a bunch of sellers doing this as hoping to get Ebay's attention on double standards.

[woolywoolenwools]

Really?? Now THAT is an interesting thought!