ebay is not protecting it's sellers from non-paying bidders

[deedleshp]

Help please!  Non-paying bidders are getting more common  I have unpaid item restrictions on all my listings (still can't work out how to put in my account though? would apprecaite it if anyone knows how? ) to prevent buyers with 2 unpaid item strikes in the last 12 months from bidding.  I have set up a selling template so those same buyer restrictions always exist on all my listings.  Recently, though, I had a buyer win 2 separate auctions of mine.  He didn't pay for either and I closed two unpaid item cases without being paid.  Subsequently, that same buyer bid on 3 separate auctions about 4 weeks later!!!!!   One of the auctions can be explained because he is trading with two distinct, but similar, eBay id's. The other two bids should have been prevented by my buyer requirements.  I have reported to this eBay mutiple times and not had a satisfactory response.  Their responses have been condescending and failed to address the questions posed.  And, in my opinion, do not show respect for the sellers who are the ones effectively generating eBay's income.  I'm frustrated and annoyed, and considering non eBay avenues for selling my pre-loved goods. Chasing unpaid item cases is annoying and time consuming.  The need to wait 8 days for a case to work through the system is really painful, especially if your item is seasonal. My unpaid items routineyly equate to over 10% of my total $ turnover now.  Can any sellers please help?

[clarry100]

If all your listings have the setting to block buyers with 2 or more unpaid strikes within a 12-month period this is about as stringent as you can get.

You are already correctly using the Unpaid Item Dispute (UID) process so those buyers are getting strikes when the cases are closed.

I don't think there is any more you can do to stop those who are getting thru now.

To apply these settings globally to all your listings follow the breadcrumb trail...

Account -> Site Preferences -> Scroll down to Buyer Requirements -> Show -> Edit

Then tick the checkboxes for the specific requirements you want

Then at the bottom tick the checkbox to Apply the above settings to active and future listings.

Then SUBMIT right down at the bottom.

We also use the one to block buyers who have not gone through phone verification and have a feedback score of 5 or lower.

If you do not want blocked buyers to be able to contact you then check this box as well.

[jellybirddesigns]

I have the same setup as Clarry, and believe me, it has saved a ton of headaches and heartaches.

It won't get rid of all the hassles, but it definitely reduces the chances.

[jellybirddesigns]

Just an add-on - if you have your blocks set up, your buyers requirement log will start to look something like this: 

Pic attached.

You can see how many low feedback buyers were prevented from buying, as well as 2 people who set up accounts on the same day they tried to buy from me and then deleted their accounts when they didn't succeeed.

[bsal6160]

I still think that a lot of these non-payers are probably competitors in the selling arena. Just IMO only.

[phorum_junkie*]

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@bsal6160 wrote:

I still think that a lot of these non-payers are probably competitors in the selling arena. Just IMO only.

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Tin foil hat time!

OP why wouldn't you put a non payer on your BBL? The reason the double offender was not blocked is the same reason more than one feedback from a member within a certain period is only counted as 1, if they had not done it to anyone else the blanket block would not apply.

[deedleshp]

thanks, great advice

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[daintreejudi]

Yes, the settings are important but certainly not foolproof.  The other thing that annoys me with non payers is we dont get any compensation from Ebay i.e. I think they should offer to relist the item for free for the normal chosen period.  After a non payment, you then have to relist the item, and even more annoying if there were other bidders at the time.  Ebay would not exist without the sellers but they do little to look after us, but then  we just have to be grateful for the crumbs that are thrown our way for instance when they decide to let us list so many items for free for a couple of days.  I think that is great and I really appreciate when they do this, pity they dont do a bit more.

[heihachi_73]

I'm currently waiting for someone to cough up fifty cents (+$2 postage) from an auction they won as the sole bidder. It's been three days now, and there is no way a person with 200+ feedback would normally let things slide. Unless they are the lazy-R's type who only sign in once a week, That said, their own DSRs show they are fairly ordinary when it comes to postage time, with a 4.2 so maybe it really is just that. If they don't respond by Friday night I will be filing an unpaid item case.

[dmh160161]

I am waiting on a buyer (feedback of only 6) to pay $3.50 (I have taken off postage).  She bid on two separate items, I messaged her to let her know that if she won both auctions I would combine the postage.  But instead of waiting for a combined invoice, she paid for the first one with full postage as soon as it ended.  I have emailed her over last two days to say other item is waiting to be paid for and I will combine both in one bag, but no response.  Not sure if she still wants it or just forgot.