Buyer refusing to pay for item (£1100)

Ashok_2 · 20 July 2007 at 2:54PM

I've been trying to get rid of my Alienware laptop that cost me £2000+ a year ago, but now has gone down in value a lot. I originally listed with all the extra options (highlight, bold etc..) but then realised I could get a higher amount and my Buy it Now option was way to low.. So I ended the listing, with the hope that when the item would sell for higher I would cover the costs.. I relisted, again with bold/highlight, and the listing cost me about £30 (as I had a reserve of about £900 and a high buy it now of £1100). Listing was for 7 days.

2 days before the end, a power seller purchased the laptop on buy it now for £1100 + postage. He didn't pay for a couple of days, and after I emailed him he told me he didn't have the money as he was relying on payment to be sent on an item he himself as sold.

I then added him on MSN after a couple of days (which was probably a bad idea) and discussed it with him.. he said he would pay me as soon as he received payment from his buyer, and I said I understood etc.. and then he hinted he was busy working and would prefer if I emailed him rather than using MSN.. which I did!

Now I checked that he had in fact received payment for the item, I contacted the buyer, who'd also left him positive feedback about the transaction.

Started unpaid item dispute, and he said this:

I didt pay u until now, first, u too annoyinG! u keep message me and annoying me, and in ebay policy
,i think i got the right nop gonna buy this item from u, as i dont like buy with u, u nop a good
seller, U are a ANNOYING SELLER

I'm really worried now, as he most likely won't pay now (I can't really convince him) and if I relist it's going to cost me another £30 (and already set back from the first listing), is there anything I can do to get him to pay up? Or any other action I can take.

Also I find it really unlikely that it will sell for anywhere near the value it sold for that time!

Hintza · 20 July 2007 at 3:05PM

Basically not much you can do, just file a NPB and put a strike on his account.

As a point of interest on items like this have the BIN set up so that they have to pay immediately, no point in allowing them to mess you around.

Ashok_2 · 20 July 2007 at 3:07PM

I did, but you can't for items over £1000.

freddysmith · 20 July 2007 at 3:11PM

You can not force anyone to pay if they don't want to. The guy sounds a right plonker. Put in a NPB you will then get the final fee back.
As for feedback, thats another topic but if you sell it, might be worth not giving feedback to avoid a Neg.

Ashok_2 · 20 July 2007 at 3:13PM

Is final value fee everything it cost me to list?

freddysmith · 20 July 2007 at 3:59PM

Your FVF is a % of the selling price which will be returned as a deduction in your sellers account when the disbute is closed.
You would have still paid the first listing fee of £30.
You then relist paying a further £30 but this would be returned to you if the item sells, meaning overall paying only one listing fee.

Ashok_2 · 20 July 2007 at 4:03PM

I wouldn't be refunded if someone used buy it now.

So right now I'm about £60 out of pocket..

RFW · 20 July 2007 at 10:25PM

You can threaten (and even pursue) legal action. Whether you would ultimately get anywhere is another matter. The buyer has entered into a contract with you and you would most likely win a court claim.

Personally I would try and frighten him into paying your fees at the very least. I'd keep it as formal as possible and also polite. Email and also by typed letter (recorded delivery always seems impressive!).

freddysmith wrote:

You then relist paying a further £30 but this would be returned to you if the item sells, meaning overall paying only one listing fee.

Not true, you don't receive a refund of any additional fees, other than main listing (ie no refund of gallery, highlight, featured, etc).

ASHOK wrote:

Is final value fee everything it cost me to list?

Final value fee is exactly that, the fee charged on the selling price, it has nothing to do with listing charges and is all that is refunded when an unpaid item dispute is closed in your favour. The only other credit you would receive if you relist the item and it sells is the single item listing fee (probably £1-50 or £2 from your description). You have already lost the other fees, they are Ebay's advertising fees if you like.

freddysmith · 20 July 2007 at 11:27PM

Fair point about the additional extras

Ashok_2 · 21 July 2007 at 10:07AM

Idea about recorded letter seems good.. Any advice on what to write?

I could take it to Small Claims, but I doubt he'd pay up even then.

This is what I've said so far in the dispute, probably too rude:

Previous messages

hayms91

20-Jul-07 at 08:27:10 BST

And not only will you hopefully lose your powerseler status hopefully, also other sellers and bidders
will be careful trusting you.

You have no idea how many problems you have actually caused me by
not paying.

And to think I was actually understanding of your situation when you really had the
money!

hayms91

20-Jul-07 at 08:25:24 BST

That is absoloutely unacceptable. This item was on auction, and you used the buy it now option even
though you couldn't pay.

I needed that money, and when I spoke to you on MSN I was very reasonable
and told you I would wait till Wednesday, and now your being rude.
When you told me you were busy,
I left you alone.
You have caused me a lot of stress from this situation and now you are refusing
to pay when you have the money.
If you don't I'll leave you a negative & you'll lose powerseller.

ayam100

20-Jul-07 at 00:20:42 BST

I didt pay u until now, first, u too annoyinG! u keep message me and annoying me, and in ebay policy
,i think i got the right nop gonna buy this item from u, as i dont like buy with u, u nop a good
seller, U are a ANNOYING SELLER

hayms91

19-Jul-07 at 20:58:54 BST

Myself and the buyer discussed the transaction via email and MSN, and buyer said he was unable to pay
for item until HE was paid for an item he ha sold (item number 160136827584)

I have been unable
to get in touch with the buyer for a couple of days, this may not be his fault though..

But I was
wondering if he had received payment and would now kindly pay for my item?

Thanks.

eBay

19-Jul-07 at 20:53:15 BST

An Unpaid Item dispute has been opened for the following item: **Alienware M7700 17" LAPTOP HI-SPEC GAMING NOTEBOOK** (#250140694135)
Reason given for Unpaid Item: The buyer has not paid for the item.
Buyer actions reported by seller: The buyer's payment has not been received.

goshdarnit · 21 July 2007 at 11:20AM

RFW wrote: »

The buyer has entered into a contract with you and you would most likely win a court claim.

He hasn't, and you wouldn't. Ebay have taken your money, not the 'buyer'.

Buyer refusing to pay for item (£1100)

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