How to get buyers to pay quicker

kezw

RAMBLER wrote:

I treat others how I want to be treated myself. I normally pay within 24 hours and the couple of times I didn't, I contacted them daily by email to give them updates.

It's difficult, but if I saw that I would think you were playing mind games and would worry how I would be treated if there was a problem. Remember ebay is based on trust, and your putting a wedge in by possibly making people worry wouldn't encourage me to bid.

Saying that if it works for you - I wish you the best of luck.

All true .... but it does seem to work for me. Like I said, just one person out of my last 80-or-so sales have taken longer than 36 hours to pay.

My opinion is that it weeds out people who might potentially mess you around.

As I said, it works both ways. The buyer trusts that if they pay quickly, they will get their goods quickly, which they do.

hilary1

kezw wrote:

Did post this on someone else's thread yesterday but thought others might be interested.

Anyway, on all my auctions, I put underneath the description:
"The quicker you pay, the quicker I post. If you take four days to pay me, I'll wait for four days AFTER that to post."

As a result, out of my last 80 or so sales only one guy has taken longer than about 36 hours to post. Everyone seems to want their goods quick, so they pay quick.

Perhaps others might find this useful?

I have just read your post and if I saw that on ebay I wouldnt buy from you.

it sounds threatening and nasty regardless whether you think it weedles out slow payers. It just makes you sound like a nasty piece of work and is so unecessary. I buy and sell and being friendly to buyers far outweighs the speed of payment. I've never had any trouble at all and will wait for a cheque without this bad attitude.

In my opinion your days on ebay will be numbered with that attitude.

kezw

hilary1 wrote:

I have just read your post and if I saw that on ebay I wouldnt buy from you.

it sounds threatening and nasty regardless whether you think it weedles out slow payers. It just makes you sound like a nasty piece of work and is so unecessary. I buy and sell and being friendly to buyers far outweighs the speed of payment. I've never had any trouble at all and will wait for a cheque without this bad attitude.

In my opinion your days on ebay will be numbered with that attitude.

As I've already said, my feedback is approaching 500 and sales have increased as opposed to dropped off. I don't think my days will be numbered at all! I also don't see how it is nasty. Taking someone's money and not sending their goods is nasty. Posting quickly in response to someone's quick payment isn't.

Kaminari_2

I wouldn't buy either. My T&C are just like ribbonsinthesky. I recently had some items that i was desperate to get rid off because i needed the room, they were a pick up only items due to their size. My T&C said that i would really like them gone within 7 days. One of the buyers was having a problem with emails and clearly wasn't getting mine. We eventually got it all organised after about 10 days. When i spoke to her on the phone she was so worried that i was going to neg her because she didn't manage to organise it all within my prefered 7 days. Sometimes things happen that doesn't make it possible and a little understanding goes a long way.

dodger65

I pretty much give them as long as they like within reason (on open auctions not BINS). I'm after maximum profit on whatever I sell- by allowing people say 7 days you are effectively providing a form of credit it might be an item they simply gotta have but don't have the cash in their account and are waiting till they get there wages.
I often notice people taking longer to pay on auctions that are finishing near the end of the month.
But I do hate multiple trips to the post office for stragglers when I'm ending my auctions all on the same day - so I send them emails saying no rush for payment but I will be going to the post office this afternoon if you wanted your item in a hurry, if not next postage day will be in 3/4 days whatever.
Works for me.

demonblade

I can understand kezw views as well everyone elses, however I tend to agree with kezw, he is selling his stuff as a buy it now, if they are going to buy the item then they might as well pay at the same time. I do not fully agree if it were a normal auction format however.

But yes same for me, the quicker they pay, the faster i deal with their item, i do not however hold items in spite, but those who take their time to pay gets put on the lower prority list of things to send out, so instead of next day it might be 2 or 3 days instead.

annie-c

If I'm selling as a Buy it now, I always require 'immediate payment', ie make it only possible to buy if you can pay straightaway online - there's then no need for reasons or explanations or coercion that may elicit hard feelings from the buyer - the buyer has a simple choice to make. I only do this on items that I want/need to move on quickly and then accept that it is my own risk whether or not I get the sale.

I can see kezw's point of view but would worry myself about the impression it might give to the buyer. But each to his/her own!

Jay-Jay_4

I would be put off with that wording too. It seems a bit spiteful :undecided. "You made me wait so I'll make you wait" ....:undecided


I always pay within minutes of an auction ending and often buy when it says 'immediate payment required' or similar, that's fine, it's just that your wording sounds like a threat.

Sugar_Coated_Owl

I think I'm with the majority on this one, I probably wouldn't bid either. Your terms and conditions make you appear unfriendly and harsh towards bidders. Also it makes it seem like your punishing your buyers.

What happens if a problem occurs and you can't get to the post office one day to post parcels that were paid for instantly? IMO your terms and conditions allow no flexibilty and doesn't allow for problems.

funkyBase

Hey,

I think I'm with tha majority on this one too. I probably wouldn't buy from you because I think if that's how you are from the begining there might be trouble later.

I've done my time, while a student, working in shops and I know people can get a bit mad and generally the customer is always right. What I've found on ebay is that people seem to be more nasty or get nasty quicker if something goes wrong, customers and sellers. I've had some sellers just be plain rude. Maybe it's just me.

But I like a hassle free transaction and that would put me off the same way if I see someone has neged out of spite. I don't like it.

Though I see your point of view. 99% of my items are buy it now (it works best this way) but I don't put immediate payment as a must because when I did that sales dropped off. I cannot understand why. If you are buying a BIN you have to be there no snipers etc so why don't you just pay via paypal instead of 5 days later. OK very few people pay by postal order and the odd one will have problems with their paypal but I still have a good 25% of people who take anywhere from 1-10 days to pay when they selected by it now and they could easily have paid straight away in my opinion.

I just don't get it as I always pay immediately. I'd like to know has the OP tried pay immediately? It may work the same way as your no nonsence terms and conditions ie get people to pay and not put people like us off so maybe increase sales overall. But then again like I found out it might decrease you sales. I think you need to try these things out.

If it works for you fair enough.

Just one more thought. I'm making the big leap and assuming most of us are sellers here. Maybe it's more a seller thing. Now that I sell as part of a business, I am way more critical of other sellers as I know what I would do for my customers.

All the best to ebay sellers and buyers.

Base