Am I out of order?

twinnymum

Hi everyone, I sold something on ebay on the 15th Feb and in my listing I stated that payment should be made within 48 hours. I never recieved a payment by 18th so I messaged the buyer and said that I was making a trip to the Post Office and that a payment would be apreciated. No response so I sent another message on 19th in the evening saying the same thing. No response. So, I opened a payment dispute on the 20th.

Then I get this awful message in my inbox saying I was out of order and that I shouldnt of reported her to ebay and she had made the payment now. I just replied saying that I messaged her a few times but had no reply so assumed she was a non-payer and that I wanted to make one trip to the posty instead of two.

Now I am worried that she will leave me negative feedback! What would you have done?

Thanks

soolin

Firstly you can't insist on payment within 48 hours and having un necessary statements in your auctions does appear to attract some odd buyers. It probably put off the serious bidders.

You are however perfectly able to start an NPB on day 4 and if the buyer has now paid close the strike and send the goods, but possibly consider adding recorded at your own cost just in case. You can't avoid a neg here if buyer decides to leave one, but send a nice calm email explaining that in this case you wanted to get to the PO quickly as you knew you wouldn't have time later in the week and thought that a buyer might appreciate the warning.

As for what I would have done, send an invoice on day 1, send a reminder on day 4 with a polite note asking buyer to contact you if they require additional payment instructions, then opened an nPB on day 5 or 6. If I have any concerns about the buyer, or if i think they are going to be trouble I would probably go straight to an NPB on day 4.

poet123

She could have been away, an arbitory time of 48 hrs is not usual. It is your problem that you have to make 2 trips to the PO not hers. If you are not happy to do that perhaps you should re think whether selling on EBAY is for you. I would have left you neg feedback in her position.

twinnymum

Thanks Soolin. Poet123 I was just trying to provide a fast service. Why buy something and not pay for 5 days anyway and if there was going to be a delay in paying she could have messaged me first? I have 200 +ve feedback so I know I am a good ebayer thank you very much.

soolin

twinnymum wrote: »

Thanks Soolin. Poet123 I was just trying to provide a fast service. Why buy something and not pay for 5 days anyway and if there was going to be a delay in paying she could have messaged me first? I have 200 +ve feedback so I know I am a good ebayer thank you very much.

Just get the statement about 48 hours out of your auctions, I am becoming more and more convinced that the dafter the auction terms the dafter the bidders it attracts. Personally I do everything possible to avoid attracting a certain sort of bidder.

poet123

I have 1000+ but would not have done what you did. People have lives, if going to the PO is such a big deal then you need to re think your Ebaying.

You asked for opinion, and I gave mine, if it was not what you wanted to hear I am sorry....perhaps you shouldn't have asked.

twinnymum

Sorry Poet123, I did ask your opinion but I suppose you are the type of person who cant see things from others point of view. I have small babies and like to be in order. Maybe I should just say 'pay whenever you want - and I'll send whenever I can be bothered'. I did request payment within 48 hours on my listing, if she didnt want/couldn't do that then she shouldn't have bid.

cyberbob

twinnymum wrote: »

I did request payment within 48 hours on my listing, if she didnt want/couldn't do that then she shouldn't have bid.

It doesn't matter what you put on your listing they have 4 days to pay because you can't do anything until then. All you do by putting silly T&Cs in your listing is make you look like you don't understand ebay and leave yourself open to disgruntled customers.

twinnymum

OK, well she didnt pay for 5 days anyway so I suppose I was correct.

basilseal

twinnymum wrote: »

Sorry Poet123, I did ask your opinion but I suppose you are the type of person who cant see things from others point of view. I have small babies and like to be in order. Maybe I should just say 'pay whenever you want - and I'll send whenever I can be bothered'. I did request payment within 48 hours on my listing, if she didnt want/couldn't do that then she shouldn't have bid.

And you shouldn't have asked for an opinion from strangers if you didn't want to be told something other than exactly what you wanted to hear.

ebay rules allow people longer than 48 hours to make payment, so there's no point in putting terms requiring payment within 48 hours in your auction. I would suggest that if you want to jolly the payment along, it might be better to put something like "please make contact within 48 hours of the auction ending to confirm the sale"

cyberbob

twinnymum wrote: »

OK, well she didnt pay for 5 days anyway so I suppose I was correct.

It sounds like she would have done it no matter what. I send an invoice and reminder on day 4 if no response I then open a dispute.