Very worried, could be sued

Nearlyuseless

Hi Everyone, I hope someone can help as I have done a very stupid thing (again).

On ebay I had a mobile phone for sale and a non payer, so I relisted it and got what seems to be another dodgy person.

I got worried and so looked at their bidding history and it seems from that, and some bad feedback that they gave someone ( they themselves don't have feedback) that they may be a non payer.

In the end I got so worried that I cancelled their bid, trouble is I put as the reason "Have checked his bidding history and he has been a non payer etc, very suspicious" not knowing that the bidder themselves would see that, and of course I don't know for absolutely certain that they are a nonpayer.

When they see that they could sue me for defamation of character couldn't they?:(

I just wasn't thinking at the time, and now I'll pay the price I surpose.

Thanks in advance.:)

steven_garner

No, were not in America.

Sazzarella

Did you do a NPB on the first non payer and get your fees back? Id be more worried about 2 sets of fees and the chance the first winning bidder could pay any time and you would have effectively sold the same item twice!

Nearlyuseless

Thanks steven_garner I sometimes wonder, we are getting more and more like them I think, defamation of character has been mentioned on the Answer Centre on ebay, when someone has been left bad feedback, so you never know nowadays, wot you said cheered me up though.:)


Thanks Sazzarella, yes I did do an NPB, she kept me hanging about for over two weeks, saying that she was waiting for her paypal account to be set up, that didn't sound right so I took out an NPB and after 4 days I offered it as a second chance but they didn't answer so I relisted it.

I must have become a bit paranoid, but this other bidder is just as dodgy as she was from what I have found out with my detective work.:)

I just thought that only the bidder and me can see who I am talking about so perhaps it will be ok.
Thanks again.:)

macfly

What is baffling is why you didn't go through with the sale. What you did guarantees bad feedback, so what had you to lose by selling it?

Nearlyuseless

Thanks macfly, sorry I should have said, the listing is still running and I could see that when someone else bid they were outbid by this dodgy bidder, I could see that the amount for the item was going to go too high, like it did before.

I checked on this bidder in the first place because he didn't have any feedback, he joined this month and has left a negative for someone already and they replied to it saying " Wanted me to wait a week, no feedback so wanted money sooner".

Also I have found out that this bidder has bid on exactly the same mobile and won, a few days ago, and has a bid on the same mobile on a listing that ends just before mine, he also has a bid on the same mobile on a listing that ends just after mine.:eek:

I checked his bidding history and a couple of the items he has bid on have relisted, and one of them actually says "Payment within 24hrs please due to nonpayers".

It was reading all this that made me say that he was a nonpayer, stupidly, I did feel relieved when I did it until I thought about the defamation of character thing.:o

Sorry about going on a bit.:)

hermum

Have you closed the initial NPB & your had fvf's back?

Nearlyuseless

Thanks yes I have hermum, that all went through and then I gave the second chance offer to a bidder, but they didn't take it up.

So I relisted it and now it has about an hour or so left to run.:)

fred7777

You won't be sued.

Aside from anything else ebay has a facility for people to get feedback removed that it defamatory towards them. This protects both ebay and the feedback giver.

botanical

Nearlyuseless wrote: »

Hi Everyone, I hope someone can help as I have done a very stupid thing (again).

On ebay I had a mobile phone for sale and a non payer, so I relisted it and got what seems to be another dodgy person.

I got worried and so looked at their bidding history and it seems from that, and some bad feedback that they gave someone ( they themselves don't have feedback) that they may be a non payer.

In the end I got so worried that I cancelled their bid, trouble is I put as the reason "Have checked his bidding history and he has been a non payer etc, very suspicious" not knowing that the bidder themselves would see that, and of course I don't know for absolutely certain that they are a nonpayer.

When they see that they could sue me for defamation of character couldn't they?:(

I just wasn't thinking at the time, and now I'll pay the price I surpose.

Thanks in advance.:)

Defamation, nonsense! Annoyed, more like, if the buyer is a genuine one!

This doesn't make sense. While the auction is still active and has longer than 12 hours to go, a seller is entitled to cancel any bid without giving a reason. The buyer does not get to see why you've done it.
But when you're Cancelling a Transaction that must be mutual, and the buyer can then see what your reason is.

On the wider point of panicking and being 'paranoid' selling on eBay, the best way to avoid dodgy buyers is to set your 'preferences' to exclude buyers with strikes against their account etc. All sellers do that. And take a deep breath. Don't be hasty.

But when you have a sale, don't mess things up by chasing feedback then trying to cancel. It's not a wise way to be on eBay and it causes more trouble for you and your buyers. Simply get to know than follow eBay guidelines and rules so that you stay out of trouble, not cause it for yourself. There's brilliant help and advice from topcat and others in the answer centre on eBay to guide you through.

Nearlyuseless

Thanks fred7777 but it wasn't feedback, it was what I put as the reason for cancelling the bid, I'm afraid.:o


Thanks for your very helpful info botanical, I'm afraid it was a case of once bitten twice shy.

When I cancelled the bid I was asked to give a suitable reason, and when I gave it I didn't think that it would be seen by the bidder.

I have looked on the Answer Centre and I asked what others thought about me cancelling the bid, and they just said if you want to cancell it then do that. Oh well it's done now.:(:)