non payers costing me money

lawarcbur

I have sold a blackberry phone on ebay & looks like another non payer this is number 15 this year, the thing that gets me is that the next time i go to sell the item again i will get less & less & so on because the quick deals that come up in mobile phone shops.
I'am a seller with more than 1000 feedback & the last 12 months i have had 42 non payers (15 so far this year) but the 6 years before that 8 non payers, so up to last year on average just over 1 a year but now it's just under 1 a week.
just unlucky or is anybody else the same.
I wouldn't mind if they contacted me within 24 hours after end of auction so I could cancel there bids & give 2nd chance offer to next highest bidder I'm getting close to packing it in because I'm beginning to get grey hairs because of it.:(

soolin

I am a small seller, maybe 80-100 items a month, sometimes less. However I get only 2 or 3 non payers a year.

Have you checked your seller preferences, make them as tight as you can so that you block serial non payers. Try to identify where your time wasters are, I assume as you are sellling phones that you are only selling in the UK? As you have so many I would also worry that you have somehting in your listings that attract them, you haven;t got any terms and conditions have you that might attract auction wreckers?

Also remember to NPB each and every one of them.

macfly

I sell a fair few mobiles and always make them BIN, with immediate payment. The fees are much cheaper, and it takes the problem away.

spadoosh

Its a cost of selling, you dont have to pay premises costs, liability insurances, corporation tax (i assume). lets say at £1 loss per non payment and £1 profit per sale your bad debt ratio is 0.012 which is unbelievably good for any type of business.

Do not see grounds for too much complaint. Sorry no sympathy

lawarcbur

spadoosh wrote: »

Its a cost of selling, you dont have to pay premises costs, liability insurances, corporation tax (i assume). lets say at £1 loss per non payment and £1 profit per sale your bad debt ratio is 0.012 which is unbelievably good for any type of business.

Do not see grounds for too much complaint. Sorry no sympathy

the cost is the time you have to wait for buyer to reply, then open up a case against them & if it falls on the cut of date for ebay fees to be paid you have to pay in advance (for personal account) till it's sorted out if you have 2 phones at £400 pound in dispute thats £80 in fees you have to dish out or account could be closed down because you owe money, then thats £100+ in profits going because your accounts not online.
i have 2 accounts 1 personal & 1 business (i employ 1 person (30 hours) for my online store so thats wages, tax & so on plus i have industrial unit for my 2nd hand record/cd/dvd/game online store that i use for my ebay stuff as well) i work 4 jobs (night & day) so time is just what i dont have.

Myyrrddyn

Its about time flebay did something more as the buyer is entering a contract by saying they will pay.

grintricha

while i can understand your frustration and your need to rant, it sounds like an endemic problem due to the market you are in and the medium you are using to sell.

you should just be zen about it or change market/job otherwise you'll end up with an ulcer

soolin

lawarcbur wrote: »

the cost is the time you have to wait for buyer to reply, then open up a case against them & if it falls on the cut of date for ebay fees to be paid you have to pay in advance (for personal account) till it's sorted out if you have 2 phones at £400 pound in dispute thats £80 in fees you have to dish out or account could be closed down because you owe money, then thats £100+ in profits going because your accounts not online.
i have 2 accounts 1 personal & 1 business (i employ 1 person (30 hours) for my online store so thats wages, tax & so on plus i have industrial unit for my 2nd hand record/cd/dvd/game online store that i use for my ebay stuff as well) i work 4 jobs (night & day) so time is just what i dont have.

If you are attracting problems then Macfly's post (number 3) will sort out your issues immediately while you take time working out what is attracting these time wasters.

spadoosh

lawarcbur wrote: »

the cost is the time you have to wait for buyer to reply, then open up a case against them & if it falls on the cut of date for ebay fees to be paid you have to pay in advance (for personal account) till it's sorted out if you have 2 phones at £400 pound in dispute thats £80 in fees you have to dish out or account could be closed down because you owe money, then thats £100+ in profits going because your accounts not online.
i have 2 accounts 1 personal & 1 business (i employ 1 person (30 hours) for my online store so thats wages, tax & so on plus i have industrial unit for my 2nd hand record/cd/dvd/game online store that i use for my ebay stuff as well) i work 4 jobs (night & day) so time is just what i dont have.

Don't sell on ebay

soolin

spadoosh wrote: »

Don't sell on ebay

Are you able to give the OP the benefit of your wisdom then and tell them where else gives them that sort of market at that sort of cost but where they don't attract any time wasters? Or are you suggesting they give up a nice little business entirely?

lawarcbur

i would like to thank all posts so far & in advance for future posts for all opinions.