Bad feeling....can I walk away?? Ebay

Dizzie77

Dear Ebay Experts....

I've sold on ebay for a few years now, but gave it a rest, and now started to get rid of some bits and pieces again. Last weekend, I sold my old mobile phone - asking for payment within 7 days of the end of the auction.
On Thursday, I got an email from the winning bidder to say that s/he would pay in a couple of days and "dont relist it". I replied to say that I thought 7 days was ample, and as we hadn't agreed any delayed payment in advance, that would be what I would stick to.
Today (day 7) I get another message to say that can I wait until next week, as s/he has been robbed and needed the money to pay for damage rectification..

I can see that this isn't going to end well - so I'd rather walk away, block the original bidder and try again.....
Any pitfalls to that option??

Oh - and the original bidder has a feedback of 3 - so probably not an ebay regular, but I don't believe that is an excuse for not paying?

Crowqueen

I'd open an NPB dispute now, to be honest. Even if she's genuine, you've given plenty of time and you can't really help her. It will give her another four days, but then she'll either pay up or you get to relist it and your fees back.

Dizzie77

Thanks Crowqueen - I'd rather just not enter into the contract with her at all now -especially as she's bought another phone, identical to the one that I had...smells fishy!?

soolin

Dizzie77 wrote: »

Thanks Crowqueen - I'd rather just not enter into the contract with her at all now -especially as she's bought another phone, identical to the one that I had...smells fishy!?

If you just leave this then you have to pay all your final value fees and why should buyer get away with costing you money?

OPen an nPB today.

Dizzie77

Thanks Soolin - I've done that now, and kind of hope that s/he doesn't pay - and then I can sell it to someone else that I have a better feeling about!!

Crowqueen

Dizzie77 wrote: »

Thanks Crowqueen - I'd rather just not enter into the contract with her at all now -especially as she's bought another phone, identical to the one that I had...smells fishy!?

The NPB dispute is the best way to go though - although she does get four more days, if she doesn't pay then you get your fees back. If she has bought another phone then she might not bother paying for yours. Either way you should go through the dispute process to avoid her paying for it and causing you more problems if you then decide to refund her and not to sell to her - then she'd have scope to ding your account with an Non-Performing Seller dispute, and reasonably so in my opinion (which is why you should always do NPB disputes or cancel transactions before you relist in the event of a time-waster such as this one).

If you are in this for the money, if she pays, you can't really do much other than send. If she has bought another phone though - in all likelihood she won't pay for yours and you'll be OK.

Dizzie77

Thanks both - great advice, as always..!
I've opened the NPB - so I will wait and see what happens...!

hermum

Dizzie77 wrote: »

Thanks both - great advice, as always..!
I've opened the NPB - so I will wait and see what happens...!

If you go through the NPB process & she doesn't pay, she'll get a strike, 2 in a 12 month period & she will have blocked herself from buying from most sellers.
Do you have your buyer requirements set up tight?

Dizzie77

I relaxed my buyer requirements, but still don't allow bidders with two strikes against them.

Thanks everyone for your help - really appreciate it.

Dizzie77

S/he has paid now - and within an hour sent a message to say "I've paid via paypal, when will I receive the phone" (although their spelling isn't that good!) - how rude, or perhaps they're trying to aggravate me!?

hermum

Hope you're sending special delivery. I would be sickeningly nice, saying that the phone with IMEI (Is that right) number ... will be sent SD & the date, telling them when they should recieve it & then when you send it put the tracking number into ebay.