Winning bidder can't pay for item

xpf

Hi, I just sold an item and have now been contacted by the winning bidder (with zero feedback!)saying that they now can't pay for it :mad: I had another person bidding for the item and have now sent them a second chance offer.
What's my best course of action? Should I wait a few days and start a NPB or can I cancel their bid and make the other person the winning bidder?
The item went for a bit more than I was expecting and TBH, if I was the other person I would think that a case of shill bidding had been going on.
I just want rid of the item as it's taking up space :mad::mad:

forgotmyname

Should have instantly filed a non paying bidder dispute.

Have you set buyers preferences to only allow those with a credit card on file?
That will cut down on time wasters. Wont stop them fully though.

xpf

Do you not need to wait 3 days to do a NPB?

Jen_Jen1985

you have to wait 4 days to open NPB then another 4 to close.
If you offer a mutual cancelation then you risk them saying no and being stuck with FVF's

hermum

You have to wait 4 days to open then 4 days before you can close it. So they have 8 days to pay, it's best not to offer a 2nd chance until then as they could pay, you then have 2 winners for 1 item.
I wouldn't take up a 2nd chance offer if there was only 1 other bidder who dropped out immediately after the auction, it would seem very dodgy to me & I would want it at the start price, the price I would have won it for if it wasn't for the other bidder.
You could chance sending a mutual cancellation to the winner, although if they're stupid enough to bid for something they can't pay for, I wouldn't expect them to have the intelligence to accept it.
I would put in a NPB, hopefully get rid of them from ebay asap.

sharpy2010

Whats the point of the mutual cancellation request anyway? It just seems like all it does is let buyers off, and stitches up sellers?

xpf

hermum wrote: »

I wouldn't take up a 2nd chance offer if there was only 1 other bidder who dropped out immediately after the auction, it would seem very dodgy to me & I would want it at the start price, the price I would have won it for if it wasn't for the other bidder.

Thanks
If I was bidding I would think it was v dodgy as well
Ah well, sometimes you win, sometimes the muppets make you lose!

hermum

sharpy2010 wrote: »

Whats the point of the mutual cancellation request anyway? It just seems like all it does is let buyers off, and stitches up sellers?

I don't generally use it but if the OP needs the item out of the way and the winner has said that they can't pay, it could be a quicker way of being able to sell it again.
If you do a NPB and the buyer pays, you then run the risk of the item being returned, maybe trashed, neg FB & you lose your FVF's & p&p.
It's being caught between a rock & a hard place.

Crowqueen

sharpy2010 wrote: »

Whats the point of the mutual cancellation request anyway? It just seems like all it does is let buyers off, and stitches up sellers?

There are some legal issues with cancelling transactions where it's necessary to do it without prejudice to a buyer's account (e.g. under the Distance Selling Regulations there is a cooling off period which many interpret as requiring the seller to cancel transactions if the buyer makes a mistake).

It also means someone who has paid but is refunded or someone whose item doesn't turn up and is refunded (etc) can then arrange with the seller to cancel the transaction.

If someone has the presence of mind to contact me before I open a dispute then they usually have the presence of mind to agree to the cancellation. I don't think giving the benefit of the doubt stitches up anybody.

Personally if someone contacts me before the initial pre-NPB 4 days are up, I'm usually happy to arrange one - we all make mistakes, no-one's perfect, and at least they contacted me before I started a dispute. It is also quicker to be able to resell the item if I don't have to wait 8 days. I'm not desperate to be vindictive, it's more hassle to go through the dispute and risk an unhappy buyer paying and then leaving a neg or having to send the item out etc. Forcing buyers to accept something they've told you they don't want is pretty silly when there is a quick way of sorting it out to everyone's satisfaction. As an Amazon customer I've frequently made mistakes; I've cancelled transactions a couple of times before the item has been processed and although if I order the wrong thing I usually just sell it off on eBay, they do have a very liberal interpretation of the DSRs, so there's no harm in eBay having a similar facility.

Buying and selling isn't IMO about scoring points off each other - it's about doing business, and if the best way to do business is to give people who make mistakes a way out, then I'm happier with that than a process which just heightens the rancour and disagreeable nature of online commerce between private individuals. Give and take is essential in any business situation. Having high-minded principles may feel great, but it's bad if it gets between you and making money.

soolin

Crowqueen, you mention that this is business but then go on to suggest that a selelr is absolutely unable to have any protection in law. The law does actually entitle sellers to some protection. There is nothing at all in any legislation that says a seller cannot recoup any expenses and the only way to do that is for a seller to open a full NPB- I know we disagree on this point and whilst you post lots of advice there is still absolutely nothing that says I am wrong. When I do an NPB I am not being vindictive, I am using my business sense and protecting my fees.

Would you suggest therefore that the shops, and there are quite a few if you read other boards, that refuse to continue to deal with buyers if they prove difficult- Amazon is one of these stores. Put in an unusual amount of claims for loss or even just a plain return under DSRs and they will close your account. Are you suggesting they are breaking the law as well?

OP, you would be perfectly entitled to open an NPB and still remain within the DSR regulations regardless of whether you are a private or business seller. It does not cause the buyer any financial harm, nor does it expect payment- it merely protects your right to reclaim your fees.

xpf

I am only a private seller and just trying to make a few quid and declutter my house. I wouldn' t mind so much but the bidder contacted me to check the colour of the item and at that point could have asked for extra time to pay if necessary.

Thanks for the advice all