Buyer with 2 ids - advice needed

Pixiegill

Strange one and I'm not sure what to do

I had an auction finish yesterday where the item didn't sell though it had 2 watchers for days. A couple of hours after the listing ended I received an email asking if I would sell them the item to them. I listed it has buy it now and emailed him back (he put his name on the email), I unfortunately didn't check his feedback before I relisted (wish I had now )....12 feedback but most of them saying he doesn't pay ! Minutes later a different buyer commits to buy but doesn't pay. Looking at the name and location of the buyer I'm certain it is the same person who originally emailed me ! ......this one is a new ebayer with 8 positive feedback.
This morning original man emails to say he doesn't want the item now (surprise surprise) but he can see that I've sold it !!
I still haven't received payment and I'm not expecting to as I'm sure it is the same person but can't understand why someone would do this :mad:

hermum

You can tick for immediate payment on BIN.
Unfortunately while sellers don't go through the NPB process people like this can continue to mess other sellers around.

Pixiegill

I suppose I just have to wait 4 days and open NPB case now ?

hermum

If they don't pay then open a NPB, that's all you can do.
Make sure your buyer preferences are set tight & I would block both buyers from buying from you again.

forgotmyname

Make sure they must have a credit card on file. Not foolproof but that stops the people that make random and endless accounts.

Make sure you complete the non paying bidder strike. That will hopefully go against them. And hopefully get that account closed.

If the other people had blocked buyers with strikes and actually put put a strike themselves then they wouldnt be there to mess you around.

Maybe a message to ebay with your concerns that these 2 accounts maybe trying to scam you. You think its the same person.

Pixiegill

Thanks for the advice - I thought I'd already set my buyer preferences tight but obviously not tight enough ! - I've blocked both now as well.

Just don't understand what people gain out of doing this though particulary when he had emailed me to ask if he could buy it after the auction had finished

Pixiegill

I've just closed an unpaid item case against this buyer so he should get a strike against his account now but should I leave feedback to warn other sellers ? , I know it will be a negative comment on a positive feedback

soolin

Pixiegill wrote: »

I've just closed an unpaid item case against this buyer so he should get a strike against his account now but should I leave feedback to warn other sellers ? , I know it will be a negative comment on a positive feedback

Really, you would leave a positive for buyer which means they look like better buyers to a casual browser?

If you leave a positive your unpaid strike can also be appealed so once again t leaves the buyer free to keep doing this and to get round the 2 strikes ban that most sellers have.

Crowqueen

Also, I don't think you can now leave feedback at all either, since you closed a strike case successfully in your favour.

The strike will do its work. No-one can vet their buyers before they buy, particularly if they snipe or buy a fixed price item, so unless you set your preferences properly, then these people still get around. They still have to be cleaned up after - there is no way you can simply decide not to sell to someone after they win the auction, plus they can always set their feedback to private.

Setting preferences in the first instance to block buyers with 2 strikes in 12 months is the only sensible solution to non-payers. Feedback has never been a completely objective tool and hence although it has an impact for seller (and rightfully so as trust depends on a buyer's impression of a seller's conduct), no buyer has ever been banned for accumulating negs or false positives - because eBay can't tell whether it is a definite case of non-payment or just a vindictive seller unless you do the strike.

Once you do the strike, eBay can see the buyer doesn't pay for their bids, so they can take proper action, and so can most sellers.