Can I exclude a buyer with zero transaction history from bidding for my item on ebay?

JUAN8888

I'm only a casual seller usually just clearing out unwanted junk when ebay do a free-listing promotion.

This time, I've put on a mobile phone and I've got 10 "watching" it so far but I've just had someone make an opening bid at the starting price of £75.

It's someone who's registered about 2 months ago but has zero history (buying or selling) which makes me a bit wary.

Is there any way of filtering these bids in future? Looking at the buyer requirements, you can only exclude those with negative feedback.

luvvlyjubbly

Hopefully no you can't....we all have to start somewhere and I've sold several times to ebayers with zero feedback.
If they don't pay you can open a non paying bidder case

pulliptears

OP, remember when you were new to eBay and you made your first purchase as a 0 Feedback member? How would you like to have been banned from bidding just because you were new?

Crowqueen

If everyone did this no-one would ever get started.

Imagine if you were refused entry to a shop because you had never been there before. You'd probably go elsewhere - and most of eBay's new buyers would too.

soolin

You can block zero feedback buyers if you invoke the clause 'unless they have a card registered with ebay'.

However most of the issues i have ever had have been with buyers whose feedback is in the 'teens' as they think they are experts and can do whatever they want.

Crowqueen

Due to a small volume over the last few years I don't really remember my last problem buyer - it might even have been the cheque that bounced in 2008 - but I had the full range of feedback in my non-paying bidder chronicles.

Being quite frank about it, I wish eBay would abolish buyer feedback altogether. It really does nothing positive any more.

pulliptears

When I look into my preferences I'm always amazed that the majority of people with non paying strikes etc who are barred automatically from bidding seem to have feedback into the hundreds.
Newbies I find are extremely polite, quick to pay and quick to leave feedback.

motorguy

I put the following at the end of my 'high risk' listings (laptops, mobile phones, etc)

** Ebayers with less than 5 positive Feedback **

Due to the amount of scammers on Ebay, if you have feedback of 5 or less, please contact me in advance, supplying your full UK address and a land line telephone number on which you can be contacted. Failure to comply with this WILL mean your bid will be removed and you will be barred from bidding.

Then if someone does bid with 0 feedback i simply cancel their bids and block them.

Some might say harsh, but i dont have time for scammers or timewasters.

motorguy

Crowqueen wrote: »

If everyone did this no-one would ever get started.

Imagine if you were refused entry to a shop because you had never been there before. You'd probably go elsewhere - and most of eBay's new buyers would too.

pulliptears wrote: »

OP, remember when you were new to eBay and you made your first purchase as a 0 Feedback member? How would you like to have been banned from bidding just because you were new?

True, however most scams on ebay in the mobile phone arena are committed by people with v low or zero feedback. If you want to risk losing potentially several hundred pounds, thats your perrogative.

pulliptears

pgilc1 wrote: »

True, however most scams on ebay in the mobile phone arena are committed by people with v low or zero feedback. If you want to risk losing potentially several hundred pounds, thats your perrogative.

I've sold several mobile phones to newly registered people. As long as you ship to the paypal verified address using special delivery insured to fully cover the phone I don't see (nor have had) the issue.

Perhaps its because when I have sold mobiles in the past I have carefully detailed and photographed every seam and informed the bidders that the IMEI numbers have been recorded.

If you are stupid, advertise the auction with first class post etc, ship to the mates uncle in Nigeria then you will get caught. Play within the rules I don't see the problem.

motorguy

pulliptears wrote: »

I've sold several mobile phones to newly registered people. As long as you ship to the paypal verified address using special delivery insured to fully cover the phone I don't see (nor have had) the issue.

Perhaps its because when I have sold mobiles in the past I have carefully detailed and photographed every seam and informed the bidders that the IMEI numbers have been recorded.

If you are stupid, advertise the auction with first class post etc, ship to the mates uncle in Nigeria then you will get caught. Play within the rules I don't see the problem.

Its not necessarily even the risk of losing the money, its the loss of time. By the time an auction ends, you get an email asking to ship to nigeria, you decline, you then relist for another week, etc, etc.