Non Payment of Aution Item

SuiDreams

I had a few items up for sale at the weekend, one sold cheaply on Monday Teatime, but the buyer still hasn't paid. I resent an Invoice last night, and still no response. What should I do next?

soolin

SuiDreams wrote: »

I had a few items up for sale at the weekend, one sold cheaply on Monday Teatime, but the buyer still hasn't paid. I resent an Invoice last night, and still no response. What should I do next?

You can open an NPB as early as 2 days after auction ends and can close it exactly 4 days after opening.

I tend to do mine at 2 days if I have any gut feeling about the buyer, but if they look as though they buy steadily and have recent feedback I tend to give them a couple of days longer. I only ever send one reminder invoice, I never email and I never ask them what they are doing, I just put in the NPB.

As soon as I put in an NPB I also block them from bidding on my items again.

SuiDreams

Buyer has 100% positive Feedback 18 in last 6 months nothing in the last month though. Think I'll give them a little longer to pay.

19lottie82

Personally, I would send them a message asking them to pay, or get in touch, within 24 hours. If you don't get a response, open an unpaid item case.

soolin

19lottie82 wrote: »

Personally, I would send them a message asking them to pay, or get in touch, within 24 hours. If you don't get a response, open an unpaid item case.

I would never suggest pushing a buyer or giving more deadlines buyer knows the time frames, has had 2 invoices- if they can't manage to pay then there is obviously an issue.

Problem with wasting time contacting buyers is what happens if they come back with one of those daft excuses like 'sorry my toddler bid and I don't want it' what then?

19lottie82

soolin wrote: »

I would never suggest pushing a buyer or giving more deadlines buyer knows the time frames, has had 2 invoices- if they can't manage to pay then there is obviously an issue.

Problem with wasting time contacting buyers is what happens if they come back with one of those daft excuses like 'sorry my toddler bid and I don't want it' what then?

I often find a polite personal message is a lot more effective than an invoice.

If they do come back with a daft excuse, at least you can cancel the transaction quickly and re list straight away.
Surely better to "waste" 30 seconds sending a message rather than 4 days plus while an unpaid item case is dragged out?

soolin

19lottie82 wrote: »

I often find a polite personal message is a lot more effective than an invoice.

If they do come back with a daft excuse, at least you can cancel the transaction quickly and re list straight away. Saves having to hang about for 4 days plus while an unpaid item case is dragged out IMO.

So you cancel the transaction, buyer doesn't get a strike and they carry on doing it to other sellers?

We get a lot of people on here moaning about non payers- it frustrates us all, yet when ebay give us mechanism to deal with them it is not used.

If someone doesn't want something and has no intention of paying- why not just come clean and admit it rather than expect a seller to waste time chasing them ? As a business seller I feel an obligation to cancel a sale as long as buyer tells me immediately, if they get invoices and still don't pay and only some up with a daft excuse when I push them then I feel no obligation to cancel and let them off without a strike.

Perhaps non payers don't bother you - I may well be much more bad tempered than a normal seller purely because I want to spend as little time as I can on ebay- I would rather do my own things than sit and wait or chase buyers.

SuiDreams

I think if it wasn't Easter Break I would be less inclined to give them more time. I'm not a Business seller, just trying to get rid of some unneeded items out of the house, so its all taking up a lot more of my time than I would like.

19lottie82

soolin wrote: »

If someone doesn't want something and has no intention of paying- why not just come clean and admit it rather than expect a seller to waste time chasing them ?

Perhaps non payers don't bother you - I may well be much more bad tempered than a normal seller purely because I want to spend as little time as I can on ebay- I would rather do my own things than sit and wait or chase buyers.

I'm giving them the opportunity to come clean, and we can both cancel the transaction and save time, if need be. If they ignore this and refuse to communicate then yes, I'll open a non payment case.

It's not a huge effort to me (20, 30 seconds?) to send them a quick message.

I'm not suggesting anyone should follow this path if they don't want to, it's just an option (which I find works for me).

I'm a business seller also btw, but I would imagine private buyers who are selling one off items, would rather a quick cancellation that having to spend 4 days plus sorting out a non payment case, before they can relist the item (and get paid), as described by the OP above.

SuiDreams

To be honest its the waiting around for the payment and being messed around by the buyer that bothers me the most, It only sold for a small amount so not really that bothered about the money. Probably wouldn't relist today if it was sorted today anyway as like all my sales to end on the same day to limit number of trips I have to make to the post office.

mrcol1000

I can understand both sides of this. If you open a case and they get a strike then it will go towards other people being spared a rubbish buyer.

However there are millions of genuine reasons why someone would not pay for an item. There is also a danger of someone paying for an item once a case is opened. If you force a buyer to pay for something they do not want. Then it could end in the item going missing in the post and/or retaliatory feedback. Ebay now seen to be unwilling to remove unfair feedback. It is for this sole reason I only open a case when the buyer is unresponsive to polite message asking about payment.

Maybe Ebay needs to remove Buyers opportunity to leave feedback once an unpaid case has been opened, rather than only if they do not pay.