Can I cancel a sale before the buyer has paid? (eBay)

kasqueak

I’ve been selling some of my child’s toys they’ve grown out of on eBay. 

Something ended yesterday and the buyer is yet to pay, I know they have a few days, BUT I can see from their feedback that it seems they regularly win auctions and don’t pay and also claim things were not received / as described etc. 

All recorded as positive feedback of course as no option to leave negative or neutral for buyers anymore (grr!)

I can already foresee this being a problem transaction. Can I cancel the transaction before I’ve given them the required time to pay and just realist the items?

I don’t have the time or energy to deal with problem buyers! 

Thanks in advance. 

MalMonroe

You're judging someone before you even know what they're going to do. If the buyer doesn't pay then do relist. But if they pay then there won't be a problem. Everyone buying and selling on eBay has the 100% money back guarantee, as long as they do all transactions through eBay, so you don't have anything to lose by just hanging on a bit. You don't even know that these buyers will be a problem for you, yet. And even if they are, it won't be a big deal. If they don't pay, you don't send and then you can relist. 

Cancelling the transaction before you have given them the required time to pay won't be allowed by eBay, will it?  

The buyer wouldn't be given positive feedback if people weren't happy with them. If I'm not happy with a buyer or a seller, I tell eBay and then I don't leave any feedback at all. 

I'd say just give them the same opportunity as anyone else to pay up. You won't lose anything (except a bit of time - and we're all very busy, it's a busy world).

bris

MalMonroe said:

 
The buyer wouldn't be given positive feedback if people weren't happy with them. If I'm not happy with a buyer or a seller, I tell eBay and then I don't leave any feedback at all.

I'd say just give them the same opportunity as anyone else to pay up. You won't lose anything (except a bit of time - and we're all very busy, it's a busy world).

Ebay is full of chancers, false positive reviews are often left like in this case, if the buyer doesn't complain to get them removed then sellers can see what they are like. Obviously they give positive because they can;t give anything else.

Depending on low value though I would just wait but if it is expensive then go with your gut.

Norman_Castle

MalMonroe said:

  The buyer wouldn't be given positive feedback if people weren't happy with them. If I'm not happy with a buyer or a seller, I tell eBay and then I don't leave any feedback at all. 

Buyers can only be given positive feedback. Last year I sold a bike, collection only to a buyer 120 miles away. He paid but failed to contact to arrange collection. His feedback, all positive showed he did this regularly. At least 60% said, "won item, no contact, forced to refund". Sellers regularly give "positive" feedback as it the only platform for them to share their experience of a poor buyer.
I cancelled the sale stating a spurios reason. I'd do the same again if I didn't trust a buyer.

jon81uk

If instead of giving them false positive feedback those sellers had reported them as non-paying bidders it is far better. 

You can set up buyer requirements to automatically block buyers with non-paying bidder strikes.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/listings/creating-managing-listings/setting-buyer-requirements?id=4152

In this case you can cancel the sale but you will lose your fees and the buyer can leave you negative feedback. 

Probably better to wait and see if they pay, and if they don’t pay after four days then cancel giving the reason as a non-paying so they get a strike.

kasqueak

They have been left positive feedback as there’s no option to leave anything else. But ALL of the comments of them as a buyer is that they didn’t pay / claimed it wasn’t received or described. 

Personally I don’t leave bad buyers feedback, I report them to eBay. But in someways it’s the only way to let other sellers know what they’re potentially like. This is why I think it’s ludicrous that you can’t leave anything other than positive feedback for buyers! You should be able to leave a neutral at least. 

The value of the item is £55, they still haven’t paid but I just have this gut feeling that if they do it will cause hassle. 

I will wait out the 4 days (tomorrow) and report to eBay if they don’t pay and relist. 

Norman_Castle

jon81uk said:

If instead of giving them false positive feedback those sellers had reported them as non-paying bidders it is far better. 

You can set up buyer requirements to automatically block buyers with non-paying bidder strikes.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/listings/creating-managing-listings/setting-buyer-requirements?id=4152

I left honest feedback and reported them. They'd been doing this for months, I expect others leaving bad feedback had also reported them. Without feedback from others its impossible to know how often he was doing this, clearly many affected sellers will refund without leaving feedback leaving his time wasting behaviour hidden.  My buyer requirements are set to block non paying bidders but this buyers pays then gets a refund so the buyer requirements are met.

jon81uk

kasqueak said:

They have been left positive feedback as there’s no option to leave anything else. But ALL of the comments of them as a buyer is that they didn’t pay / claimed it wasn’t received or described. 

No there is the option to report the buyer. When leaving feedback for the buyer there are two options, leave positive feedback, or report them. If they didn't pay sellers should ALWAYS report it.

jon81uk

Norman_Castle said:

jon81uk said:

If instead of giving them false positive feedback those sellers had reported them as non-paying bidders it is far better. 

You can set up buyer requirements to automatically block buyers with non-paying bidder strikes.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/listings/creating-managing-listings/setting-buyer-requirements?id=4152

I left honest feedback and reported them. They'd been doing this for months, I expect others leaving bad feedback had also reported them. Without feedback from others its impossible to know how often he was doing this, clearly many affected sellers will refund without leaving feedback leaving his time wasting behaviour hidden.  My buyer requirements are set to block non paying bidders but this buyers pays then gets a refund so the buyer requirements are met.

A significant number of sellers don't read feedback just look at the number. So false positives don't help, they make someone look much better than they are.

dander

It certainly used to be possible to cancel a transaction if you suddenly discovered an item was faulty when you went to package it. Would that be an option, with sending great apologies to the buyer about your mistake? 
Also if you are really sure you don't trust the buyer, you could always play their game - take the money, not send the item and refund them when they say they didn't receive it, with apologies that it must have got lost in the post. Runs a slight risk of you getting negged and is obviously a bit dishonest, but it's an option and no-one would really be hurt by it.

Norman_Castle

jon81uk said:

Norman_Castle said:

jon81uk said:

If instead of giving them false positive feedback those sellers had reported them as non-paying bidders it is far better. 

You can set up buyer requirements to automatically block buyers with non-paying bidder strikes.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/listings/creating-managing-listings/setting-buyer-requirements?id=4152

I left honest feedback and reported them. They'd been doing this for months, I expect others leaving bad feedback had also reported them. Without feedback from others its impossible to know how often he was doing this, clearly many affected sellers will refund without leaving feedback leaving his time wasting behaviour hidden.  My buyer requirements are set to block non paying bidders but this buyers pays then gets a refund so the buyer requirements are met.

A significant number of sellers don't read feedback just look at the number. So false positives don't help, they make someone look much better than they are.

I read the buyers feedback because of his behaviour after purchase. I expect a significant number of sellers having problems with a buyer do the same. I've just checked this buyers recent feedback and he is still regularly buying items then vanishing with sellers leaving false positive feedback. Clearly reporting buyers doesn't work. Without the comments from other miffed sellers I would have wasted more time trying to accommodate the sale. Without the ability to leave negative feedback buyer feedback is worthless. It simply shows happy sellers with the unhappy ones unheard.