How can this possibly be fair? This situation happened to me a few weeks ago.

1) Customer purchases $85 item.

2) Customer does not pay.

3) Unpaid item dispute opened.

4) Customer still does not pay.

5) UPI closed. Final value fee granted. I can’t leave negative feedback – sellers are no longer able to.

6) Buyer leaves me negative feedback.

What is wrong with this picture? How can this happen? Here is eBay’s policy on non-payers and feedback:

“Enhanced protection for Unpaid Item: In addition to removing Feedback left by buyers who fail to respond to the Unpaid Item process, we now also remove Feedback when the buyer responds but it’s clear they did not complete the transaction—for example, if they state they bought the item elsewhere or had a family emergency. Sellers don’t deserve negative or neutral Feedback in such cases, and we now remove it.”

So, I am wondering if and when this will happen. In my opinion, I don’t think non-payers should be able to leave any feedback at all. They did not earn the right to leave feedback since they didn’t pay for their item. What do you think?

[Image Source: Flickr, eBay Coach Photos]

Post from: EveryJoe

Non-Paying Bidders Can Leave Negative Feedback on eBay

One of the most frustrating aspects of selling on eBay is dealing with buyers who do not pay for their items. eBay is the only place on the internet where a buyer can commit to buy an item, complete the checkout process, and not be required to pay immediately. After selling over 15,000 items, I’ve noticed 4 payment patterns:

Buyers who pay immediately
Buyers who pay within 1-2 days
Buyers who pay within 1 week
Buyers who don’t pay at all

Many sellers send 2 or more payment reminders to their buyers, in the hopes of collecting payment. I’ve not had much success with this technique. It is time consuming and an inefficient way to run your business. Use eBay automation to collect payment from your buyers.

eBay members must be 18 or older to transact business. We are all adults here, and if a buyer can complete the checkout process, he can figure out how to pay. Busy sellers don’t have time to chase down the buyers and ask for payment – buyers have already committed to pay and it is their obligation to pay.

Just use your eBay Selling Manager to file Unpaid Item Dispute and let eBay contact the buyer. Don’t be afraid to file these. Unpaid items will show up in your Dispute Console after 7 days. Since sellers can no longer leave negative feedback for non-payers, the only way we can remove non-paying bidders is to report Unpaid Items. If the buyer still does not pay after you file the dispute, submit your request for Final Value Fee Credit, relist the item and move on.

[Image Source: Flickr]

Post from: EveryJoe

Non-Paying eBay Buyers