Cancel order and leave negative feedback?

[3narf]

I thought I sold my car yesterday. It turned out the buyer just wanted to come and look & test drive it. He got funny when I took issue with this, and told me to sell it to someone else.

I had 1200 views and 100 watching and now I have to readvertise it, so I'm less than impressed. I can't relist it unless I cancel the order and if I do I won't be able to leave negative feedback for this timewaster. 

If I don't cancel the order, and just start a new listing, I'll get charged a fee for selling it the first time! 

What should I do?

[temperate_porcine]

@3narf 

You've re-listed the car in the wrong category, the fees are 10% in that category, you may want to end that listing before you have a sale.

[tressygirl]

Surely,   buying a car you would accept the buyer would wish to inspect it fully,  and test drive it,  and not just buy it on looks alone?

I'm afraid if the buyer was not allowed to do the above,  then he would be in his rights to walk away and not pay ,  without having done that all important test drive.

Yes,  lsiting fees for cars are not refundable.  If you list it again,  you pay the listing fee again.  Same as you woul if you advertised it in a local paper ,  and someone came to inspect your car,   and changed their mind about buying,  the paper would not refund you your advertising fee.

[3narf]

You don't win an auction then ask to view and test drive. It was on for 10 days, plenty of time to view and make a decision. He didn't come at all, got funny as soon as I pointed this out.

Anyway, I'm not asking for comments about who is in the right, I know I am.

[pixiesen2012]

except you are not in the right, as on ebay people cannot view first!

[tressygirl]

Those are the rules here on eBay, on all collection items, the buyer first ' buys' the item, that way eBay get their seller fee, then the buyer comes and inspects, they are then in full rights after inspection to walk away and not pay, and seller send a cancellation request to retrieve seller fees, as explained above listing fees are non refundable.

That is how it has to be because there is no way later to enforce a buyer to go home press that Buy it Now button, which is when eBay get their fees, and not when the buyer pays you.

@3narf 

[3narf]

I never said at any point that the 'buyer' wasn't allowed to inspect and test drive.

[pixiesen2012]

I think you did:-

It turned out the buyer just wanted to come and look & test drive it. He got funny when I took issue with this, and told me to sell it to someone else.

[plpmr]

Adding to the advice already given -

You have listed the Landrover and you have two problems -

You state you will only allow a test drive after a deposit has been paid – deposits are against eBay policy.

You have listed in - Vehicle Parts & Accessories>Car Parts>Other Car Parts – meaning you will be hit with very high fees as it's in the wrong category.

[arkwebus]

Would you expect a buyer to 100% commit on just the description of a car for £4000?  The general advice that we give is to do as the buyer did. Take a wodge of cash, view the car and pay if suitable. 

The best way to sell a car is to list it as a "classified advert on eBay" which enables just that and you can add your contact details.   You can either cancel or open a non-payer case to get a final fee [but not listing fee] back.   You may be able to make a second chance offer to the underbidder.

As a seller you cannot leave negative feedback and must not try to circumvent that by - for example - an adverse comment on a green spot.

@3narf 

[3narf]

Yes, of course I expect them to buy! It was on ebay for ten days and they could have viewed at any point. So you think it's for 99 people to miss out so 1 can come and view?

Anyway, he didn't actually come. When I asked him if he was definitely interested he got funny, so obviously never intended to buy.

[pixiesen2012]

they couldn't have viewed at any point, as ebay have banned the exchange of contact details

[3narf]

Well, clearly that doesn't work.

[pixiesen2012]

it does work, but not in the way you want it to,


now people bid to view,


once they have won the bid they go and view the car and pay if they want it, or walk away if they don't

if you don't like this way you need to list as a 'classified ad' you then pay one fee to adverise your car for one month,

people can then come and view the car and buy it if they want to, but you don't end the listing until after they have paid for it.

[3narf]

Ok, so is it only cars where winning an auction isn't a commitment to buy? Or is there a certain monetary value where this applies? Who decides that?

[pixiesen2012]

it is mainly cars and property,

but as people cannot view before purchase anything that is collection only is treated in the same way

[3narf]

And I meant - clearly the no contact policy doesn't work, as I gave my phone number to several watchers with no problems.

[pixiesen2012]

you won't be able to leave negative feedback no matter what you do, as ebay removed that option over 12 years ago!

you will be charged the listing fee if you relist,

it will be cheaper in the long run to list as a classified ad

[corred]

@3narf 

There is no way for a buyer to arrange to view the car until they hit the buy or win the auction as you cannot exchanr contact detailsprior to sale unless you list as a classified ad

If you close the auction as buyer changed mind you get the 1% refunded BUT by not allowing the buyer to view they might decline the cancellation

[3narf]

Everyone seems to be reading my post as if I wouldn't let the buyer come and view/test drive? Where exactly did I say that?

I merely pointed out that they had won the auction without viewing while it was live, when they cancelled the appointment to view, I asked if they were definitely still coming and to let me know if not (a reasonable request). That's when they got funny and told me to sell it to someone else.

[corred]

@3narf

As you stated " It turned out the buyer just wanted to come and look & test drive it."

Until they were the winning bidder they could not do that though.....so at that point it was not appropriate to question their motives......you probably came across as not wanting then to check/test drive before paying

[3narf]

They could have come and viewed. I gave out my phone number to several watchers who asked questions.

[corred]

@3narf

Then you have breached eBay rules & may yet face sanction

[red_magpie]

EBay doesn't allow buyers to have your address for inspection until after the lisitng has ended,

You can't seriously expect anyone to buy a £4,000 vehicle without even inspecting it. Would YOU do this?

It happens all the time now. EBay introduced this rule to protect eBay, never mind the problems it's causing for sellers and buyers.

It isn't your fault, or your buyer's. Just send them a cancelaltion request through the resolution centre, to get your final value fee credited back to you.

[arkwebus]

Re the "no contact policy" if ebay "notices" [and we think that it has "bots" which scan messages] then their usual first sanction may be to remove the advert [with no fee refund] or to otherwise restrict your account.

You may get away with it and - certainly - we see plenty of listings which do have phone details or "contact me" on them but just because they get away with it ...

@3narf 

[arkwebus]

If you gave your contact details to buyers prior to completing the sale listing then - as has been explained - that is a breach of eBay's rules. If they notice they may sanction you and restrict your account.   EBay has this policy [basically] so that sellers do not contact buyers and swap details and then do an "off-ebay" deal to avoid depriving ebay of its fees.  They hate that; for obvious reasons!

The best way forward is to use an eBay "classified" listing whereby you can include a contact method.  You pay a slightly higher listing fee and nothing further on sale

[There was an article some while back which set out the view that a contract for items on-line comes into effect only when the item is despatched.  The reason seemed to be that up until that point the item might be sold to someone else]

@3narf 

[john1297576]

Listing feesare payable whether a vehicle sells or not. You might do better to try a Classified Ad. You still pay a listing fee, but no selling fee. You are free to negotiate and only end when you have sold and been paid.

As far as the one just ended you will have been charged a Selling Fee. To recover that you either start an UnpaidCase or Cancel. Safer to do the Unpaid route as without the cooperation of the buyer you could still end up having to pay the fee.

The selling fee is 1% so you have been charged £40.

[3narf]

So if the buyer changes his mind and also refuses to cancel the order, I still have to pay the 1%? How can that be fair?

[pixiesen2012]

don't 'cancel' open a non payment case to get the final value fees refunded