Positive Feedback looks corrupt

[cnberg2005]

I’m selling a small item at the moment. The auction ended last night but the buyer has yet to make a payment. I’m not a frequent buyer or seller on eBay but my past experiences have all been positive. So when I check out the buyer’s details it shows 100% positive with a score over 4,000. BUT when you read the comments a significant number are very negative. This member, it would seem, has regularly bid and not paid for goods yet the comments are attached to positive feedback. What’s going on here? On the face of it this looks like eBay whitewashing feedback so that everything comes out positive. And what do I do with my sale? Do I have to wait out the 4 days to see if they are going to pay?

[buffster1963]

Sellers are only allowed to leave positive feedback for buyers and are not supposed to leave negative comments on a positive, but as you have seen, some do break the rules and do that. 
you do need to wait four days and then cancel the sale if the buyer does not pay. Also add them to your blocked bidders list. 

[tressygirl · Accepted solution]

It's not eBay ' whitewashing feedback'  but sellers breaking feedback rules,  and also not helping other sellers.

It's a policy violation to leave negative feedbacks for buyers,  hence the lack of a ' red dot' negative facility to do so.

As you can see,  not only breaking feedback rules those sellers have done nothing to stop this potential non payer for your item , proceeding to bid and win your item.

Instead,  had they used the tools eBay provide,  that is,  to cancel orders after 4 days citing Non Payment,  this would have given the buyer a strike,  two strikes would see them banned from most sellers and yourself if you have your site preferences set to block 2 strike non payers.

You need to wait 4 days if you're not paid,   Cancel the Order Citing Buyer Has Not paid, giving this buyer a well deserved strike,  and block them from returning to your sales.

@cnberg2005 

[cnberg2005]

Great thanks, it’s good to know that there are proper procedures to follow if things don’t go to plan. As you say it’s a pity when not everyone follows them.