Buyers enter a legal contract under English law when closing a deal on ebay.

[30terrym]

Although the buyer enters a Legal Contract under English Law, and then doesn't pay, Ebay are very weak to carry out harsh sentencing.

Short of taking the buyer to court (which is an expensive undertaking) in my opinion ebay do not take strong enough action.

Protection under Ebay Rules has greatly favoured the buyer over many years. The poor old seller ends up getting a NEGATIVE FEED BACK for no particular reason, which Ebay do nothing about.

To try to get the balance back  someway towards equal, my suggestion is to Ebay that buyers who enter into a contract, and then do not pay up should receive a NEGATIVE FEEDBACK. Perhaps then they might think twice before before pressing the buy button.

30terrym.

[plpmr]

"my suggestion is to Ebay that buyers who enter into a contract, and then do not pay up should receive a NEGATIVE FEEDBACK"

Much, much better they get an unpaid strike as long as the seller follows procedure.

As to 'contract' eBay cannot enforce any such thing.

Another problem regarding enforcing any 'contract' - buyers have numerous ways to defend that, for example, they could cause sellers who are incorrectly registered far more trouble then they face.