UNPAID ITEMS FOLLOWED BY FURTHER BIDS

[theking1964]

Hi

I sold an item three days ago and the buyer has neither paid nor responded to requests for payment.  My problem is that, shortly after that auction ended, he logged multiple bids on other listings of mine.  In these circumstances, I have no wish to sell to this individual.  However, as I understand it, eBay will charge me a fee if I cancel the bids the buyer made after the first auction ended. I appreciate that the buyer may have decided to await the outcome of the remaining auctions (most of which end just under a week after his winning bid) but, even if that is the case, the absence of any communication from him makes me reluctant to complete any further transactions, assuming, of course, he wins any of the items and pays for them.

Any advice would be most appreciated.

Jim

[john1297576 · Accepted solution]

It is worth letting the other items end and then sending a Combined Invoice. THEN if not paid open unpaid cases for each item after two days. You are allowed to open unpaid cases up to 32 days from purchase, so you have plenty of time, but you must close the Unpaid Cases after 4 days. A buyer with more than two unpaid strikes will find it much more difficult to bid in future, that is why you should set your buyer preferences to block any member with 2 or more unpaid strikes.

[theking1964 · Accepted solution]

John1297576
Many thanks for your helpful suggestions. My buyer preferences are already set to block bidders and buyers with 2 or more unpaid cases within 6 months. I will change this to 1 month. As mentioned in my initial post, I have sent an invoice and follow-up emails in respect of the auction ended item, all to no avail and, in the last one, set a deadline for payment (or response of some sort!) before reporting as an unpaid bid. I accept your suggestion about the remaining items and will indicate such on your post. Thank you so much.

[pixiesen2012 · Accepted solution]

no, don't change it to one month, you need to change it to 12 months!


as the buyer has bid on more items I assume they are waiting to pay for all the items at the same time and get a postage discount, as you state in your listings that you will combine postage

[theking1964 · Accepted solution]

pixiesen2012
Many thanks for your comments. You may well be correct about the buyer's "tactics" although why someone would bid on items with end dates more than a week apart without contacting the buyer to agree deferred payment is beyond me. It takes all sorts I suppose. I looked at his feedback which, although 100% positive, contains one reported non-payment in the past month (I presume the seller did this in exasperation because he/she was not permitted to leave negative feedback as a seller). Many thanks once again for your help.

[pixiesen2012 · Accepted solution]

you state in your listings you will combine postage for multiple purchases, so why do they need to contact you to ask if you will actually do what you state?

[theking1964 · Accepted solution]

Because the first and last auctions are over a week apart and the first is a winning bid, the rest may yet attract bids from others. In my opinion, it's common courtesy to seek the sellers agreement to defer payment until the outcome of further bids are known. Also, I don't always check who has bid on my items before the auction ends, nor do I feel it is essential that I do so. Thank you again for your comments.

[tressygirl]

3 days after a sale is not a long time to wait for payment,  eBay do allow 48 hours ,  and most sellers do allow a little longer.

If this buyer is bidding on other items,  then they may well be waiting to buy  and pay altogether, when are these auctions ending.?

Yes,  if you cancel those bids,  and receive no  other on the item,  then you will be charged a seller fee on the highest bid which might not yet be showing.

Allow them to win and see if they pay,  unfortunately there are some late payers,  and some who do not communicate well .

If a long time passes with a non payment just open an unpaid item case in the Resolution Centre , close on day 5,  seller fee refunded and buyer gets a strike,  they are only allowed one.

Put all non payers on your blocked buyers list so they do not return.  Account tab  >>  Site Preferences >>  Buyer Requirements >>  Block Buyers who ..... 

[theking1964]

tressygirl
Very many thanks for your response. While I agree that 3 days is not a particularly long time, you also acknowledge that eBay allows 48 hours before sellers can report a non-paying bidder. My remaining auctions on which the prospective buyer has logged bids end on Monday and Thursday of next week. I have no problem with a buyer wanting to group the bids together but I'm afraid I'm not as sympathetic as you about the lack of communication. The prospective buyer is a very experienced eBayer with over 6,000 transactions and it is common courtesy to seek a seller's agreement to defer payment rather than simply ignore invoices and emails. As I mentioned, all of the subsequent bids were logged after the end of the auction which the individual won so I think it unlikely that,for example, a domestic problem, has caused the lack of communication.
Thank you again for your helpful response. It is much appreciated.