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Increasing Ebay Buyer Non-Payment Phenomenon

I have recently experienced a rapid rise in non-payment problems from ebay buyers.

In the last 60 days, I have sold 190 different items. All items sale price < $140 = 100% payment. All items sale price > $140 = 35% payment and 65% non-payment.

Question: is it more common or normal to see a greater number of non-payers for high value items?

I assume on average, "yes"....items of higher sale price may be outside the pocketbook range for some collectors.

After 4 days of non-payment, I generally send a friendly reminder asking for payment; after 7 days I open a non-payment case. I generally never obtain a response from non-payers. So I do not get the "excuse matrix" tossed at me as some other sellers have mentioned in other posts on this forum. However, when I open a case, I get buyer msgs often stating, "Well, I looked at the pictures again and I don't like condition of the card, so cancel the transaction." I want to toss my hands in the air and say, "Why didn't you review the 300+ DPI scans of the front and back sides of the card I posted BEFORE you made an offer or bought it?" Smells like an excuse for me or just a person with buyers remorse before they make payment.

Anyway, I am writing this msg to vent because today a buyer threatened me with negative feedback if I pursued a non-payment strike case against him/her. The buyer stated he/she did not want the card anymore after a "second look" due to the "condition" and told me to cancel the transaction. I opened a non-payment case as a result (it had been 5 days already since the auction ended) and that is when this buyer threatened me.

Sigh, does it have to be this difficult to sell on ebay?

Note: I know ebay is attempting to institute methods this spring to reduce non-paying buyers, but these policies do not punish non-payers effectively and do not enable sellers to leave negative feedback for non-payers, so I do not see how these changes shall improve my situation. Yes, I can offer BIN with immediate payment, but I have seen more success with BIN/OBO auctions, so I generally sell in this format. I guess it is a "risk" decision on my part....get immediately payment or offer a more flexible buying format to increase potential opportunities to sell an item.

Anyone else seeing something similar or am I an outlier here???

Any advice on how do reduce non-payers from buying my stuff?

Can an ebay buyer really leave me negative feedback once a non-payment case has been adjudicated? Or is this feedback option disabled once this occurs?

Meatloaf

Comments

  • Ebay is getting worse and worse. I am going t open a store in my office just to have for fun.......no competition here. Ebay store will become a skeleton. You are not the only one dealing with them. I have had increase in problems with buyers not only on ebay but the web as well. I have a buyer here that recently negotiated an offer with me on some stuff BST and I took HIS price and when it was time to finalize and pay no response. I also had a buyer again approach me on net54 and back out of a deal he made. Ebay and the times we are in definitely have birthed this problem. No accountability and no moral compass IMO.


    Jason
  • dennis07dennis07 Posts: 1,842 ✭✭✭
    I would let ebay know the buyer threatened you with a negative. I believe that is against their rules. If he does leave a negative I
    would think you could get it removed.
    Collecting 1970 Topps baseball
  • vols1vols1 Posts: 793 ✭✭✭
    First thing to do is report them for threatening to leave negative feedback. Then it is on file if they do leave the feedback.
  • mattyc_collectionmattyc_collection Posts: 2,130 ✭✭✭✭✭
    There are lot of tools out there who want great items but don't have the money to step up and own them.

    Instagram: mattyc_collection

  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,743 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Better to get non-payers than buyers who keep card and scam you.

    BTW, what happened with the 68 wax box? Was it legit?


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • You running auctions or BIN's?

    I have switched to a a BIN only model over the last couple of years. In 1,200 transactions, I have not had one single non-payer. Not one. And I've sold a ton of high dollar and low dollar cards.
  • OAKESY25OAKESY25 Posts: 4,726 ✭✭✭
    I have switched to a a BIN only model over the last couple of years. In 1,200 transactions, I have not had one single non-payer. Not one. And I've sold a ton of high dollar and low dollar cards.

    +1
  • If an ebayer commits to buy, then doesn't pay then the seller should be able to leave negative.
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,743 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>If an ebayer commits to buy, then doesn't pay then the seller should be able to leave negative. >>



    Alas, that was the case many moons ago..


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • Mickey71Mickey71 Posts: 4,259 ✭✭✭✭
    Meatloaf,

    65% non payment????? Really? How many auctions are we talking about here? Something just doesn't make sense to me. Am I reading something wrong?
  • lostdart58lostdart58 Posts: 2,938 ✭✭✭
    I have been selling tons of stuff on ebay in the last four months....maybe 250 items.....

    I have ZERO non payers.

    Collector of:Baseball
    1955 Bowman Raw complete with 90% Ex-NR or better

    Now seeking 1949 Eureka Sportstamps...NM condition
    Working on '78 Autographed set now 99.9% complete -
    Working on '89 Topps autoed set now complete




  • << <i>Meatloaf,

    65% non payment????? Really? How many auctions are we talking about here? Something just doesn't make sense to me. Am I reading something wrong? >>



    13/20 items > $140
  • aconteaconte Posts: 2,053 ✭✭✭
    Sorry to hear this.

    aconte
  • LarkinCollectorLarkinCollector Posts: 8,975 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I wonder if this is why I got an "Unpaid Item Case" opened against me this weekend. I won an auction by snipe Friday night and had an unpaid case waiting for me within 48 hours. I pay for my winnings every weekday morning when I log into my computer, but try to stay away on the weekends and let snipes do their magic. In 4 years I have no strikes against me (unpaid, bid retractions, etc.), seller jumps the gun and is now going to get negged.
  • GuruGuru Posts: 3,127
    You might want to check and make sure that Ebay didn't do this automatically. Seems like the seller doesn't have much control these days when a buyer doesn't pay within a certain period of time.
  • LarkinCollectorLarkinCollector Posts: 8,975 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>You might want to check and make sure that Ebay didn't do this automatically. Seems like the seller doesn't have much control these days when a buyer doesn't pay within a certain period of time. >>


    Ebay sends you reminders at 3 & 7 days to pay for items, but does not automatically open unpaid item cases unless specified by the seller's settings. I don't think you can even set for cases to automatically be opened in less than 3 days after an auction closes. I get the reminders frequently when I've contacted the seller that I'm interested in other auctions of theirs that don't end for another 5-7 days.


  • << <i>I wonder if this is why I got an "Unpaid Item Case" opened against me this weekend. I won an auction by snipe Friday night and had an unpaid case waiting for me within 48 hours. I pay for my winnings every weekday morning when I log into my computer, but try to stay away on the weekends and let snipes do their magic. In 4 years I have no strikes against me (unpaid, bid retractions, etc.), seller jumps the gun and is now going to get negged. >>



    I have kept my unpaid item assistant off. I manually file a case depending on when and if I hear back from the buyer. To protect myself against negative feedback, I have considered setting the assistant to file cases at 4 days.
  • zep33zep33 Posts: 6,897 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>You might want to check and make sure that Ebay didn't do this automatically. Seems like the seller doesn't have much control these days when a buyer doesn't pay within a certain period of time. >>


    Ebay sends you reminders at 3 & 7 days to pay for items, but does not automatically open unpaid item cases unless specified by the seller's settings. I don't think you can even set for cases to automatically be opened in less than 3 days after an auction closes. I get the reminders frequently when I've contacted the seller that I'm interested in other auctions of theirs that don't end for another 5-7 days. >>



    Unless Ebay changed the rules once again, a buyer can't even open a npb case until 4 full days have passed - automatic or not

  • CollectorAtWorkCollectorAtWork Posts: 859 ✭✭✭
    I don't see any rise in non-payment for my buyers on ebay. I tend to work w/ my buyers a little more. Maybe that makes a difference. On every ebay listing I have, I state that payment is expected within 7 days. Usually 2-3 days after the buyer purchases an item (assuming they do not need combined shipping), I send them the ebay invoice. Then around the 6 day mark, I send them a message telling them that payment is expected after 7 days, but if they need more time to let me know. At the 8 day mark, if they haven't paid or responded to my message, then I open the case. A lot of times, the buyer says he needs another week or so, and I always grant it, and as long as the buyer is responding to message, they always pay eventually, at least for me.
  • LarkinCollectorLarkinCollector Posts: 8,975 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>

    << <i>You might want to check and make sure that Ebay didn't do this automatically. Seems like the seller doesn't have much control these days when a buyer doesn't pay within a certain period of time. >>


    Ebay sends you reminders at 3 & 7 days to pay for items, but does not automatically open unpaid item cases unless specified by the seller's settings. I don't think you can even set for cases to automatically be opened in less than 3 days after an auction closes. I get the reminders frequently when I've contacted the seller that I'm interested in other auctions of theirs that don't end for another 5-7 days. >>



    Unless Ebay changed the rules once again, a buyer can't even open a npb case until 4 full days have passed - automatic or not >>



    We have opened an unpaid item case for XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
    If payment isn't received by Mar-06-14, the seller may withdraw from the contract and you would no longer be entitled to receive this item. Additionally, an unpaid item may be recorded on your account, which could lead to your account being suspended.

    If you've already paid and think payment should have been received by now, please contact eBay Customer Support.

    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
    Item # : XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
    End time: Feb-28-14 16:03:24 PST
    Seller: acorbo49
    Case opened: Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 17:04:09 PST


    I stand corrected, not within 48 hours, they were able to open one 49 hours after item was won with zero business days (Friday 4PM PST -> Sunday 5PM PST).
  • LarkinCollectorLarkinCollector Posts: 8,975 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I don't see any rise in non-payment for my buyers on ebay. I tend to work w/ my buyers a little more. Maybe that makes a difference. On every ebay listing I have, I state that payment is expected within 7 days. Usually 2-3 days after the buyer purchases an item (assuming they do not need combined shipping), I send them the ebay invoice. Then around the 6 day mark, I send them a message telling them that payment is expected after 7 days, but if they need more time to let me know. At the 8 day mark, if they haven't paid or responded to my message, then I open the case. A lot of times, the buyer says he needs another week or so, and I always grant it, and as long as the buyer is responding to message, they always pay eventually, at least for me. >>


    That sounds reasonable and similar to what I've done in the past.
  • So Larkin and other buyers expect that a seller must ship within 24 hours or be dinged on DSRs or worse, but if you take a few days to pay that should warrant a neg if they sent you a reminder? What is your ID again?
  • LarkinCollectorLarkinCollector Posts: 8,975 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>So Larkin and other buyers expect that a seller must ship within 24 hours or be dinged on DSRs or worse, but if you take a few days to pay that should warrant a neg if they sent you a reminder? What is your ID again? >>


    Not a reminder, opened a case with no attempt at communication. I wouldn't have minded a message reminder or invoice sent as a reminder. That would be like me opening a case for not receiving an item in under 3 days. I'm also not one to ding DSRs unless they took over a week to ship and had a shorter handling period noted with no communication.
  • zep33zep33 Posts: 6,897 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>

    << <i>

    << <i>You might want to check and make sure that Ebay didn't do this automatically. Seems like the seller doesn't have much control these days when a buyer doesn't pay within a certain period of time. >>


    Ebay sends you reminders at 3 & 7 days to pay for items, but does not automatically open unpaid item cases unless specified by the seller's settings. I don't think you can even set for cases to automatically be opened in less than 3 days after an auction closes. I get the reminders frequently when I've contacted the seller that I'm interested in other auctions of theirs that don't end for another 5-7 days. >>



    Unless Ebay changed the rules once again, a buyer can't even open a npb case until 4 full days have passed - automatic or not >>



    We have opened an unpaid item case for XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
    If payment isn't received by Mar-06-14, the seller may withdraw from the contract and you would no longer be entitled to receive this item. Additionally, an unpaid item may be recorded on your account, which could lead to your account being suspended.

    If you've already paid and think payment should have been received by now, please contact eBay Customer Support.

    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
    Item # : XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
    End time: Feb-28-14 16:03:24 PST
    Seller: acorbo49
    Case opened: Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 17:04:09 PST


    I stand corrected, not within 48 hours, they were able to open one 49 hours after item was won with zero business days (Friday 4PM PST -> Sunday 5PM PST). >>




    Damn, that's crazy - they must have changed the rules again.


  • << <i>So Larkin and other buyers expect that a seller must ship within 24 hours or be dinged on DSRs or worse, but if you take a few days to pay that should warrant a neg if they sent you a reminder? What is your ID again? >>



    +1.

    There's no impact to opening a case. Just pay and move on. Leaving a neg for it is overkill.
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