Default Payment Method.. "can" or "must" set? Why can't ebay just be honest?

[unkr]

So you try to put an offer on an item, and you get a pop-up that says "Here's what's new! Now you CAN set a default payment option, and we'll automatically process your order if it gets accepted" How exciting! lol

Then you try to put an offer in and it won't let you UNLESS you select a default payment method!  Now I also sell, so I know it would be a good thing if I automatically get paid when someone wins an item of mine. But why can't the ebay Gods just be honest and say "Now you MUST select a default payment method, or you can't put an offer in"?

I know it sounds petty on my end, but how many others walked away from buying on ebay because of the games they play? I went from selling 30 items a month to around 5, and I know the economy is bad, but maybe changes like this aren't helping either.

[chronogeist]

I have been an honest buyer for many years, and I have made offers in the past, but I will not set up this default payment method to make offers the way it is designed.  This may be the end of any offers from me as a buyer.

[wastingtime101]

I think the difference in "can" and "must" (and I could be wrong) is that you "can" set up a default payment method that would apply to all buyer-initiated offers. But I don't think you "have" to ("must") do that. You can instead enter payment info each time you make an offer instead of saving a default method.

[mudshark61369]

@unkr, @chronogeist ,

I think Wastingtime101 is right, you Can set up the payment method but do not have to.  However, on some offer pages you may Have to enter a payment method before an offer can be sent. That will happen either because the seller set the Payment method required option, or because there is apparently a test that some buyers have been opted in to.  The buyers chosen for the test was done randomly not because of problems in the past.

[ebooksdiva]

Sellers can have their buyer requirements set up for requiring a payment method when a Best Offer is placed. eBay has given sellers this option because many times a seller will accept an offer and the buyer never pays. Not all sellers are utilizing this option. However, If you come across a seller using this option you can always message them to ask if you can be placed on their exemption list.

[iamalwaysright]

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@ebooksdiva wrote:

Sellers can have their buyer requirements set up for requiring a payment method when a Best Offer is placed. eBay has given sellers this option because many times a seller will accept an offer and the buyer never pays. Not all sellers are utilizing this option. However, If you come across a seller using this option you can always message them to ask if you can be placed on their exemption list.

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I didn’t even know eBay now has an “immediate payment requirement” for best offers. And there’s even an exemption list for Buyer Offer immediate payment requirement?
Weird, because I don’t recall eBay ever having similar exemption list for when IPR immediate payment required was introduced to sellers for fixed price and buy it now. Not that I’m hoping for one, but I wonder why eBay is treating this one differently.

[mtgraves7984]

I didn’t even know eBay now has an “immediate payment requirement” for best offers. And there’s even an exemption list for Buyer Offer immediate payment requirement?

@iamalwaysright 

Yep. Seller Hub/Shortcuts/Block bidders. If you tick that, scroll to the bottom and you'll see 'Require buyers to provide a payment method before they make an offer'.

Of course, you can scroll back near the top and tick 'You can use the buyer block exemption list to let specific users through, regardless of the blocks you've set '.

@unkr 

Another workaround is to message the seller and ask that they reply with your offer. Just food for thought...

[hendrick67402]

Typically, 80% of my buying is through offers.  Now that they require a payment method and I can no longer choose the way I would normally (paypal with multiple cards on file) then I won’t make offers.   Honestly, I suppose it is saving me money as my purchases have gone down a ton in the last 3 weeks since it has started.  Almost to zero as it takes my desire to even look through the cards to think about away.  No fun in it.  I suppose I will look for other ways to enjoy the haggling process for the cards I collect.  But eBay is going to lose customers that don’t want to deal with eBay’s pay site.  

it is unfortunate that those that make an offer don’t pay within 24 hours but that is on eBay.  If someone doesn’t pay, the card is no longer bound and should be re-listed immediately and the one making an offer should get a 30 day suspension.  

[bdollsplus]

The problem I have with this is if I want to make offers to 1 seller for several of their listings,  paying immediately means I pay multiple shipping charges, rather than asking for combined shipping.

[raskolnikov2009]

Exactly.

Attempting to arrange a combined Shipping charge for several offers from one seller is no longer possible.

The work-around an eBay Customer Service person gave me was to go ahead and allow these several offers to be handled immediately, meaning a Shipping charge is incurred for every separate transaction, Then to work with my seller to refund me, if possible, some of the shipping charges afterward.

[raskolnikov2009]

Of course, the problem with that also is, that as soon my seller finally accepted my offer, they immediately shipped. There was no time to even attempt to consolidate shipping.

For another item, it was more economical then to go elsewhere. Seller lost my repeat business, not out of any spite, but because to pay another shipping charge for another item, let alone a string of items, was going to get too expensive too quick.

[raskolnikov2009]

It also seems that, rather than a winning bid or best offer being something that encourages a customer to then see what else is in a seller’s store, resulting in further purchases, it actually does the opposite - instead encouraging a buyer to separate transactions across multiple sellers - to enter into another item search and different transaction with a different seller, should the item w/ shipping actually be cheaper that way.

I mean, I enjoy a winning bid with a new seller, because it brings me into their store. However, if my bid is processed and paid, shipping included, before I’ve had a chance to do so - what is my motivation to stay and look then…?

[ed8108]

This process should have been set up by ebay impacting only buyers who have demonstrated failure to pay.

Perhaps there will be some increase in  item returns

[pooneil1]

i am a buyer and i  feel your pain.  i have favorite sellers i am going to have to drop as i refuse to pay multiple shipping charges for addtional items i may want to purchase from their stores.  the fix offered by ebay for this as described above ie refund to buyers is assinine and unhelpful.  i am calling ebay to complain.  i am sure etsy would welcome my business.

[pooneil1]

not petty at all....ebay might want to poll their users before implementing a draconian and potentially business damaging procedure such as this.....makes one wonder who is at the controls