Preventing "0" Feedback people from bidding...

[criticalmass2]

I thought I remember that in the past, I had changed a setting that prevented people with lower than a certain feedback score from bidding on my items. I wonder if that's still in effect.

I just had an item sell for about twice the price that other people are selling it for. The item was bid up by two people from Canada (item is in US) who have a total combined Feedback score of "3". One of them has had an account since 2006 and never bought anything.

Of course, being that I want to get this out by Christmas (it's NIB, so very giftable), my options are limited. Of course, the item still hasn't been paid for by the winner. Technically, I have to wait for the winning bidder, but my gut tells me it's not a real bid. If I make a second chance offer to the last "legitimate" offer, and the winning bidder then pays later, I'm at fault.

Any suggestions? And how can I prevent this from happening again?

[kansas_gal06]

.... I have always been baffled by 0 feedback members that have had an account for over a year and havent purchased anything? Makes no sense to me and quite honestly is suspicious.......(PayPal or bank excuses is the norm)....

They might just be doing research. You have to have an eBay account to watch things. My hubby has had an account for years and has NEVER bought anything. One of these days he might step over the line, though!

[blueladyscloset]

I haven't had a successful 0 feedback rating user follow through with a purchase yet. Really it feels like an epidemic for me. I don't want to prevent a new user from buying, but literally (and I mean without exaggeration) the last seven 0 feedback users who have purchased something from me, did not pay. I've got 2 more 0 feedback users who won stuff and haven't paid yet.

I'm just getting fed up with it.

[kali-the-pup]

9 out of 10 bidders with 0 feedback never pay for the item.  

I am curious to know, what facts this observation is based upon.

I am just as likely to a have a member with over a thousand FB

not pay, as a nubie. I actually find most nubies are only too happy

to make their purchase and successfully complete their transaction.

There are deadbeats, be it nubies or seasoned veterans of eBay.

Unfortunately, the mental midgets at eBay consider not paying

for one's auction win to be totally acceptable behavior for a Buyer.

Hear me now, believe me later... If eBay wanted to fix the problem,

it would have been dealt with years ago. 😉

[kali-the-pup]

Further to the opinion offered above...

It is bad enough that we, as Sellers, have to jump

through hoops to maintain our status and ability

to sell on eBay. We now have morons, actually

advising scammers on how to take advantage of

the lop-sided draconian policies imposed upon Sellers.

http://forums.ebay.com/db2/topic/Part-Time-Ebay/Buy-Buy-Buy/5100082156

I am going to count dandelions on my lawn now. 🙂

[skullywag64]

I think it's silly to block someone just because they haven't bought anything YET. Their money is green, and spends just as well as someone's money who has 1000 feedback.

With a new buyer, you have absolutely NOTHING to base your fear of them not paying on.  On the guy with 250 feedback who you WANT to bid on your item... you have his history of feedback left for others to base your fear upon.  Stick around here long enough, and you will see MANY posts about habitual dingers, and neg leavers....and guess what? NONE of them have 0 feedback.

In fact I'll go the extra step and say most of the VALID complaints I see here do not involve 0 feedback buyers.  You have be here awhile before you learn the ropes of scamming....

[komokwa]

,,,You have be here awhile before you learn the ropes of scamming....

not if you read buy buy buy....

[the_wz9o]

I feel the same way about it too. I am very iffy about bidders who have "0" feedback, and I have had bad experiances, and my opinion is this. If they do not pay it by the time an unpaid item dispute can be opened, then an unpaid item dispute is done, if it closes without them acting, blacklist them. Also, for high priced items, I do put up buyer restrictions to counter it, such as a max of 2 unpaid disputes within 6 months, as well as those that do not have a paypal account. Helps to get things to move more smoothly.

[kali-the-pup]

Re: Preventing "0" Feedback people from bidding...

will not solve your problem. The vast majority of nubies

cream their jeans at the opportunity to pay quickly and

get that precious first little green doughnut.

Want to solve the deadbeat problem, it's actually very

simple, so simple that eBay will never make it happen.

First Unpaid Item Dispute lost = a 90 Day Suspension.

Second Unpaid Item Dispute lost = NARU'd for life.

No more invisible strikes, dang those rot my socks and

no more sellers having to try to protect themselves from

Deadbeats... that is what eBay should be doing.

I now realize that there are two reasons why what I have

suggested will never work... the first is that it is simple,

the second is that eBay would actually have to start to

protect Sellers...

that just ain't gonna happen.

[sandi7353]

When I first got on eBay, the general population thought it was risky to buy here. Every week it seemed there was another seller arrested for not shipping out the items they sold and they got away with this for years (according to the news paper article)

But I wasn't allowed to buy from a lot of sellers because of no feedback. How was I supposed to get experience (feedback) if nobody would give me a chance? Thankfully, there was and still are a lot of nice people on ebay.  

Today, you can't be a con artist and manage to stay in business on eBay for very long. If you want to sell here you have to tow the line and make up for all the bad sellers now gone somewhere else to do their evil scamming.

But it is now easier for the buyers to be the scammer, the con artist, and all around bad guy. And we can't warn people with feedback that this or that buyer is not worth the risk.

I buy because I am afraid to sell. Afraid of getting hurt again. My low feedback number makes sellers nervous the first time they let me buy from them. But once they find out I'm not out to get them they relax and welcome me back. 

I had to learn how to be a good buyer by being a seller on ebay.  I'm learning how to be a better seller now, by buying on ebay.  

[hodgini]

Watch out!

New user joined Sept 3.

Used BIN in Sept 7, bought my NFL game tickets.

Paid instantly.

Buyer disputed charges through their bank.

Only proof of delivery is their email confirming receipt.

My season ticket holder account mgr sent me email (upon request) that the e-tickets (Tickermaster Ticket Fast) tickets were scanned at the gate.

As of now, I'm battling with PayPal for my $500, while losing my valuable time.

Please eBay, give us the option to block users with 0 feedback!

[old_man_arthur]

Said it before, and I'll say it again...

evilBay has no "Skin in the Game" so it will never change these policies.

evilBay makes money even when the Seller gets screwed.

So, you basically have to hope for the best.

But you can still block Zero Feedback bidders when you catch them.

And if one wins, and you don't trust him, just refund his money.

If he pays again, Refund his money again.

Continue doing it until he goes away.

[mikes_great_deals]

My concern is somebody used my Buy it now feature, has 0 feedback and wants me to ship to Slovania even though I clearly marked no international shipping and United States only.  My worry is negative feedback

[kali-the-pup]

Hi mikes_great_deals  :-). Simply stating, No International Shipping,

in your listing will not solve your problem. The instructions below will...

It seems the PayPal information in the old thread no longer valid.

Don't want to hassle with Customs Forms, slow shipping complaints, INR (Item Not Recieved) because there's no DC (Delivery Confirmation) on the shipping method the buyer insists you use or SNAD (Significantly Not As Described) and buyer won't return due to cost of S&H that you had to pay to get it there & you lost money on?

There are 3 steps:

1. At Home Page after signing in wave your cursor over the Account tab & click on Site Preferences in the drop down menu. Find Shipping preferences & click on Show at the end of the row. Find Exclude shipping locations from your listings & click on Edit. Put a check mark on all options including North America as NA does not include US. Put check mark in Apply to all current live listings & click on Apply. See below.

2. Find Buyer requirements on the same page & click on Show then Edit. Put a check mark in the box under Buyers in locations to which I don't ship. Put a check mark in the box in front of Apply above settings to active and future listings. If you truly do not want to be bothered with requests to ship internationally put a check mark in the box at the bottom of the page next to Don't allow blocked buyers to contact me. Click on Submit.

3. Log into your PayPal account & click on Profile in the sub-menu bar at the top of the page. Under My Selling ToolsGetting paid and managing my riskBlock payments Update . Put a check on Yes under Block payments sent to me in a currency I do not hold: and Block payments from sellers: Have non-US PayPal Account (See Below.). Scroll to the bottom of the page & click on Save. Needless to say, as you're in these areas & have other options that are available, you should adjust your settings for your comfort level.

Hope this helps!

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[ipickubuy]

This needs a bump  🙂

[jh051971]

I'd like to prevent 0 feedback bidders for the auctions only....if there's someone who wants to join ebay, then let them work up a feedback score by buying several buy-it-now's and not in auctions.  I think quite a few just like to win the bid for the sake of winning and then duck out.