Buyers that don’t pay / Reducing Time to PAY

[noojin3]

I like EBAY and have been buying and selling on EBAY since 2006. I have become disappointed and annoyed by the number buyers that commit to buy and then do not pay and won’t respond to communications. In the last 6 months I have had 5 of these on items ranging from $70 to $199 which is more than 4x the number I’ve had since 2006. I sell Collectibles using Best Offer.  My listings average 15 photos with detailed descriptions with a 30 day return policy. 99% of my items are 1 of a kind, so when a buyer doesn’t pay or communicate, they tie my inventory up for 4 calendar days which is very annoying as many times it falls during my peak selling times.  Whether a retail store or amazon or the flea market, buying an item requires immediate payment.  Is there a way on EBAY to cut the time to pay down to 24 hours. (I have found that 99% of those that pay do so within the first 24 hours). My thought is that if someone wants credit or to pay on time, they can use their credit card.  Collectibles are not filling a need like water or food; they are a luxury or entertainment item and should be bought with excess money. If someone messaged me or responded to my message to cancel, I would do it on the spot to AVOID my inventory tied up for 4 days, but these people don’t respond or communicate.  Frustrating.  There appears to be a huge uptick in nonpayment of late?  Does EBAY crack down on these nonpaying buyers?  Anyone else experiencing this problem?  Does anyone have any tips to avoid or minimize the effects of this issue?  What can be done or is it just a bad experience to endure?  Suggestions or comments?

[heckofagame · Accepted solution]

96 hours is the required wait. 

Take a look at this;

Account Settings>Selling Preferences>Your Buyers: Managing Who Can Buy From You

At bottom of page you will find this:

[simba6]

List as fixed price / buy it now set to require payment right away.  With that no sale is made unless the buyer pays.  Also, many buyers don't like waiting for auctions to and anyway.

[murph1727]

I can see you don't have auctions but you do have the Best Offer option on all your items which allows the four days to pay. The best way to avoid nonpayment is to remove the Best Offer option on your fixed priced listings and require immediate payment.

[noojin3]

Thank you for that suggestion.

[noojin3]

Thank you. That makes sense.

[noojin3]

Wow!  Good ideas and thanks for the step by step instruction. It can be overwhelming on EBAY figuring things out. Thanks again.  

[destiner]

Good points, but it doesn't really matter. A buyer can have a payment method on file but decide not to pay. The only solution to the problem is, as others have said, to list items with a BIN price, requiring immediate payment. Ebay needs to add the immediate payment required option for Best Offers -- until they do, I've taken offers off the table.

[noojin3]

Thank you for the suggestion and comments.  I appreciate your time. 

[noojin3]

Thanks for taking the time to give me your suggestion and comments.  Very helpful.  🙂

[inhawaii]

It looks like you got all the help/advice you need.

I wanted to thank YOU.

Thanks for coming back to the boards to acknowledge the help/advice you received.

Very refreshing!

So many people come here asking for help/advice and we never hear from them again.

Good luck with your selling!

[buyselljack2016]

@noojin3 

Please note.

When those boxes are check marked (they are auto checked when eBay added them) those requirements, at this time, only apply to a select group of "buyers/bidders" that eBay has placed in the "test" program.

[buyselljack2016]

---

@destiner wrote:

Good points, but it doesn't really matter. A buyer can have a payment method on file but decide not to pay. The only solution to the problem is, as others have said, to list items with a BIN price, requiring immediate payment. Ebay needs to add the immediate payment required option for Best Offers -- until they do, I've taken offers off the table.

---

For those in the "test" there is no "not pay" option. The amount of payment must be pre-authorized before the offer can be made.

[ca42388]

I have my "buy it now" set for immediate. But I'm thinking once you send an offer or receive one then Ebay let's them go for the 4 days to pay.

It might also change when it relists. Still trying to figure this all out. 

Do you know? Anyone else know for sure about this?

Thanks!! 

[ittybitnot]

@noojin3 

You have been given very good advice so far as how things work.  Something to consider however, is that some of these methods that require immediate payment for buying or  offers (even bidding on auctions now) have other consequences as well.  

For example, if you get rid of the best offer feature and make all of your listings immediate payment required, your buyers (and you) will not be able to combine items for a reduced shipping cost.  So, if I came to your listings and wanted more than one item, I am committed to purchase each item separately, with full shipping on each.   Shipping for three cards and a stamp (3.99 x 3 + 3.99) would cost me $18.69.  Your basic .30 cent fee for each would be $1.20 (instead of .30 for a combined order)  At least with regular IPR, I can choose how I want to pay.  So instead of buying 4 items from you, I will just get one. 

Same would happen if I made offers on those items since my buyer ID is forced into the new forced program that requires a  buyer to select payment source upfront before I am allowed to make an offer at all.  I would still be forced to pay for each item automatically as the offers are accepted.  Again, full shipping for each will be assessed and immediately paid.  In addition I will not be able to use Google Pay, Apple Pay, Spendable Funds, PayPal Pay in 4, PayPal Credit, coupons, etc.  When I get the screen to force me to comply, I FIND ANOTHER SELLER, and so do others.  I will not pay $18.69 shipping for three cards and a stamp.  

My ID is 25 years old with thousands of feedback.  I typically purchase a few hundred dollars of goods per week and 90% of the time four or more things from the same seller.  The seller that will turn those preferences off, will get my money.  The ones that won't get nothing.   You are welcomed to limit your buyer pool anyway you like.   If you wish to discourage multiple purchases in case you won't get paid immediately then those settings are indeed for you. 

At least with "offers"  eBay will still tell you which ones will be immediately billed so you can turn down one for $100 in favor of the $50 one that will be auto billed. 

Any offer a imitated by the seller will not be auto billed, so don't send any. 

https://www.ebay.com/bmgt/buyerrequirements

Buyer Payment Requirements

*Require buyers to provide a payment method before they place a bid.

*Require buyers to provide a payment method before they make an offer.