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Concerned About Buyer's Request
Hello everyone,
I’m dealing with a suspicious situation and would love some guidance. Recently, I accepted a buyer’s offer on my M3 Pro MacBook Pro. Right after the offer was accepted, the buyer immediately asked me to communicate via their private email (Gmail) instead of continuing through eBay messages. They claimed they needed extra details and photos off-platform so they could “finalize the payment.â€
However, as soon as I reminded them (through eBay messages) that I’d prefer to keep all communication on eBay for mutual protection, they went completely silent—no follow-up, no payment, nothing.
I’m concerned that this might be an attempt at a scam or possibly a way to avoid eBay’s policies and protections. I haven’t shipped anything, of course, and there’s been no payment processed.
Here are my main questions:
Should I just cancel the order? Since the buyer hasn’t responded or paid, is it better to end this transaction outright and relist the item?
Is there any risk associated with leaving it open? For example, could they suddenly try to complete the sale outside eBay or claim something false?
Is there an official way to flag this behavior? The buyer did push for off-platform communication, which goes against eBay’s policy. Do I need to report this to eBay, or should I just let it go?
Has anyone else experienced a situation like this? If so, how did you handle it? I’m guessing it’s best to stick to eBay’s policies and remain cautious. Any advice would be appreciated—thank you!
comics-scifi-collectibles
Mentor1 year ago@chefboypharmd SCAM!! Glad you didn't fall for it. Cancel as buyer hasn't paid on the 5th day after sale and then relist. Be very careful listing such an expensive item as a new seller as you are going to attract bad actors. I recommend listing a few lower priced items and making a few small purchases so you can get some feedback before you try selling the computer.
When a buyer doesn't pay you can cancel the sale after 4 FULL DAYS so on the 5th day cancel as buyer hasn't paid. This gives the non-paying buyer a strike on their account and they also will not be able to leave feedback. Then you relist OR do a second chance offer.
If the buyer receives 2 or more strikes in 12 months then they are blocked from auctions or best offers for one year ( as long as the seller sets this up in account settings) and can only make immediate payment purchases, if they get too many strikes then eBay may remove the buyer from the site.
Do not send an invoice or it starts the clock over again for when you cancel as buyer hasn't paid. eBay sends payment reminders.
Unpaid items:
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/getting-paid/resolving-unpaid-items-buyers?id=4137&st=1
Add the buyer to your blocked buyer list:
https://www.ebay.com/bmgt/BuyerBlock?
Have you set up your buyer requirements in account settings?
Click this link: https://www.ebay.com/bmgt/buyerrequirements Then block buyers with 2 or more unpaid items in 12 months.
If you are not shipping internationally also block buyers in locations you do not ship to.
Then at the bottom of the screen look for buyer Payment Requirements put a check next to both of these:
Require buyers to provide a payment method before they place a bid.
Require buyers to provide a payment method before they make an offer.
These settings will cut down on your non paying buyer issues. However they also make it so you can't combine shipping. You have to refund the shipping difference after a buyer pays if you wish to combine shipping when these boxes are checked.