Buyer was able to "buy" my Immediate Payment Required item...but 3 days later, has not paid | Selling

sundayvisit · 2023-10-28T22:59:54.661000Z

I actually called eBay about this one because I was SURE it was a glitch...but it is not.I listed an item with IMMEDIATE PAYMENT REQUIRED as it is a seasonal item. A "buyer" (I use the term loosely here) "bought" my item. So I got paid immediately, right? Nope! It has been three days, but still no payment. How is this possible? The eBay rep with whom I spoke said there really is no more immediate payment required! The buyer can, for example, use an invalid credit card, "buy" an item, and thus take the item out of circulation for five days. Meanwhile, the "buyer" -- who perhaps is selling the same item under another ID -- has removed the competition. Since immediate payment required no longer has any real meaning, why is that little box still there for us to check on the listing form? What's the point? Is it just there to dupe sellers into thinking they have some protection from deadbeat bidders, giving false security? When immediate payment was added as an option many years ago, it was done precisely to help sellers stem the tide of deadbeats. Now, just in time for the busy Christmas shopping season, immediate payment required has been rendered impotent. Anyone can put in a fake credit card number and "buy" the item, never intending to pay. I want to warn all my fellow sellers that this is happening, and eBay is aware of it, but has no plans to fix the problem. The eBay rep with whom I spoke could say nothing other than "I am sorry you disagree with the policy." Seriously? Seriously.

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Buyer was able to "buy" my Immediate Payment Required item...but 3 days later, has not paid | Selling | eBay Community