Need non-payment negative feedback capability.
Summary: sgtskiddz suggested that sellers should be allowed to leave a "1-Star: Never Paid" rating for buyers who fail to complete transactions, arguing that this would improve transparency and accountability on eBay. luckythewinner pointed out that eBay already uses non-payment strikes as a solution, though these are not visible to sellers. Other participants, such as dhbookds and tobaccocardyahoo, mentioned that blocking buyers with a history of non-payment is a current option, but this process remains non-transparent to other sellers. a-lotta-stuff highlighted the 'auto-payment' system set up by eBay to prevent unpaid auctions. The overall consensus is mixed, with some advocating for more visible negative feedback options and others defending eBay's current unpublicized measures.
While I completely understand why eBay removed negative feedback for buyers years ago to prevent petty retaliation, there is a glaring blind spot in the current system that needs to be addressed: Non-payment is not an opinion; it is a proven, system-recorded transaction failure.
Right now, a buyer can win multiple auctions or accept offers, refuse to pay, force sellers to go through the cancellation process, and still walk away with a pristine, unearned 100% positive feedback profile. Unsuspecting sellers have zero public visibility into a buyer's history of wasting time and tying up inventory.
eBay relies entirely on backend metrics (like unpaid item strikes), but these happen behind closed doors and do not give sellers the transparency they need to protect their businesses.
The Solution:
Sellers should be permitted to leave an objective, permanent "1-Star: Never Paid" rating tied directly to a formal unpaid cancellation.
Why it works: Unlike a subjective dispute over item condition, a non-payment is an automated paper trail. There is no gray area or "he-said-she-said."
Real accountability: It strips away the false sense of security that chronic non-payers hide behind and gives sellers an early-warning system.
It is time to separate subjective buyer-seller disputes from objective transaction failures. Let's give sellers a way to flag true non-payers publicly.
hartungcards
·1 week agoI stopped reading after, "I completely understand why eBay removed negative feedback for buyers."
byrd69er
·1 week agoEbay should have a system where they allow a seller to give a buyer a non-payment mark for other sellers to see, and to eventually permanently remove the buyer from the ebay platform if they receive a certain number of marks, no matter the period of time. Buyers would be banned, by ebay, from buying from, or communicating with a seller that they screwed over by the non-payment, or leaving any kind of retaliatory action against the seller for giving them the non-payment mark. Now that would work.
mam98031
·1 week agoThis option is NOT coming back. Ebay took it away from sellers back in 2008 for a few good reasons, but number one was because sellers were abusing this process. There is no doubt that some clearly would continue to do that if the option returned.
Keep in mind that you likely can't fine any site similar to Ebay that allows sellers to publicly shame their buyers, nor should they.
stainlessenginecovers
·1 week ago"Never got the opportunity to find out what a great buyer they are as they never paid"
mam98031
·1 week agoWhile that sounds good and I agree with the sentiment, if the buyer reported that to Ebay, it would get removed and the seller possibly sanctioned for breaking one of the feedback rules.
a-lotta-stuff
·1 week agoIf you do auctions ebay set up an 'auto-payment' deals months ago, and at one point had opted everybody in. Buyers have to enter a valid payment method before they can bid, and if they win auction will be automatically paid - unless you un-checked the box you should still be opted in.
It's on the same page as the 'block bidders with x strikes ...' deal is but I have no idea how to get there.
We haven't had an unpaid auction in over two years.
a_c_green
·1 week agoHere you go: https://www.ebay.com/bmgt/buyerrequirements
onefootflipper
·1 week ago · EditedMessage erased, leaving forum due to threatening forum member following me around on the internet.
dhbookds
·1 week agonot going to happen........can be good reasons a buyer doesn't pay..... sellers can block buyers with an unpaid history..........
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/resolving-buyer-issues/blocking-buyer-ebay?id=4082&from=EBAY_AI&origin=EBAY_AI
sgtskiddz
OP1 week agoBlocking them doesn’t protect other sellers. If they have a good reason for non payment they could answer messages as such.
dhbookds
·1 week agoIf sellers utilize the block..........they will be protected........
Ebay isn't going to go back into the business of showing negs on buyers for whatever reason......
tobaccocardyahoo
·1 week agoThere would be no protection for other sellers were negative FB to be left for a buyer. Sellers do not get the opportunity to block a buyer based on FB before they order. Sellers who cancel after a buyer has placed an order will potentially affect their seller level.
FB is mostly useless and ignored by a majority of buyers and sellers. It remains because of the misconception that it is important held by many Ebay members who spend little time buying or selling here. It would be gone were it not for fear of negative PR for Ebay. It is not used to message seller or buyer performance.
Chronic non-paying buyers are punished based on a history of non-payment using non-public measures.
grann-4629
·1 week agoWhat would be a 'good reason' for a buyer not paying?
dhbookds
·1 week ago · EditedSeller adds a demand for more shipping
luckythewinner
·1 week agoeBay counts non-payment strickes against buyers, and allows selelrs to block buyers with too many non-payment strikes. You do not even need to look at feedback to block a chronic non-payer.
You may not like the solution eBay came up with, but it is not a "blind spot" because eBay actually gave it special attention created a specific process to combat it.
sgtskiddz
OP1 week ago100% a blind spot. If sellers can’t see these people they are blind to it.
gone.c-33
·1 week agoYou don’t need to see them if you automatically block them.
sgtskiddz
OP1 week agoI wonder how many times they have to do it before eBay adds them to the list of people it automatically blocks.
eburtonlab
·1 week agoSellers can preemptively block users with two or more unpaid item cancellations in the last year.
https://www.ebay.com/bmgt/buyerrequirements
sgtskiddz
OP1 week agoAfter re-reading your comment… are you saying there’s a way to block chronic non payers even if they haven’t bought from you? I’ll have to look into that. Didn’t know there was an option for such a thing.
kensgiftshop
·1 week agoYes, you can block buyers that have two unpaid item strikes within the last year.
Works a lot better then feedback does.
grann-4629
·1 week agoIf buyers cannot receive negative feedback for any reason, how do you know they have unpaid item strikes?
dhbookds
·1 week ago · EditedSeller doesn't know........unless the buyer asks why ebay has blocked them from buying..........at which time a seller can check and remove them from the list so he can buy, if the buyer can talk him into it.
eburtonlab
·1 week agoIf the seller sets the Buyer Requirements properly, user accounts with two or more unpaid item strikes in the last year cannot bid at all -- those users receive an error message when trying to place a bid. If the seller later checks the Buyer Requirements Activity Log, the seller should be able to see the blocked bid attempts.
grann-4629
·1 week agoCool ... thanks for info.
eburtonlab
·1 week agoYou are very welcome!