Blocking buyers with low feedback numbers

[greenweedz]

I seem to be getting ghosted more often by winning bidders with low feedback scores (50 or less, all the way down to zero).  I'm all for encouraging new eBay users but I'm MORE for completing my sales! Has eBay stopped allowing sellers to block buyers just on the basis of low feedback scores? I'm sure I've done this in the past, but all I could find when I searched eBay Help was how to block buyers I've already had a bad experience with. I DO block them, of course, but I'd like to pre-empt them and I can't figure out how. Maybe I'm missing something . . .   Thanks for any feedback!

-- Barb

[dryophelia]

@greenweedz 

There is no business on the planet, in the history of trade, that could exist if they only did business with a returning customer. 

Where would any of us be if we needed even one feedback to get started. 

At this time, the only sure fire way to get paid for a sold item is to list as Buy it Now, select the eBay option of requiring immediate payment and to not entertain any offers. 

[inceptions · Accepted solution]

eBay has never provided a setting that allows sellers to drive away new business by blocking buyers with "x" feedback. You're thinking of the setting that blocks buyers with less than "0" (a leftover from the days in the early part of the century when buyers could earn negatives).

Hopefully you are cancelling the orders on the 5th day using the reason that the buyer hasn't paid. If sellers don't do this, they problem gets bigger. In addition to blocking the buyer IDs of your non-payers, scroll down that same page and make sure you have the option turned on to auto-block buyers with 2 or more unpaid items within 12 months.

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

[greenweedz]

Yes, I think you must be right -- I probably was thinking of blocking buyers with negative feedback.

And I am indeed making sure my ghosts are marked as not having paid, though I might wait a few extra days beyond the 5 (after all, life happens to us all, and sometimes it brings issues that far outweigh an eBay sale).

Thank you for your answer and for refreshing my memory!

-- Barb

[greenweedz]

Yes, you are right. Another eBayer just pointed out that I'm thinking of when buyers could get negative feedback, and eBay allowed us to block "less than zero" feedback scores.

I like auction mode, but if I keep getting ghosted I certainly will consider eschewing it for BIN.

Thank you for your reply!

-- Barb

[kensgiftshop]

Looking at your sold auctions, most of them only got 1 bid, is it even worth doing auctions?

List as a fixed price with immediate payment required and do away with the nonpayers.

[greenweedz]

I think I might start doing that. Thank you.

- Barb