I Keep Getting Non-Paying Buyers With Perfect Feedback

[remy_loves_rogue]

This keeps happening to me, over and over--from different buyers.  A buyer wins who has 100% Positive feedback with all kinds of praise "Lightning Fast Payment," "Paid right away!," "Quick, smooth transaction," etc.   But of course with my auction there is no communication.  Total ghosting.  I send an invoice. I send a polite reminder. Maybe two.   After 96 hours I'm allowed to cancel the order--after losing out on an often hefty winning bid that I may not reach if I list the item a second time.  And if I use Second Chance, the runner- up will decline because they know I'll most likely be forced to list the item at the low opening bid price.   Meanwhile, Ebay rewards the (suddenly) deadbeat winning buyer by not letting me, the seller, leave negative feedback where it is due.  Ebay tells me that the buyer receives a non-paying "strike"--whatever that means.  Is this something that is viewable on the buyer's profile?  I've never seen one. I asked Ebay and they said it is not viewable to the community, but it's viewable to Ebay.  So what's the point??  How are sellers supposed to know that a potential winning buyer has a strike against them? The buyers have all the power and I'm sick of it.  I've got two ghosting buyers right now. I keep an open mind. Maybe someone in the family died.  Ok, but let me know!  Why the silent treatment again and again and again? One of these buyers had 930 100% positive feedback upon winning my item and it just went up to 931.  Another seller raving about how fast this buyer pays!  Ask yourself this:  Why would someone with such a perfect record suddely decide not to pay for an item they won? Could it be because they can get away with it with impunity?  If I, as the seller, performed badly, I'd get slapped with a big red negative feedback, wouldn't I?  Of course, I can block the bad buyer from bidding on my items in the future, but then another bad buyer (with perfect feedback) comes along.  And for all I know, the occasional ones with a very low feedback score are friends of the buyers I've blocked in the past, trolling me for spite.  I have no proof of this, of course.  I'm just trying to think of explanations. Suggestions, anyone? Speak! Share your stories. Maybe if enough sellers do, Ebay will start hitting the buyers where it hurts. They seem to love their perfect feedback scores. Bring back negative feedback for buyers!  I'm asking you, the reader, because Ebay management doesn't act when I contact them for help.  They listen, but they have not acted.  Thoughts?

[disneyshopper]

If the buyer has not paid by day 4, on day 5 the seller can file a Cancellation with the reason Buyer didn't pay. The seller gets his/her FVF credited, the buyer gets an unpaid strike recorded on his account, no one can leave feedback. Two or more unpaid strikes, and the buyer will find it difficult to bid/buy from sellers who block buyers with 2 or more unpaid strikes. Do you have your Buyer Blocks in place?

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

[remy_loves_rogue]

You restated a lot of what I've already said. Yes, I understand what can be done.  My complaint is that it is not enough.  I always seem to be the seller who suffers a first offense from a non-paying buyer. The system permits two strikes, though.  That is worthless to me, because I block them manually after one offense.  But I shouldn't have to keep doing this!  I'm trying to understand why it keeps happening to me. The only thing Ebay users seem to understand and fear is negative feedback that is visible to everyone, and I still think it should be reflected on a buyer's score even after just one offense. I'm trying to help/looking out for other sellers--not just myself.  Thank you.

[disneyshopper]

Then don't list auction style.  List as fixed price with Immediate Payment Required, no best offers.  That way, the listing stays up until it is actually paid for.

If you have your preferences set to block buyers with 2 or more unpaid items, then you never see them because they can't purchase except with fixed price/immediate payment required.  

Perhaps the buyer already has one strike on their account, and your strike will be the second one.

Buyers can't fear a negative feedback, since sellers cannot give a neutral or negative review to buyers.  It's been that way since 2008.

[remy_loves_rogue]

I should be able to list auction-style if I want to. Your solution makes me modify my own behavior when it is the buyer who is the problem, not me.    I'm advocating for accountability!  Why should't the buyer modify their own behavior?

I got the impression that these buyers are first-time offenders with me because I've followed them afterwards and seen their perfect feedback rating continue to steadily increase.   This means other sellers have received their payments from them just fine, after the buyer decided to skip payment for my auction, with no word of explanation.

And yes, I'm a longtime member who understands that sellers cannot give neutral or negative feedback to buyers.  While you are ok with that, I am not. I'm simply suggesting that maybe it's time to change that policy.  Then the buyers will have something to fear, and think twice about not paying even once.   It's all about accountability. Do I get a second chance if I decide not to ship out an item as a seller with no communication with the buyer? Absolutely not. I'd get a negative feedback.  Why isn't there equality for buyers and sellers?  Does anyone else here agree?