Problem buyers

[scottallan721]

Can I prevent a buyer with zero transactions and zero feedback from bidding on an item listed on eBay?

[woodland_gnome]

No.  You used to be able to block users with a negative feedback score (minus 1 or lower) but that became pretty useless, a vestige of when sellers could leave negative feedback for buyers (which they haven't been able to do since 2008) and it was removed fairly recently.  There never was any such block for anyone with 0 or higher.

You can LIMIT the number of items anyone can buy from you in a 10 day period (being lead bidder in an active auction of yours counts, and this can prevent a rebid in that auction) and then exempt those with more than x  (maximum of 5) feedback score (the language eBay uses is block those with x or less but that confuses many who think it is an outright block rather than modifying who the limit applies to, who then come here and insist that they blocked such low feedback users but it didn't work because one bid on one auction of theirs).  Note that the lowest you can set the 10 day limit is to 1 item so it does not block anyone from bidding/buying/offering on the first item.
https://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?BuyerBlockPreferences

[mr_lincoln]

Hi @scottallan721 

No you can't and for good reason ... EVERY SINGLE ACCOUNT ON EBAY STARTS WITH A (0) FEEDBACK SCORE.

If you are concerned with unpaid items I have 4 on the books right not from Buyers with FB counts between (2) and (52) ... so there is no magic to the (0) FB count.  If you are concerned about scammers you have the option to Cancel all bids from low FB members then add them to your blocked buyer list.  It requires some effort on your part but it is something you can do.

[scottallan721]

Thanks for your help. I know everyone has to start somewhere. But just about every time I’ve been burned it’s a guy with zero transactions who just made up an account and bid on my stuff just to ruin my auction. Then I’ve even offered it to the guy that got outbid and they say never mind. It’d frustrating sometimes. 

[mr_lincoln]

@scottallan721 

I understand and yes, I have had (0) FB Buyers not pay but more of them with higher counts have not paid.  Its part of doing business. 

What helps eBay and the rest of the Selling community is to cancel after 4 days so the member gets an unpaid strike AND use the Report Buyer link to alert eBay. 

You have sold 8 items since the end of August and have 2 items for sale as of this writing ... how often is this happening to  you?