can't make a bid because payment method is not "set"

[paintg1516]

I'm a new member. I ordered an item yesterday with no real problem.

Today I tried to "make an offer," on another item, having been contacted and prompted by the website. But, instead of another smooth transaction, I got a RED alert balloon next to payment method, saying payment needed to be "set."

Well, the payment method worked yesterday and was still listed as the default payment, so why did it have to be "set"?  Anyway, when I tried to set it I entered an endless loop of going to my account then back to "make an offer" back to "set" payment and then to account, etc.

Obviously, I am doing something wrong. Does anybody have advice?

Thanks

[mtgraves7984]

Here's the long read. >> Making a Best Offer | eBay

Is your problem with Step 4? I ask because I haven't made any offers since users have to enter payment information.

Afterthought... a workaround might be to message the seller (with your offer) and see if they'll reply with your offer.

[gramophone-georg]

I just ran into this too- making offers on some items that accept offers and eBay wants me to PRE PAY on PayPal? This is insane. I've been a member for over 25 years and have bought hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of items, have ALWAYS paid... and now I'm expected to pay up front for an offer that's not even accepted yet? Seriously, eBay? 

[gramophone-georg]

I need to add to the above that PayPal has been my "set" payment method with eBay since that became a "thing", yet they suddenly don't know this? Good God.

[ebooksdiva]

It isn’t a prepay. The seller is requiring you to provide a method of payment before you make your offer. If your offer is accepted then your payment method will be utilized to pay for the item. If your offer is declined your payment method won’t be charged.
eBay has implemented this because many sellers have complained that when a buyers offer is accepted they don’t pay.  
You can message the seller and ask if you could be placed on the sellers exemption list to by pass this requirement, but understand, the seller isn’t required to do so. 

[ittybitnot]

and now I'm expected to pay up front for an offer that's not even accepted yet?

@gramophone-georg 

Welcome to the new program.   They are enrolling BUYER IDs at the fastest rate since they started this a couple of years ago.  I got enrolled a couple of weeks ago.  Haven't spent much since.  At first, the screen told you right away, so you could back out.  Now they let you fill in the make offer form and when you hit send, you get the notice. 

They will no longer let you make an offer before you set a payment method that will be immediately charged in full if your offer is accepted.  

With the make offer system, a buyer can no longer combine multiple items from the same seller.  No more requesting an invoice, etc.  Each acceptance from the same seller is an individual transaction with full shipping on each one. 

Instead of getting rid of non-payers, eBay has chose this course of action instead which tends to irritate buyers.  No more PayPal Pay in 4,  no more Apple Pay, no more Google pay,  and no more combining orders for one shipping price. 

eBay said they were going to work on the combined shipping thing but it has been crickets...just more Buyer IDs  forced into Pre-Authorized Payment Punishment Camp. 

Rumor has it auctions are next.   

Temporary fix.  Use another ID. 

[gramophone-georg]

Hi Itty!!

Poster above you says it's a seller thing. I will have to test this out.

If they indeed start doing this with auctions I am done here. It'll be a sad day, but eBay seems to like it that way.

[ittybitnot]

Poster above you says it's a seller thing.

@gramophone-georg 

When this program that they call a "test", there was a buyer management requirement placed on everyone's page.  It was set at a default to YES.  There was no announcement, and since the YES only worked for the forced BUYER IDs anyway (which were few at that point) it went unnoticed for a very long time, and I would assume from reading here that most sellers don't know it even exists.  It is the last one on this page: 


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

So yes, sellers can turn it off if they know they even have it.   Sellers that do not care about getting multiple offers from the same buyer think this is just fine.  Personally, getting rid of the non-payers was preferable to punishing the buyers that are excellent trading partners. 

[gramophone-georg]

Ah, the old eBay "we'll tell you what your preference is" [s]bug[/s] "feature". Understand now. 

[gramophone-georg]

I also see HTML still doesn't work. eBay... 1997 called... they want their interface back. Sheeeesh.

[buyologist-3]

This happened to me, too, so I went to my payment method page and updated it.  Went thru fine...until the next time, then it came up again. That's when I went to the River to buy what I needed.  I love ebay but when my buying efforts go into extra innings, I'm going to have to search more places. Sellers ARE losing sales here  when things are painfully slow.  Terrible.  

[mrs.goodbuy]

Another issue with this...

Even after I set my payment method as the Default, eBay placed a $1 hold on my funds for EVERY Offer that I made! Offers accepted, denied, ignored, countered...doesn't matter, ALL got hit with the Pending hold!

Do they drop off after a few days? Yes. But that ties up my funds, which makes fewer funds available for me to spend on eBay!

Even tried a couple customer service chats. They denied it happens. Suggested that my bank "coincidentally" started placing holds on my account just as soon as I set it as the Default payment method. This only makes sense the first time, to confirm a payment method. To continue after approval?

No thank you. I think it's time to take my spending elsewhere...

[hendrick67402]

Yea, now I can’t even bid without having a preset payment.   No thanks.  The only good this has done has halted my spending on eBay items 100%

[hendrick67402]

Same, have an account for a couple decades and NOW it’s an issue if I don’t pay the second something closes.  I have never let something sit more than a couple hours but then I bid on things around the world.  eBay is becoming the worst part of economy. There is nothing worth wasting that much time over.  

[ed8108]

Program may harm sellers

This program may prove advantageous for some buyers by resulting in some decline in item sales & thereby motivate some sellers to drop prices to make a sale.