Allowing buyer more time to pay? Is it allowed?

[pithecanthropus4152]

I recently sold an item, and though it's been several days the buyer has neither contacted me nor paid.  While it is still within the five day window, I had hoped the buyer would pay by early Friday afternoon so I could get it out that afternoon, so I sent a message explaining that.  No response.  And today there still hasn't been any.

I understand that life happens and the buyer may need to pay a few days later.  Maybe they're waiting for someone to pay them.  I'm willing to work with them on that basis, but not if this will somehow cause issues with the eBay reputation of either of us.  Or really, to be honest, my own eBay rep.  As a buyer I have never bid or offered on the item if I didn't have the funds to pay for it, or knew that I would have when the auction concluded.

[soh.maryl]

You, the seller, can cancel if the buyer has not paid in 96 hours, using "buyer did not pay" as the reason.

Or you can give the buyer more time, but only up to 30 days.

If the buyer discovered that, for some reason, he'd need more time to pay, he should have contacted you and asked if that was okay with you.

Personally, would give it only a day or two more and then cancel, as above.  

[spark-chaser1]

The buyer can repurchase later, once they learn how things work here.

You have been very patient, but at this point the buyer has left you hanging and has  dragged things out for several days - during which  you could have potentially sold your item.

Regardless of the buyer's reason, you should consider closing out this botched transaction as soon as allowed.

[rrhrhe-nikuzo]

I’m in this situation although only one day so far.  Trying to find out what’s the EARLIEST i can cancel for no payment. Can’t seem to find it:/      If it’s “after 4 days”.. that’s way too long in my opinion… should be 48 hrs then buyer can decide what they want to do

[mtgraves7984]

"While it is still within the five day window..."

@pithecanthropus4152 

You may not know, but nowadays sellers can cancel for non-payment as quickly as 96 hours and 1 second (4 full days) past the timestamp on the Sale. So... you've been more than patient.

You say you've sent a message since... if it was an invoice, it reset the buyer's payment window... each one does.

Cancelling for non-payment gives the buyer deadbeat an Unpaid Item strike and too many of those will keep the buyer deadbeat off many other sellers' doorsteps. It's the move that offers you the most bang for our buck... take one for the team!

[onlinecentral]

a) I don't send payment reminder messages. eBay does that for sellers.
b) I leave the Unpaid Item case open as long as possible to give the buyer the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps through no fault of their own, they became hospitalized, etc.

[a_c_green]

---

@rrhrhe-nikuzo wrote:

I’m in this situation although only one day so far.  Trying to find out what’s the EARLIEST i can cancel for no payment. Can’t seem to find it:/

---

As noted, you can cancel for non-payment after 96 hours from the time and day of the sale. Don't cancel until you are offered the reason of Buyer Did Not Pay.

---

@rrhrhe-nikuzo wrote:

If it’s “after 4 days”.. that’s way too long in my opinion… 

---

I'm inclined to agree with you, but 4 days is what it is. It used to be a lot worse, in terms of how long you had to wait before filing an Unpaid dispute, after which the buyer got even more time before you could finally close it out.

---

@rrhrhe-nikuzo wrote:

should be 48 hrs then the buyer can decide what they want to do

---

Well, after 96 hours the seller can decide what they want to do. 😉

[ckimodog · Accepted solution]

@pithecanthropus4152 

Sorry for your situation, but you are under no obligation to give this person more time to pay since they haven't replied to any of your emails & messages.  You are not running a lay away plan & even then you have to put some money down.  Wait the 96 hours as others have advised, on day 5 cancel the sale citing non payment and block this person from further taking up your time and hard work.

[sfau]

 I give buyers ten days to pay because some people get paid biweekly.  But even then if they need the full two weeks - I would allow it.  I do sell my kid's stuff and I know it is really tough these days so I like to give folks some grace....

[reallynicestamps]

Youhave to accept that the payment window is 96 hours.

It won't be "several" days until that window closes.

Auctions are less than 15% of eBay transactions, because buyers don't like to wait seven days to learn they were outbid by a last second snipe.

And Auctions are much much more likely to go Unpaid because bidders moved on to get The Thing sooner.

If you want quicker payment use Fixed Price/Immediate Payment Required and do not accept Best Offers which end the IPR requirement.

[reallynicestamps]

ten days to pay because some people get paid biweekly.

Seriously?

Your customers don't qualify for credit cards?

The customer can use a card to pay you and get their purchase sooner, then pay at their leisure.

I got my first card in 1976. DD got her first one as part of her freshman package at university in 1995.

Anyone who can't pay after 96 hours cannot afford to buy the three ply toilet paper, never mind my stamps or your used toys.

I am old and grouchy.

[downunder-61]

@pithecanthropus4152  One thing not mentioned above, have you checked your buyer requirements settings?

If you have the automatic '4 days no pay' turned on eBay will take the decision out of your hands and automatically cancel and issue a strike to buyer. Some sellers get caught by this and offer to do the nice thing for a buyer and that poor buyer ends up with a strike not of their making, so check that setting so you know how best to advise the buyer.

Go here:   https://www.ebay.com/Cancel/Preference/UnpaidPurchase 

[pithecanthropus4152]

I understand your point, but TBH I didn't have anyone else bidding on the item at the time they buyer won the auction.  Within reason, I'm more than willing to accommodate.

[brightlightbookseller]

We're more lenient than most on eBay when it comes to the amount of time to pay, because we offer combined shipments within 2 weeks, plus another 4 days to pay equals 19th day it gets automatically cancelled, and we sometimes allow people more time to pay (there's an exception list you can put them on if you use automated cancellations, which I recommend).  You're under no obligation to do similar, though, and can certainly cancel right at the minimum mark if desired.  If you didn't receive any other bids on an auction, I'd lean towards giving them extra time, but otherwise, do what is likely to get you your money, which is probably to cancel for non-payment and relist.

[atlasesattic]

What I do at times seems to work...if I have a buyer that purchased early in the morning and at the of of the night still hasn't paid I message them this...

Hi (first name)

Thank you for your order, soon as everything is finalized I will ship it first thing in the morning ....it seems to work usually in the next hour or so, they pay....its not demanding,  it's not mean, I don't come out and ask when will you be paying? it's just letting them know I will ship it out in the morning.