As a seller: How to properly cancel an order to minimize potential trouble ??

[valkyriebiker]

Hi all, I was selling a heavy item (generator) as a Local Pickup Only. Naturally, the bidder did not sufficiently read the listing (even though I included "local pickup only" in bold, uppercase letters), bid and won the item. He lives 1,000 miles away. He wants to send a carrier to pick up the item. I don't want to do that. It's too heavy and it's not convenient for a carrier to come to my home. He has not yet paid.

When I bring up the menu to cancel the order, I'm presented with these options:

1. Out of stock or damaged

2. Buyer asked to cancel    (he didn't)

3. Issue with buyers shipping address.

I'm somewhat aware that each reason can affect what happens next. Which option puts me in the best position regarding:

1. Getting my seller fees back without cooperation of the buyer.

2. Not getting -FB

thanks.

[valkyriebiker]

> I see absolutely no reason to give the buyer a nonpayment strike in this situation. It's uncalled for, and, IMO, unduly harsh to the point of being vindictive.

I agree with that. I don't necessarily want to hit the bidder with a no-pay strike. But at the same time, I don't want to cancel the sale in a way that could result in me paying the FVF ($800 sale) due to the buyer not confirming that he agrees with the cancellation. Not sure it that's a thing now, but it used to be.

eBay has made it difficult and dodgy for sellers to safely escape a transaction that clearly went sideways. I don't want to allow a carrier to pick up the generator. Partly because I want the buyer to bring a can a gasoline and satisfy himself that it works as advertised. Partly because if the carrier damages it, then it's on me.

But also because the buyer is asking me to accommodate a special request after he bought the item. I should be able to cancel the sale without hassle. If the only way to do that results in his being dinged, well, then so be it -- maybe next time he'll read the listing first and undrestand the terms of the sale.

I suppose I can ask him to "request to cancel" ?

[chevymontecarlo88]

Thanks for the info elizabeth@ebay , much appreciated.

How does Ebay charge sales tax on 3rd party out of state sales? Is the sales tax charged from the state of purchase or the destination state.  

I have had many folks contact me from California that want to send a courier to pick up an item (I live near the Oregon California border) so they can ship to California to avoid the sales tax. I avoided those deals and only offer shipping only. 

If the customer does send a third party to pickup and uses the QR code, is there any liability from the seller if the buyer opens a NAD?

Is the sale completed after the QR code? (buyer assumes responsibility after the QR scan) 

Thanks again for the info and clarity on this issue. 

[bonjourami]

'If the customer does send a third party to pickup and uses the QR code, is there any liability from the seller if the buyer opens a NAD?"

What I was told at the time was those are decided on a case to case basis, in other words, no particular criteria if that happens. I have had several large pick up local items, guess Ive been lucky, no problems, and a couple paid with PP, not the cash I requested.

[chevymontecarlo88]

Thanks bonjourami

Your spot on. 

I think most local pickup sales  can be a good for sellers. Many sellers that i know locally offer it with no issues at all.  Big and small. A lot of them use it to network with locals which can lead to future sales and potential buys. 

It is where the item is large and out of state that i think becomes the liability.

If the buyer sends a freight forwarder to the sellers to pick up, cant the buyer eventually open an INR case and say they did not get it? 

If there is a dispute on the item, who pays for the shipping back (particular to large freight 1000 miles away)?

From what i was originally told about freight forwarders was that it would cancel the liability for the seller. (This particular case of a freight item out of state) Also that the sales tax liability would be on the seller at the end of the day. 

Sounds like things have changed and appreciate the heads up bonjourami

[bonjourami]

As it was explained to me at the time, Ebay does not allow inr cases to be opened 0n local pick up, unless the seller has refused to release the item with a pick up date and time. And now with the QR code, its kind of a slam dunk that the item has been picked up.

Idk who would pay for shipping to return the item. In all these years here, Ive only seen one complaint on the boards about that.If I remember right, it was because the seller offered pick up or shipping as an option,but not sure about that.

I certainly enjoyed my local pick up sales, they went so smooth. And I had one buyer who came all the way from Arizona to Chicago to pick up my antique barber chair! When he won the auction and I saw where he lived, I felt sick, it was a pricey sale. But he contacted me right away that he would be driving in in three days, he had friends to visit here anyway..so it all went great.

[downunder-61]

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@valkyriebiker wrote:

> I see absolutely no reason to give the buyer a nonpayment strike in this situation. It's uncalled for, and, IMO, unduly harsh to the point of being vindictive.

I agree with that. I don't necessarily want to hit the bidder with a no-pay strike. But at the same time, I don't want to cancel the sale in a way that could result in me paying the FVF ($800 sale) due to the buyer not confirming that he agrees with the cancellation. Not sure it that's a thing now, but it used to be.

eBay has made it difficult and dodgy for sellers to safely escape a transaction that clearly went sideways. I don't want to allow a carrier to pick up the generator. Partly because I want the buyer to bring a can a gasoline and satisfy himself that it works as advertised. Partly because if the carrier damages it, then it's on me.

But also because the buyer is asking me to accommodate a special request after he bought the item. I should be able to cancel the sale without hassle. If the only way to do that results in his being dinged, well, then so be it -- maybe next time he'll read the listing first and undrestand the terms of the sale.

I suppose I can ask him to "request to cancel" ?

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There is no reason to ask the buyer to request a cancellation - cancel as advised, problem with address and if you do get a neg FB you can get it removed quite easily - especially as an eBay rep has advised you to cancel/not issue a strike in this thread..

Also I agree that the buyer does not deserve a strike, the made a mistake.

[stacy_pme]

I have to put "Local Pickup Only" in the listing, even in the title.... EVEN THEN, I still have people trying to buy it and asking me after the fact to ship it to them.... It's really only huge items that I don't want to ship because of the prohibitive shipping costs.....  I've gotten a few of these from Puerto Rico for some reason...  And I just can't.  LOL.... They message me asking me how much it is going to cost to ship to Puerto Rico (an item I have listed for $140.00... and I tell them, like $200.00 in shipping...  and then they try to haggle on the price.... UGHHH I have it marked "LOCAL PICKUP ONLY" For a reason guys!.....