Blocked buyer opened a new account and made a purchase.

[train_slide_central]

I had a buyer email me and ask if I accept offers on a cheap $20 item. I looked at current listings. Mine was pretty much around the cheapest one listed. But I replied with an off of $1 off. He answered with, "can I pay you $15, but not through eBay?"🙄  So I blocked him. A few hours later he opened a new account and bought it for $20. (I know it was him because his user name uses portions of his real name, and it's the same). I want to cancel this now, he is just a going to be problem buyer.  Advice everyone? ty

[dbfolks166mt]

     What reason are you going to use to cancel the sale? Legitimate sale if buyer has paid then you should ship. If you cancel your only choices would be to your detriment.

     There are multiple reasons I quit using Best Offer long ago. 

[12345jamesstamps]

Just ship it.

Maybe a guest account he is using...he can't leave feedback.

Take photo of package with postage and email in a friendly tone 'item is in the mail.'

It's only a 20 buck item.

He will only open another guest account again if you block him.

[train_slide_central]

Per eBay "You can't use another account to buy or bid on an item if you're on a seller's blocked bidder or buyer list."

[train_slide_central]

It's also against eBay policy for someone to try to offer to pay for an item off of eBay.  He tried to complete the first sale without going through the eBay payments.

Per eBay it is a violation to:   "Engage in any action with a user on the site designed to complete or facilitate a transaction outside of eBay"

[chapeau-noir]

Just ship  - I wouldn't have blocked to begin with.

[robbie31415]

If eBay can't prove the accounts are from the same person by their internal information and they report you for cancelling for no reason, there could be ramifications to your account.

Is that worth it over a $20 dollar item?

[12345jamesstamps]

Some buyers have no accounts...but want to buy something.

You can't block a buyer who is making a purchase as a 'guest'.

That buyer can make purchases as a guest where the account is different all the time.

How to identify a 'guest'...purchase is made on day account is created...guest account has no feedback and can't get feedback.

[12345jamesstamps]

I understand that totally.

But we have what is called a 'guest account'.

Your buyer opened up an account as a guest which can only be used one time that day.

Canceling the sale...this buyer can just make the purchase again as a 'guest'.

[duffy4444 · Accepted solution]

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@chapeau-noirwrote:

Just ship  - I wouldn't have blocked to begin with.

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@chapeau-noir:

     Wow, I certainly disagree! The OP's potential buyer has problems following him like the dirt cloud following the Peanuts  character Pig Pen.

     The buyer is at least an opportunist, if not an obvious scammer by wanting to take the transaction off of eBay - the first big red flag. I would also have blocked him in a heartbeat.

     Then he continued showing his questionable colors by circumventing the block and opening a new account - the second big red flag, whether a "guest account" or not. His purchase of the item at full price is immaterial. His behavior is nothing short of problematic, even for a $20 item. That $20 is the OP's money and his item; it's not up to anyone else to tell him to take the risk when we have no skin in the game.

     I've had three similar situations over the past 26+ years I've been here, and here's how I learned to successfully handle all three:  I cancelled and refunded the problematic buyer and blocked his new buyer ID as well. Then I deleted the item from my listings, took the out of stock hit on my metrics, and waited another 30 days or so before relisting it. That buyer most likely went on to another potential victim and never came back after I relisted it, and it soon sold to a good, legit buyer. All three instances were successful.

     As far as the OP is concerned, he has thousands of positives, and I assume  that the rest of his Seller Performance metrics are in line with that. So perhaps he can handle and OOS ding and/or negative feedback without any real harm... that's up to him. 

     But I have never rewarded red flag stunts like that being pulled on me.

Cheers,

Duffy

[stainlessenginecovers]

It's hard to use 'problem with address' because you don't know the buyers address prior to the block...

So- just ship it. 

[train_slide_central]

THANK YOU!!!  Finally someone who sees the problem at hand and all of the red flags. I am going to do exactly as you said. WHY ON EARTH would anyone think selling to this person is a good idea?   I am not willing to take the risk for any amount of $$.  

I appreciate you for taking the time to comment. 😊

[train_slide_central]

I have sold many items over the years to people with zero feedback and with no problems or concerns at all. But not under these questionable circumstances.

[gurlcat]

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@dbfolks166mt wrote:

     What reason are you going to use to cancel the sale? Legitimate sale if buyer has paid then you should ship. If you cancel your only choices would be to your detriment.

     There are multiple reasons I quit using Best Offer long ago. 

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This wasn't a Best Offer; it was an emailed offer.  Which is even worse, because either the OP didn't have BO on this listing and this sketchy person refused to take the hint that the price is firm .... or it did have BO and sketchy used up all their chances with horrendous lowballs. 

[chapeau-noir]

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@duffy4444 wrote:

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@chapeau-noirwrote:

Just ship  - I wouldn't have blocked to begin with.

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@chapeau-noir:

     Wow, I certainly disagree! The OP's potential buyer has problems following him like the dirt cloud following the Peanuts  character Pig Pen.

     The buyer is at least an opportunist, if not an obvious scammer by wanting to take the transaction off of eBay - the first big red flag. I would also have blocked him in a heartbeat.

     Then he continued showing his questionable colors by circumventing the block and opening a new account - the second big red flag, whether a "guest account" or not. His purchase of the item at full price is immaterial. His behavior is nothing short of problematic, even for a $20 item. That $20 is the OP's money and his item; it's not up to anyone else to tell him to take the risk when we have no skin in the game.

     I've had three similar situations over the past 26+ years I've been here, and here's how I learned to successfully handle all three:  I cancelled and refunded the problematic buyer and blocked his new buyer ID as well. Then I deleted the item from my listings, took the out of stock hit on my metrics, and waited another 30 days or so before relisting it. That buyer most likely went on to another potential victim and never came back after I relisted it, and it soon sold to a good, legit buyer. All three instances were successful.

     As far as the OP is concerned, he has thousands of positives, and I assume  that the rest of his Seller Performance metrics are in line with that. So perhaps he can handle and OOS ding and/or negative feedback without any real harm... that's up to him. 

     But I have never rewarded red flag stunts like that being pulled on me.

Cheers,

Duffy

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Unless they have horrible feedback on the account they contact me on, I don't worry about it. There are opportunists and I've said "Sorry, can't do that, site rules" and they purchase anyway, they have never given me trouble. Not everyone knows the byzantine site rules here. I mean, really - inexpensive item and they just ask? I wouldn't have discounted $1, either. It's just yes/no. I'm not selling laptops and fur coats. 😄

ETA: I don't sell to people who beg - now THAT has been e a problem.