Blocking bidders with zero or negative feedback

[lb-squared]

Ebay used to have a way sellers can automatically block buyers with zero or negative feedback.  Is that tool gone?  I have had an influx of non payers due to this and it isn't fair that I should have to keep my item from actually selling to another until the 5th day.

[laststopgeneralstore]

Why would you do that? Your potentially losing out on sales lol. I don't understand why sellers want to block someone who just made and account when they, themselves were once in the same boat. I've said it in the past and I'll say it again, I've had more issues, problems and fraud with buyers that have 1000's or 10,000's+ feedback than I've had with brand spanken new accounts. In fact, I prefer when brand new accounts purchase something from me because in the long run it's good for the whole platform, especially when they have a good experience and if they decide to come back and purchase from me again because they had such a good experience, I gained myself another returning customer. Don't block new buyers. If you want to block anyone then block buyers that have unpaid item strikes. I understand that unpaid items are aggravating and annoying but at the end of the day, it is what it is and it's out of our control. I used to complain about it all of the time but it's out of my control now so I don't waste my time on it.

[a_c_green]

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@lb-squared wrote:

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That CS rep led you into a setting that was not only incorrect for what you were asking, but also wildly incorrect, to the point that it really has no effect at all.

The "Only set this requirement..." setting is indented below the "Block buyers who are currently winning..." setting because it modifies it, limiting its blocking scope to only low-feedback buyers who have 5 or fewer feedback comments.

The "Block buyers who are currently winning..." setting itself is for those who have already made their first purchase from you. This setting allows you determine whether you're going to allow any additional purchases within 10 days of the first one. You, apparently with the coaching of a seriously confused CS rep, are currently allowing a buyer to make up to 100 purchases from you before any limit will cut in. At that time, a buyer with 5 or fewer feedback comments will be blocked from making his 101st purchase.

Your best bet would be to roll back that 100-purchases setting, list your items as Fixed Price with no Make Offer attached, and set the Immediate Payment Required option checkbox on the Listing form (it's down in the Preferences section under the Payment subhead), and that way no one can snatch your item off the market without actually paying you for it first.

[lb-squared]

My listings are Buy it now or Best offer.  When I removed the Best Offer option, my sales noticeably decreased so I put it back on most.  WHat are you saying to do with the 100 purchase setting?

[a_c_green]

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@lb-squared wrote:

My listings are Buy it now or Best offer.  When I removed the Best Offer option, my sales noticeably decreased so I put it back on most.

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That's fine, but does mean that if the buyer submits an offer instead of hitting the BuyItNow button, they are not required to pay at the moment you accept their offer. eBay is experimenting with an Immediate Payment Required setting on offers, for which the buyers must submit their payment info in advance, and you will see a checkbox at the bottom of your Buyer Requirements screen for requiring that from buyers who are part of the experimental eBay program, but the vast majority are not in that yet, so basically you cannot expect immediate payment from a buyer who has made an offer instead of a BuyItNow.

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@lb-squared wrote:

What are you saying to do with the 100 purchase setting?

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Scale that number back from 100 to 1. Otherwise, your condition limiting additional purchases from buyers with low feedback counts (below 5, in your screenshot) will not have any effect on any buyer who has already made a purchase from you in the past 10 days. (As it stands right now, in your screenshot, anyone is free to make up to 100 purchases from you within 10 days before any limit might be imposed on them.)

[soh.maryl]

Perhaps, if you recall them, you could walk us through the steps that the CS rep walked you through to prevent buyers with less than 5 FB from shopping with you.  I am sure you can see why we find this problematic since eBay is always desperate for new buyers and such a restriction would mean that no new buyers could use eBay.  

[lb-squared]

I posted a screenshot of what the rep had me do

[mam98031]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@lb-squared wrote:

UPDATE!

I was correct.  I called Ebay and after being scammed again yesterday they walked me through how to block buyers with 5 or less positive feedback. So, for all of you who bashed me telling me I didn't know what I was talking about or remembering incorrectly...

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Thanks for all the enlarged print, not sure it was at all necessary, but as long as you feel better, that is all that matters.

What I've shared with you is absolutely correct.  I am sorry that an Ebay CSR mislead you to believe that block means something that it does not.

@nobody*s_perfect has a great point.  If you had a new buyer, that had never purchased from you before get blocked, you can see them on your report and the reason they were blocked.  Take a screenshot of that and post it.  It will settle you concern.

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

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@lb-squared 

You haven't responded and shown this information yet so we can clear this up.  I hope you will consider responding.

[downunder-61]

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@lb-squared wrote:

FINALLY, someone remembers and agrees with me!! Wish I could blast this response!

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Why, they were wrong - NEVER been a block for low FB

[shfquickship73]

The buyers will find ways around it.  

[inhawaii]

I'm too lazy to read the whole thread but is the OP convinced that there is a way to block low feedback bidders?  Oh boy. Why don't we just let the OP continue believing that.

[redmodelt]

post removed by me. 

[redmodelt]

Discounting when a potential buyer signed up, Feedback and how many items a buyer has bought are two different things. Feedback is not required so may not even reflect how many items they have purchased. 

Line 3 of the blocking, the lowest setting is 1, that means they can buy 1 item from you even if they have a feedback score of 0, every 10 days. On day 11, the clock starts fresh, and they can buy again the seller with those setting in place until they receive Feedback. Once Feedback has been received, the settings in place by the seller no longer apply. 

Line 4 which is reference to line 3, with the lowest setting of 0 set, which means the rule in line 3 only applies if that buyer does not receive Feedback. So every 10 days (day 11) they can bid or buy an item from a seller with those limits in place. 0 set on line 4, does not stop anyone from buying the 1st item it only applies the rule of line 3 to that buyer for any sellers with those rules in place. 

If the count is set to 100 in line 3, that means they can buy 100 items even with 0 feedback in those 10 days but would have to wait till day 11 to buy the 101th item.

[theteamsetguy]

@lb-squared ,

Please tell me how leaving negative feedback warns a seller when the seller doesn’t know the identity of the bidder until they win the auction?

[nobody*s_perfect]

Sellers can see all the bidders' full IDs in the bid history.   

[mam98031]

It is more likely that most sellers don't even look at a buyer's FB page unless there is a problem.  There are a whole lot of sellers out there that do not review a buyer's FB when they bid or purchase something.  Most don't have time for that.  I personally only look at a buyer's FB when there is a problem of some kind with the transaction and I find that looking at their FB left for others is more telling that the FB they receive.