Buyer changes User ID to win auction at lower price

[hp123hp123]

A buyer won my auction and failed to pay/respond (it was for collection only and I would have accepted cash on collection). After several attempts to contact them, I assumed they wanted to cancel so I asked Ebay to cancel giving the reason as “buyer has asked to cancel”. No response for another 10 days so Ebay cancelled the transaction. In the meantime I relisted the auction and it was won at a significantly lower price (£360 less). I didn’t realise until it had ended that the buyer’s name matched the previous buyer’s name, as it was a different user iD only set up a couple of weeks ago. I usually just use the app which only shows userID but the actual name shows up in the full website and that’s when I realised. I think this is underhand practice of the buyer to get the item at a lower price than they had previously agreed to pay. I realise I should have just raised an unpaid item case in the first instance rather than giving them the benefit of the doubt that they just wanted to cancel. The buyer has now asked to collect the item (won at the lower price of course) , but I’d rather not sell to them now knowing what they have done. Is there any action I can take to report this unfair practice? 

[postingid7659]

I don't know if there are any rules against what he did.  

You're allowed multiple accounts, although they've changed things to eliminate some of the need for it other than posting here.  I don't know that there is any rule that states you can't buy from the same seller with a secondary account, even if they have blocked you on one of them.   It probably should be a rule.  But it's rare for you to even know it's happened.  

[us-mamic]

It is auction .You have to sell it to him.

[eunster1313]

( I don't know if there are any rules against what he did. )

Buyers are not allowed to circumvent a sellers blocked bidder or buyer list.

2020 Spring Seller Update - Updates to how you service your customers

https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/seller-updates/2020-spring/service.html 

Unwelcome and malicious buying policy

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/selling-policies/unwelcome-malicious-buying-policy?id=4375 

[nobody*s_perfect]

The OP hasn't mentioned whether they put the original buyer ID on their BBL.  

The buyer apparently used a second ID in case the original one was on a BBL.  In order to prove a policy violation, the seller would have to show that the original ID actually was on their BBL and that it also showed up on their Buyer Requirements Activity log as having been blocked from bidding on the new listing.

[eunster1313]

(The buyer apparently used a second ID in case the original one was on a BBL. In order to prove a policy violation, the seller would have to show that the original ID actually was on their BBL and that it also showed up on their Buyer Requirements Activity log as having been blocked from bidding on the new listing.)

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Bulk-nitpicky-buyer/m-p/29863998#M1427699 

[lilbama911]

As other posters have suggested, cancel the transaction using "something is wrong with buyer's address" which is what I did recently.    Do not relist immediately or  if you do, raise the price.

This is your business, do what you have to do.

[lilbama911]

The seller does not have to sell to this buyer, just like bidders do not have to pay, should they win.  Selling to winner bidders is not mandatory.  Ebay cannot override who sellers refuse to sell their items to.

[fashunu4eeuh]

There is no policy violation here. You cancelled the transaction, relieving the buyer of his obligation to pay, and you cancelled it using “buyer requested” although they did not request it. 

If you had opened an Unpaid Item Dispute, or had placed him on your block list, then you could take the moral high ground. But as it is, the buyer was free to bid again. While it is unfortunate the second auction did not financially match the previous one, that is the risk one takes when listing auction-style.

You now have an obligation to ship the item if the buyer has paid. If you cancel it, you cannot use “problem with address” because there is no problem with it. If you do not want to sell this item to this buyer, then man up and take the defect. Otherwise, ship the item and take it as a lesson learned. In the future, open the Unpaid Item Dispute and put the non-payer on your block list.

[coolections]

@lqdtechoutlet 

Buyer did not ask to cancel. Don't tell people to lie here on the boards as it is against Ebay rules.

[luckythewinner]

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After several attempts to contact them, I assumed they wanted to cancel so I asked Ebay to cancel giving the reason as “buyer has asked to cancel”.

Your buyer did not ask to cancel. 

I think this is underhand practice of the buyer to get the item at a lower price than they had previously agreed to pay

You are only assuming his motives. Based on my reading of this board for 20 years, some buyers seem to require a Unpaid Item Dispute to prompt them to pay, but now we will never know.   And there is no need to wait 10+ days before doing so. 

I realise I should have just raised an unpaid item case in the first instance

Correct. 

Rather than giving them the benefit of the doubt that they just wanted to cancel

You made an assumption and fibbed about why you were canceling to achieve your goal. Not sure how you consider that to be a "benefit" to the buyer. 

Is there any action I can take to report this unfair practice? 

Are you talking about the practice canceling a transactrion for a bogus reason?

IMHO the best action you can take in the future is to following the well-established eBay practice of filing an unpaid item dispute when a buyer is unresponsive or you are no longer willing to wait for payment. 

[wesk_36]

There is really nothing to report.

I understand why you don't want to sell to the buyer that never paid or communicated. These types of buyers are annoying, inconsiderate, dishonest, time-wasters. They strung you along and maybe had nefarious intentions or maybe not.

You don't have to sell to them. If you don't, there may be negative ramifications to your account that you would have to accept. But you do have a choice. Definitely.

" I realise I should have just raised an unpaid item case in the first instance rather than giving them the benefit of the doubt that they just wanted to cancel. "

Next time you will.

[a_c_green]

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@lilbama911 wrote:

As other posters have suggested, cancel the transaction using "something is wrong with buyer's address" which is what I did recently.

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That would be difficult, as according to the OP, both auctions were Local Pickup Only.