Deadbeat bidders

[lindseyfr]

Why has e-bay stopped allowing any feedback when the winning bidders never pay? There used to be a paragraph at the end of our ads that said, "bidding is a contract".. but  I have had at least 3 deadbeat nonplayers for the last few sales. Each of these "buyers" had 100% ratings, likely because they have failed to honor their commitments before and nobody knew that they would do this sleazy thing.

When we have deadbeat "winning bidders", the folks that were outbid were cheated out of my item and I lose at least two weeks while I relist the item and go through the process all over again.

The "reporting nonpayers" system is a sad joke as these scofflaws just keep their "100%" ratings and continue to defraud.

Why isn't e-bay interested in protecting the integrity of the selling process?

[soh.maryl]

We understand your concern here; however, it's been at least 8 years, maybe more, since sellers have been allowed to neg buyers.

However, sellers can certainly cancel the transaction after 4 days of nonpayment.  The FVF will be refunded, the seller can relist and buyer has a strike.

The seller can set his requirements so that a buyer with two strikes in twelve months will be unable to do business with him.

That's all we have as of now.  

Do you have your requirements set accordingly? 

PS:  And it's not that eBay doesn't allow any FB to be left for buyers, the FB left by a seller for a buyer has to be either positive or none at all.  

[kensgiftshop]

@lindseyfr 

If non-payers are that much of a problem, why not ditch auctions and list as a BIN with immediate payment required?

[lindseyfr]

How is that helpful or even fair for e-bay’s sellers? It’s on me to block these people, to take what feeble action e-bay allows? How are other sellers to know that this buyer didn’t pay (or respond to messages?

e-bay made it their policy that sellers are at the bottom of their priorities - and actual penalties for going back on their word doesn’t exist

[lindseyfr]

Buy It Now works for some items, but guessing the correct price for rare items pretty well guarantees you keep that item for a long time. Competitive bidding is a lot better, but the system only works if the auction house enforces the integrity of the bidding and payment system.

[stainlessenginecovers]

Ebay is a selling venue.

Just like Target AZ FBMP Bza Ets etc.

You don't poo on your customers (neg feedback)  Similar to there is no large poster with your face on it in the entrance window saying 'bad customer'. 

Also there were many sellers that would leave neg feedback if they received neg feedback from a buyer; for no other reason than retaliation. 

Many sellers have that preference set that soh.maryl stated, and it takes only 2 in a 12 month period (non payer strike) to BLOCK those buyers. Very important tool. Once, something coulda happened. Twice- nope. 

[a_c_green]

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@lindseyfr wrote:

How is that helpful or even fair for e-bay’s sellers? It’s on me to block these people, to take what feeble action e-bay allows? How are other sellers to know that this buyer didn’t pay (or respond to messages?

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The Unpaid slap that is imposed on the buyer when you cancel the unpaid item with the "Buyer did not pay" reason is counted on his record. Two or more within a year, and he can get automatically blocked from future purchases from any seller who has their buyer requirements set to block deadbeats. That setting is adjustable, with 2 Unpaids within the past 12 months being the most restrictive. You can set your own limits higher, to allow in buyers with as many as 5 Unpaids in the past month alone (if I remember right), but I don't know why you would want to do that.

Your Unpaid Purchases page for automatically closing Unpaid items and giving deadbeats an Unpaid slap is here: https://www.ebay.com/Cancel/Preference/UnpaidPurchase

(There is also an exception list maintained on that page if you want to exclude buyers whom you're allowing to pay late.)

Your Blocked Buyer List is here: https://www.ebay.com/bmgt/BuyerBlock?

Your Buyer Management page for screening buyers with Unpaid slaps in their history is here: https://www.ebay.com/bmgt/buyerrequirements

You can view the results of your screening for Unpaid buyers on your Buyer Requirements Activity Log here: https://www.ebay.com/bmgt/blockedbuyeractivities

[soh.maryl]

Your distress about this is understandable; however, just like with just about everything else, we have to operate within the rules.

You do understand that no one here is responsible for that policy, right?

And let me assure you that you're not alone in your feelings about this.  

[biguglystick]

It's infuriating to me that eBay doesn't do squat to protect its sellers!! I've had several deadbeat bidders. A bid is SUPPOSED to be a binding contract. You place the winning bid, you BUY IT. That's not how it works anymore, and eBay has lost all integrity. It's a true SHAME. Who made up these horrid rules anyway, and who thought it was a good idea??? 

[fab_finds4u]

It's  infuriating to me that eBay doesn't do squat to protect its sellers

If sellers would set their preferences to block bidders who receive 2 or more strikes

 and  cancel transactions citing buyer didn't pay  which gives the buyer a strike then the deadbeats would be blocked from bidding for a year. 

So don't say eBay doesn't do squat. Blame the sellers that don't give them a strike when they don't pay.

[slippinjimmy]

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@lindseyfr wrote:

Why has e-bay stopped allowing any feedback when the winning bidders never pay?

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Bottom line? Because many sellers could not handle the responsibility and would hand out negs like candy for the slightest (perceived) transgression.

Negs for buyers went away 14 years ago, it's not coming back, your complaint might have been slightly more interesting 14 years ago.

[luckythewinner]

Why has e-bay stopped allowing any feedback when the winning bidders never pay?

You are using the present tense "has". eBay stopped allowing negative feedback for buyers a decade and a half ago. 

There used to be a paragraph at the end of our ads that said, "bidding is a contract"

You can type anything you want into your listings. But when push comes to shove, eBay is the one who sets the rules for how eBay works. 

Why isn't e-bay interested in protecting the integrity of the selling process?

Probably because

(a) eBay can't force someone to pay.

(b)  they know that if sellers could leave negatives, these buyer would simply create new accounts and wipe the slate clean.

(c) they know that negatives would not stop them from sniping auctions anyway.

(d) eBay knows that sellers have the alternative of Fixed Price, Immediate Payment Required available to them. 

(e) when eBay sellers could leave negatives, many  sellers demonstrated they did not respect the integrity of the selling process either. Retaliatory negatives were the norm back then. 

[anjofak]

Most of them are the kind of people you might see shop lifting at yardsales, probably better to have the transaction fail, considering some of the stories here..