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False buyers

So I had an item up for auction.. I'm quite a new seller. It's an iPhone, no buy it now or best offer. Within the first hour I had probably about a dozen messages telling me they'll buy it now because it's for a 'present' for someone else. Ignored all them, made it all the way through the 7day auction, had some genuine bidders, then right at the last moment, a account with no feedback won the auction for £860 just £20 above the next bidder who had alot of feedback... the winner then messaged me to say to send him my PayPal email and he'll send me the money, plus extra £8 for special delivery.. abit suspicious, I did it however, and they said the funds had be transferred and to check my email for confirmation.. thinking that wasn't right, I checked directly with PayPal, and no funds there.. then the buyer stopped communicating... Really **bleep** me off, as I have to wait and then re-list it for another auction! Completely wasting my time and the genuine bidder who nearly won it... is there anyway I can stop people with no feedback making a bid?

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False buyers

Hi, it is impossible to identify a problem buyer based solely on a feedback score. Ebay is actively courting new buyers to come to the platform. Without them, the site would not remain viable. Guest accounts also have no history, and could be a long time buyer. The wide majority of buyers are honest, regardless of feedback history. Blocking members with little to no feedback is akin to shooting oneself in the foot. 

 

There are inherent risks to selling online. The best a seller can do to mitigate them is to know eBay policy, be selective of what you sell and in which categories, determine risk tolerance before listing the goods, and have a plan in place on how to handle both shrinkage and returns. A buyer-friendly return policy (to avoid bogus Not As Described cases among other reasons) should not be feared and can be used in the seller’s favor. 

 

You listened to your gut instincts and saved yourself from losing the phone. You can’t ask for a better risk barometer than your own intuition. You should do well here. Wish you much luck in the future. 

 

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