Getting around unpaid item block?

[grammyzhaus]

Hello everyone,

I have my preferences set for blocking buyers with two unpaid item strikes in the past month.  I just finished an auction that ended relatively high. When I looked up the buyer, I noted he had received “positive” feedback multiple times that indicated he had a history of non-payment. When I checked my “Buyer Requirements Activity Log” I noted that this same buyer (even tho the user id was redacted it was the same # of FB and date account opened) had placed two bids for this item on 9/6 that were blocked; he then placed a third bid on that same date that was ultimately successful and won the auction. 

Wondering if anyone has heard of a glitch/bug that allows unpaid item strike bidders to somehow circumvent their block?

He hasn’t paid yet, although it’s only been 24 hrs. Will wait him out and add another strike and block him if need be. 

Thanks,

Grammyzhaus

[glasser]

Don't know a good question for the Wednesday community chat

[mkaczorsee]

Had similar issue with a buyer. 

I called CS and they noted the IDs (4 with my buyer) and told me I had 2 options. 

Either complete the sale or cancel transaction due to issue with buyer’s address (you have them blocked and this includes their address.)

But, I would call before doing either option and see what they suggest and get the IDs reported and on their radar. 

[eleanor*rigby]

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@grammyzhaus wrote:

I have my preferences set for blocking buyers with two unpaid item strikes in the past month.

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You'll want to change that to two unpaid item strikes in the last 12 months. It's much more restrictive than two in the last month . . .

[soh.maryl]

Just a side note:  You do realize that sellers cannot leave positive FB with negative wording?

That buyer could have contacted eBay and had those remarks erased.

[grammyzhaus]

That was my understanding as well but I was shocked when I read this buyer’s feedback; at least a half dozen of his “positive” feedback were, in fact, negatively worded. I have never seen feedback like this before. 

[glasser]

Should be easier to report things like this

[pjcdn2005]

As @eleanor*rigby suggested, change your preferences to 2 unpaid items in the past 12 months instead of in the last month.   It’s possible that the third bid was allowed because one of the strikes were no longer within that month. 

[soh.maryl]

What would be the reason for reporting? 

[a_c_green]

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@grammyzhaus wrote:

Wondering if anyone has heard of a glitch/bug that allows unpaid item strike bidders to somehow circumvent their block?

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No. My first thought was that he might have paid one of the previous outstanding balances, but I don't think that's possible once the sale is cancelled and the Unpaid slap is applied. He might have appealed to Customer Service and gotten his record expunged that way.

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@grammyzhaus wrote:

He hasn’t paid yet, although it’s only been 24 hrs. Will wait him out and add another strike and block him if need be.

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That's how I would approach it, yes.

[releasethekraken_1]

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@glasser wrote:

Should be easier to report things like this

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Report what? That the OP didn't have their block set sufficiently strong to affect that bidder?

If one of the strikes aged off between their failed attempts and the successful one, the system worked as designed AND as the OP wanted it to work.

[grammyzhaus]

Since the blocked bids and the successful bid were all placed on the same date, I just found it highly unlikely that the block would age out in whatever few hours elapsed in between them.  Possible, but statistically unlikely.  Was just curious if this had happened to others and if it was indeed a glitch in the system. 

Have now set my block to 2 unpaid x 12 months, as many have suggested. Will continue to wait it out and see what happens, still unpaid at 2+ days now. 

I have a good 2nd Chance Offer to fall back on, if need be. If that doesn’t work, it was a popular item. As people are fond of saying on here, if it sold once, it will sell again. 

[a_c_green]

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@grammyzhaus wrote:

Have now set my block to 2 unpaid x 12 months, as many have suggested. Will continue to wait it out and see what happens, still unpaid at 2+ days now. 

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@grammyzhaus : I just came across this thread from last week. How did it turn out?

[grammyzhaus]

@a_c_green  I waited out the 4 days and did the cancel with strike and added him to my BBL. Did 2nd Chance Offer to the underbidder, which was only $2 less, and he jumped on it and wrote me a glowing FB and personal message about how much he loves the train. The no-pay buyer actually ended up driving up the price by like $30 with the underbidder and no other bids were close, so I guess the no pay actually did me a favor. Who knew??

[a_c_green]

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@grammyzhaus wrote:

The no-pay buyer actually ended up driving up the price by like $30 with the underbidder and no other bids were close, so I guess the no pay actually did me a favor. Who knew??

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Ayup. In my niche market, I don't have a lot of non-payers or cancellation requests, but if the opportunity arises, it's usually worth at least trying the Second Chance Offer, since it will be no worse than one increment below the winner, and I would say my batting average with SCOs is about .500 overall.