How long before I start a Unpaid Item Case?

[richlim89]

I was wondering how long do you guys usually wait for someone to pay for any item before you start an unpaid item case with ebay? Also how do I approach things if someone hasn't paid for something they bid for? Do I start an unpaid item case, do I just offer the bidder before the guy that won an offer or do I just cancel the offer? If I offer the item to the second bidder how will the Final Value Fee work? Right now it's asking for $4 and the winning bid was $40 so if I give it to the second bidder who bid $39 will the Final Value Fee be automatically adjusted or will I have to contact ebay. I don't know how I should approach an unpaid item issue because this is the first time someone hasn't paid for something I sold in almost 48 hours. Most of the buyers I've sold to paid within the first 24 hours. I've already contacted the user twice and no response. It's strange because I feel like the buyer really wants the item because the sniped bid for it meaning they wanted to win, but almost 48 hours in an so far no payment and no response.

[slippinjimmy]

There is no specific time-frame, some sellers will file asap (after 2 days) some after a week and some after 30 days.

For an Auction  DO NOT offer the item to the 2nd bidder (presuming you only have one of the item) until you have closed out the high bidder. If you do not wait you might end up with two buyers.

If the winning bidder does not pay and you file a claim you get the fvf refunded, if you now offer to the second bidder and they accept then you pay a fvf on what they paid.

Personally I have so few non-payment issues I don't have a standard time. generally I send a followup invoice after 7 days and then open a claim 24 hours after that.

Auctions in general have many more payment issues than Fixed price listings, always have and always will.

Keep in mind, bidder may place a proxy bid or use a bidding service to win at the last moment but in either case they are not on eBay when the listing ends and they might not be back for a day or two.

[fashunu4eeuh]

Hi, I don't do as many auctions as I do fixed price. But for auctions, I give the buyer a week before I open the Unpaid Item Dispute. On the 7th day, I send a reminder invoice. On the 8th day, if they haven't gotten in touch with me, I open the UID. On my fixed price listings, I set up all of them as Immediate Payment Required. That way my item is never held in suspense off the market. Here is a link for more info on IPR:

https://www.ebay.com/pages/br/help/pay/require-immediate-payment.html

[div_style]

I let eBay open UPI cases at 8 days, but I have mostly multiple quantity listings so allowing it to sit awhile is not a problem.  If one is selling single quantity listings 8 days might be too long to wait.  If you want to get the item relisted you might start the case at 4 days and close in 4 more if unpaid.  I rarely send buyers a reminder--they know they have an unpaid item.

[nobody*s_perfect]

---

@richlim89 wrote:

I was wondering how long do you guys usually wait for someone to pay for any item before you start an unpaid item case ... Do I start an unpaid item case, do I just offer the bidder before the guy that won an offer or do I just cancel the offer? If I offer the item to the second bidder how will the Final Value Fee work? ... this is the first time someone hasn't paid for something I sold in almost 48 hours.... I've already contacted the user twice ....

---

You file an unpaid item claim.  You have no valid reason to cancel the transaction.

When you send a Second Chance offer, eBay creates a new listing that is identical to the original auction except that it's a fixed price listing with the price set at the underbidder' s highest proxy bid.  Hence the risk mentioned above, that you could end up with two paying buyers for one item.  (Also, two final value fees.) An accepted SCO does not cancel out the first transaction or replace it in any way.  SCOs are also used when the seller has a duplicate item.

I generally wait until day 3, then send an invoice with a friendly reminder that their item is packed and ready to ship as soon as it's paid for, then file the unpaid item case if I don't hear from them within 24 hours.  You said you had contacted the buyer twice already in the first 48 hours; that's a bit much, especially over the weekend.

[robot-hands]

You wait until the first second you can, never or somewhere in-between.