How many times do you let a buyer cancel?

[bigdeals.etc]

I know I'm going to hear answers across the spectrum. But I'm still curious. How many times do you let them cancel (whether it be official ebay cancellation or after that time window and thru messages) before you BBL?

I just blocked a few buyers who I've checked I had to cancel for 3+ times. These buyers never completed a successful (non-cancellation transaction with me before). There's two buyers who actually seem pretty upset that I won't let them buy anymore. One of them has 5 cancelled transactions with me spanning thru 2 years. Why should they even be upset? What would they be missing... they never even fully purchased anything from me before.

[duncanvr]

Well lets just say if buyers sends me a message I didn't buy this then they go on my block list straight away. Next is sorry I can't pay for this or some lame reason why they bid in one of my auctions and can't pay then they go on my block list. I'm surprised you'd let the same person cancel 5 times I would have blocked them after one or two at most cancels. These people just waste sellers time and have no intention of completing the sale. ebay should allow sellers to see how many times any particular buyer has cancelled on other sellers so we can decide straight away to block them.

[fab_finds4u]

I will allow one mistake before I block them. 

[bigdeals.etc]

Yea TBH, after seeing that the buyer has requested to cancel on me 5 times I was thinking why the heck didn't I block that guy much earlier. Then I remember sometimes buyers end up slipping thru my BBL fingers as I process whatever issue the buyer had ATM and just move on without looking up previous records to see if they are blockworthy. Call it lazy or what, but usually those times I'm tied up with something more pressing.

I still recall some members say they never block buyers... and I find that amazing. Especially during this time.

[*madison]

One cancellation = Blocked.

I don't let buyers mess me about..

[bigdeals.etc]

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@duncanvr wrote:

ebay should allow sellers to see how many times any particular buyer has cancelled on other sellers so we can decide straight away to block them.

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[bigdeals.etc]

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@*madison wrote:

One cancellation = Blocked.

I don't let buyers mess me about..

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Yea I'm thinking of having a "one strike you're out" rule when it comes to cancellations too. This whole ebay cancellations thing is getting out of hand. I remember a time when ebay told the buyer under policy that they MUST pay for an item they won.

I know I didn't ask this in my OP, but what about if the buyer successfully bought something previously? And I'm not talking about the ones who "accidentally" made two simultaneous duplicate purchases... I'm talking about if the buyer bought something, then a week later bought another item and asked to cancel the latter.

[*madison]

It doesn't matter to me if the buyer is a repeat buyer, they are still getting blocked.

Thing is, over the years I've placed loads of bids I've regretted.

I've bought BIN's and then immediately regretted it.

But I've never retracted a bid, and I've never asked a seller to cancel a transaction.

I've paid for all of my mistakes, and I expect my buyers to do the same, and if they don't do it, they are getting blocked.

[bigdeals.etc]

On a related note, I wish there was a setting to auto block bidders who have filed x amount of cancellations within an x amount of time. Same with bid retractions too.

Ebay has this setting for payment strikes... why not extend it to cancellations and bid retractions too? Payment strikes have started becoming obsolete because of the drop in number of auctions as well as the easy loophole of the SNAD. Heck, add Returns in there too (I highly doubt this one will ever happen tho). Actually I doubt cancellations will happen as well since ebay encourages cancellations nowadays.

[calntom]

I give the buyer 1 strike in most cases unless, upon a quick vetting, they prove to have some issues. 

Most don't find the BBL, I tell them, no problems, stop back by anytime.

[marie185antiques]

Only once, regardless.  Then it is onto the BBL.  It is a waste of precious time and money to continue this fiasc,

for the seller.

[farmalljr]

The BBL is a sellers only half hearted protection. Yeah I know people can get around it, but still... 

I block ANYONE who cancels a transaction for any reason. I block anyone who files an unjust INAD. I block anyone who makes any unjust/silly return.  I block anyone who asks several questions about an item that already has been answered clearly in the listing. 

In short, I'm not bashful about blocking anyone who seems not a good fit to be my buyer. I don't play games with other sellers, anywhere. I don't expect to have to put up with games myself. My time is limited and valuable, and I assume everyone else's is too. While I try to give every buyer a great experience, I can't give each one every minute of my time every day. Wasting time with things that don't make me money is NOT on my priority list. 

If you are lucky enough to have repeat buyers that come back to you regularly, that's great, But I have the suspicion most of us don't. Millions of sellers and buyers, the likelihood of repeat buyers is pretty unlikely. 

[powell-memorabilia]

I can't recall that I have every blocked a buyer for a cancellation.  I really don't mind them - better to get a cancellation than a return.  I've had cancellations from regular buyers - plenty of people run into unforeseen issues, buy the wrong item (and discover their mistake later), etc..  

[powell-memorabilia]

I've never done the math, but I'd think that at least 50% of my sales are from repeat buyers, and I assume that most new buyers, at some point, will become a repeat buyer.  Offer great products at reasonable prices, and provide great customer service.  AND, don't sell something that 1,000,000 other sellers have.

[byrd69er]

I block buyers if they look at me funny.