How quickly do you open an Unpaid Item Case?

[edzzz_vinyl]

I just started selling records on eBay a couple months ago (been selling on DIscogs for years) and this past weekend a few of my auctions ended. I’m in the US and someone in Australia bid on 2 at the last second and won them at the starting price. Fine with me, but since they are going to Australia shipping was set at $25 per album. 

After my auctions ended I actually weighed those 2 records in the cardboard mailer and looked up combined shipping cost by weight on USPS.com. $35 was the cost so I combined items on one invoice and sent it to the buyer with the new shipping rate.

That was over 48 hours ago and I haven’t received payment or heard a peep from the buyer.

I googled and read that if no payment has been sent in over 48 hours the seller can open an Unpaid Item Case, but I’m wondering if that’s common practice? Do most eBay sellers escalate that quickly or do they give the person a little longer to respond? I thought about messaging the buyer again, but I don’t want to be pushy. Although I also don’t want to sit in limbo waiting for payment that’s never going to come.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[ryanrobyn]

I allow 3 days for payment unless the buyer contacts me. Then I open unpaid claim as there're far too many items never paid for nowadays.

[mam98031]

While understanding Ebay's UID [unpaid item dispute] process is important, the first thing you need to do is develop your TOS [terms of sale] and state that in all your listings.

If you are running BIN listings that do not have Immediate Payment Required [IPR] or auctions, you should NEVER leave your payment terms to the imagination of a buyer.  You should state them.  When you don't state your TOS, then your buyers may assume they have a week to pay or something else.  If you tell them, then they know what your expectations are.  Just whatever you state, make sure it is enforceable within the Ebay rules.

You are welcome to look at some of my listings and see if any of the TOS I use would be of interest to you.  You are also welcome to copy whatever you'd like or ignore it all.  Depending on your preference.  If you do choose to look stick with my craft listings.  My other listings I require IPR and therefore the terms are different.

Now back to your original question.  Ebay's rules is if 48 hours after the purchase your buyer has not yet paid, you can file a UID.  And 96 hours after you open the UID if payment hasn't arrived you can close the UID for non payment.

I recommend that once you file the UID that you do not initiate contact with your buyer at all.  Ebay will be sending them messages regarding the claim and that payment is due.  Your added emails may cause friction and problem that would not otherwise exist.  So just stay silent.

Make sure you make a note of the date and time you open the UID.  That is so that 96 hours and 1 minute after you open the UID and payment doesn't arrive, you can close it for non payment.

Closing the UID for non payment is important to do right away because it protects your feedback [FB].  Always an important thing to do whenever you can.

What I have found in the last couple of years is the majority of my non payers are international.  They just don't ask before purchasing what the shipping is going to be.  Then when they see how expensive it has become, even for light weight items, they no longer want it, but they don't say anything to the sellers.  If they did, UIDs might not be necessary.  I am fine with doing a cancellation for international buyers that just didn't know the S&H was going to cost so much.  I respect the fact that international shipping costs are just outrageous IMHO.

[edzzz_vinyl]

Thanks to you both for the words of wisdom.

For future sales I will add my own payment terms in the description (I’ll probably go with 3 days before a UIC is started). I should've thought to do that when I started. 

I did figure that once I actually start a UIC I should leave it to eBay to do further communication, but thanks for mentioning that.

I totally agree that international shipping rates are ridiculous ($25 for one single LP to everywhere other than Canada or Mexico .. total insanity), but on eBay it actually shows the rate when you bid or clicks Buy It Now. On Discogs you often have to open a “Details” link to see a sellers international rates so on that site I'm used to and understand the "shipping shock" a little more.  It doesn’t make as much sense to me on this site.  Plus this buyer has over 2000 feedback ratings so I doubt this is the first time they've bought internationally.

Anyway, thanks again for your help! I’ll wait another 24 hours and if I don’t hear from them I’ll start the UIC and sit tight/see what happens.

Cheers.

[mam98031]

I'm very glad I could assist you and help you.  Good luck!

[slippinjimmy]

I send a follow up invoice at 7 days and open a UPI 24 hours later.

Many sellers act faster, but I get so few non-payers it's not a big issue for me.

[7606dennis]

I allow 3 business days in my TOS since eBay disallowed mail-in payments.  Of course, fixed price listings are IPR.  However, I'm not too quick to file a UID unless the buyer gives me reason to do so.  Ordinarily, I'll open one on the fifth business day unless the buyer has contacted me.

[coffeebean832]

eBay sends a payment reminder to the buyer on the second day. I use the unpaid item assistant and it will automatically open a UPI on day 4. If the buyer messages me before a UPI is opened and says they need a couple of days and will pay on a specific date- usually Friday which is pay day for many- then I will turn off the unpaid item assistant for that item and manually open a UPI if not paid by the day after they said they would.

[18704d]

I haven't read the 7 or so replies that are on this thread so far.

Me?

My time schedule hasn't changed since I first started selling about 20 years ago.

My auctions state Please, payment demanded desired within 3 Days.

But I don't open an Unpaid Dispute.. for a full   10 days.

fwiw,

Lynn

[this*old*attic]

Not everyone pays that much attention to their email or bids - he might have set up an auto snipe, you know, and wasn’t necessarily even there to see his bid win.

I’d wait 2 or 3 days and just send a reminder first. 2 or 3 days after that I’d file.

[reallynicestamps]

Keep in mind the time difference.

EBay will send a reminder.

As a non-US (Canadian) seller, I can't open a Dispute for 96 hours.

US sellers can open one after 48.

I usually send a polite reminder on Day Three and  open the Dispute on Day Four.

Some people are just slow payers.

BTW- It is noticeable that Auctions have more deadbeat customers than the 85% of listings that are Fixed Price.

Fixed Price can also include Immediate Payment Required.

Although that does get tricky with multiple purchases where you want to discount the shipping fee.

[lex-talon]

48 hrs, then UPI assistant opens a case. 

[disneyshopper]

I allow my buyers 5 days to pay, in order to encourage additional purchases for a combined shipping discount.

[wpt05]

@edzzz_vinyl 

Please note: this is for future transactions only.  You will have to open a case manually for this item.  

Unpaid Item Assistant:

http://rebulk.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?UPIPreferences

I have mine set to 4 days.  Keep in mind that after this case is opened the buyer will then have additional 4 days to pay.  So I am giving them 8 days total to pay for items.  

The Unpaid Item Assistant will open and close cases for you automatically.  

[turquoisetulips]

I googled and read that if no payment has been sent in over 48 hours the seller can open an Unpaid Item Case, but I’m wondering if that’s common practice? Do most eBay sellers escalate that quickly or do they give the person a little longer to respond? I thought about messaging the buyer again, but I don’t want to be pushy. Although I also don’t want to sit in limbo waiting for payment that’s never going to come. edzzz 

I usually leave it up to e bay . They will begin an unpaid  item on your behalf   after  they see you haven't been paid  after 48 hours is up .  You can have this option on or off . If the buyer communicates with me with an explanation  that sounds reasonable  then I'll  give them more time . However if there's just dead  silence   then  I  let e bay take care of it. Tulips