eBay

eeect · ‎01-07-2022

I am an occasionally seller. My auction got fraud winner who would not perform the payment after the winning bid. As a result, the auction has to go back to square 1, a wait of time.

Is there any suggestion to avoid this?

I think ebay should follow the traditional auction house policy; to qualify the bidders such as requiring bidders to put in retainer fee of at least 10% of the bidding price.

Any thoughts?

stainlessenginecovers · ‎01-07-2022

A retainer will never happen; this place has been doing auctions since 95' and that portion will not change.

Also note that 'fraud' or a 'scam' is NOT someone that doesn't pay. Fraud/Scam is theft. This is just an annoyance.

How to keep it from happening going forward? Don't use auctions. List all items with 'buy it now' and checkmark the 'immediate payment required'.

chapeau-noir · ‎01-07-2022

I agree - use fixed price/immediate payment required. Electronics is one of the markets that for some reason tend to attract sport bidders and nuisances - I quit trying to auction off my old tech after getting exasperated with it and that was some years ago - it's probably worse now.

Hell is empty. And all the devils are here.

a_c_green · ‎01-07-2022

@eeect wrote:
I am an occasionally seller. My auction got fraud winner who would not perform the payment after the winning bid. As a result, the auction has to go back to square 1, a wait of time.
Is there any suggestion to avoid this?

Yes: your MacBook Pro has a known average selling price, so there is no need to auction it. Just list it as a Fixed Price item for however much you want for it, and do not have Make Offer on it. In the selling form, find and check the box for Immediate Payment Required, and that way no one can snatch it off the market without actually paying you for it first.

Note that as a low-feedback seller, you are still a prime target for scammers who may claim fake shipping damage or an empty box upon receipt, so your best bet might be to list it as Local Pickup Only. No one halfway across the country or halfway around the world has a pressing need for your specific device.

luckythewinner · ‎01-07-2022

@eeect wrote:
I think ebay should follow the traditional auction house policy; to qualify the bidders such as requiring bidders to put in retainer fee of at least 10% of the bidding price.
Any thoughts?

First, eBay is not a "traditional auction house". (And when you consider online auctions houses, you could argue that eBay actually is the "traditional" one).

Second, I have been to dozens of "traditional auction houses", and I have never once been asked to put in a retainer fee, let alone one that would have to get recalculated every time I placed a bid.

7606dennis · ‎01-07-2022

@luckythewinner wrote:
@eeect wrote:
I think ebay should follow the traditional auction house policy; to qualify the bidders such as requiring bidders to put in retainer fee of at least 10% of the bidding price.
Any thoughts?
First, eBay is not a "traditional auction house". (And when you consider online auctions houses, you could argue that eBay actually is the "traditional" one).

Second, I have been to dozens of "traditional auction houses", and I have never once been asked to put in a retainer fee, let alone one that would have to get recalculated every time I placed a bid.

As an auctioneer & auction business owner I agree.

"It is an intelligent man that is aware of his own ignorance."

iart · ‎01-07-2022

I understand that you don't sell a lot and that getting fast payment is important to you.

But, some legitimate buyers don't pay right away for a variety of good reasons. I'd guess maybe 5% to 10% of our sales. Not an overwhelming lot, but we would hate to lose them.

If you're able, I suggest you don't count on fast sales. In fact, plan on it.

Also, this is not a 'scam' or 'fraud'. The non-payer inconvenienced you and cost you some time and aggravation, but made nothing from it. They might be irresponsible, but they are not criminals.

dbfolks166mt · ‎01-07-2022

While it would be nice if auctions required immediate payment upon completion of the auction similar to the way BIN items do if you have the box checked. I am not sure when the buyer placed the bid or where they live but remember an auction bid can sit out there for days unlike a BIN item. In those days remember about 8,000 people die every day in the US, 150,000 worldwide.

Accidents happen, hospitals, family, fires (I just returned from Colorado and was not far from the wildfire that destroyed over 1,000 homes), power outages, weather issues (I live in Virginia lookup the I-95 traffic disaster), tornadoes and everything else.

There are of course those bidders that simply did not pay because they found it cheaper elsewhere or are a sport bidder as mentioned. While auctions have their down side so does fixed price BIN. It's just the environment you have to learn to operate in when you are selling on eBay.

mod-designs4u · ‎01-07-2022

Here's my advice: be sure you have your Selling Preferences up to date. Select Account Settings in the drop down menu in the upper-left corner just below your name. Scroll down to Selling Preferences in the lower-left corner within the Selling submenu. Scroll down to Your Buyers and click the Block Buyer List "edit" link. Scroll down and verify your Buyer Requirements. Be sure that you have the boxed checked which states "Block buyers who caused" along with "2" cancellations of unpaid purchases within "12" months (this Buyer Requirement setting is the best eBay offers sellers). You can also verify your other Buyer Management options within this webpage.

Bidders on the eBay platform can "cancel" their bid before the auction is over but are "contractually liable" if they win the auction. Be sure to report any winning bidder who doesn't pay for the item so he gets a non-paying bidder strike. I would also add them to your Blocked Buyer list (mine is quite extensive). About a month ago I had a potential bidder try to bid on one of my items and eBay automatically wouldn't accept his bid since he already had 2 or more non-paying bidder strikes (this info is available in the Managing Who Can Buy From You link in the Your Buyers section on the Selling Preferences webpage). Hope this helps and good luck with your future sales!