I reported a buyer and I don't feel guilty about it at all...

[gator08041971]

I know there has been discussion about the changes to having  to provide a method of payment when bidding on auctions.  This is another one of those times where it would help.  But I"m not saying all situations warrant it.

Here's my take:

I just sold an item tonight, bidder did a cancellation within 5 minutes of the end of the auction.  They didn't retract their bid, but they canceled anyway.  Their account already has over 1000 bid retractions for this year alone.

I reported their account, then blocked them after accepting the cancellation.

Sure, I could have denied it.  But then I would have had to deal with a salty buyer anyway.  Sure they could have not paid in 4 days and got a strike for it, but I figure why should I hassle with it?  What if they paid, then messed with me after it got delivered?  I wasn't taking the chance on that.

So felt canceling and reporting was the way to go. I don't risk loss of item/funds/hassle/neg feedback, etc.

What do you all think?  I did offer it to the next highest bidder, maybe that will go better.  lol

Personally, and I think this is just me, ebay should implement this requirement on any account that:

Retracts more than say 10-20 bids in a given year.

Has even ONE non-payment strike on their account within a year.

Has a feedback of 3 or less, or the account is 30 days old.

That will help a bunch.  Without offending everyone I think.

[kensgiftshop]

If they ask to cancel an order, I'd rather just cancel and be done with it.

[gator08041971]

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@kensgiftshop wrote:

If they ask to cancel an order, I'd rather just cancel and be done with it.

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Well, I did.  And I have before.  But due to the nature of them having so many bid retractions, they seem to do this a lot, or back out of auctions a lot.  That isn't a good thing for sellers.  If it hadn't been for that, I would have just canceled it and moved on.  And I only even know about their retractions that after reading another thread on here earlier this week and noticed it in the first place.  lol

Actually I was just looking at it again.  My math was off. But they had nearly 150 bid retracts not a 1000.  I think that was another bidder someone was talking about in the threads earlier.  Ooops. Still a lot.  I have 0.  So do a lot of other bidders I happened to check for giggles.

Anyway.  Why should bad behavior be ignored?  I don't have to confront them directly, its all automated and chances are nothing will be done, but couldn't hurt to report it either.  That's my view.  😄

[kensgiftshop]

Was it the same buyer that the other post was about?

If it was, yes, that buyer needs reported.

[gurlcat]

I don't blame you for reporting them per se, but what could it possibly do to them?  If eBay felt there was a limit to how many bid retractions and win cancellations a buyer should be able to do, they would automate a cutoff, and/or have a stated policy about it, whereby "too many" would be a violation to report.  If there is such a policy I'm unaware of it, so that could be ignorance on my part.  But if not, then what you reported is just "rudeness" in eBay's eyes.  Awful but lawful.  

[gamersbaystore]

Anyone with that many bid retractions should've been barred from ever bidding again. I agree, there needs to be a limit for bid retractions, and there needs to be more serious consequences for those who do it. Its a costly disruption for both sellers and ebay itself that could be easily avoided.

[iamalwaysright]

I don’t think any seller should feel guilty for reporting a buyer or wanting to. Even if I highly disagree with a specific reason why someone is reporting their buyer. We are all entitled to that privilege to report a buyer when we see fit. Honestly who cares what others may think about it (myself included)? eBay has a vetting process of these reports, so I say just let them do their job.

I’d much rather have too many buyers reported and having some of them frivolous than to not have enough buyers reported and some scammers getting away with their actions.

[mam98031]

@gator08041971 

There is absolutely no reason for you to feel guilty, not even a little bit.  If we don't report buyers like this, then that is when the seller should feel guilty.  Sellers need to be doing more reporting of buyers when there is cause like this.

I hope this all works out for you.  GOOD JOB!

[broto_64]

Ebay does allow sellers to block bidders who have more than X unpaid disputes on the record in the past Y months. For this to work the Unpaid Item Dispute process must be allowed to run its course AND the seller is responsible for adjusting the proper settings in their site / buyer requirements section.

Without that anyone can bid on your auctions but if the behavior is unwanted then it is up to the seller to use the tools provided by ebay.

[profitweb]

I think you did the right thing.

[sextons-sweet-deals]

Sounds like the buyer is possibly selling similar items and trying to push their item price up or they are one of those who have the need to buy (feel good fix) and then realizes they can't pay. If true, they are probably selling under another I.D.

150 bid retractions are still a lot and eBay should take a look at their bidding activity.

[worldcoinauctions]

Ebay does allow sellers to block bidders who have more than X unpaid disputes on the record in the past Y months. For this to work the Unpaid Item Dispute process must be allowed to run its course AND the seller is responsible for adjusting the proper settings in their site / buyer requirements section.

2, that is the number. You can set it higher but not lower. I suggest setting it at 2 and leaving it there, don't make exceptions for people.

[krazzykats]

Another BBE.

[gurlcat]

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@broto_64 wrote:

Ebay does allow sellers to block bidders who have more than X unpaid disputes on the record in the past Y months. For this to work the Unpaid Item Dispute process must be allowed to run its course AND the seller is responsible for adjusting the proper settings in their site / buyer requirements section.

Without that anyone can bid on your auctions but if the behavior is unwanted then it is up to the seller to use the tools provided by ebay.

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But do cancelled purchases count as unpaid item strikes, considering it's the seller who does the actual cancellation?  Does it depend on whether the buyer requested the cancellation within an hour?   Or do they always (or never) count as unpaid strikes?  

I tried to find out for myself just now, on the Help page.  It only confused me more than I was before.  I can't even see how a less-than or greater-than one-hour cancellation request differs at all, apart from whether the buyer has a handy-dandy button to click versus having to compose an email message.  What happens after that appears the same.  Even in a less-than hour request, the seller can deny it, so is it only a distinction without difference?  Is there a difference that pertains to whether the item was a BIN and already paid versus an offer or auction that is yet unpaid?  -If so, the Help page certainly doesn't make it clear. 

[gator08041971]

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@gurlcat wrote:

but what could it possibly do to them?  If eBay felt there was a limit to how many bid retractions and win cancellations a buyer should be able to do, they would automate a cutoff, and/or have a stated policy about it, whereby "too many" would be a violation to report.

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Well, probably won't do anything.  Not sure if reporting a buyer for anything other than blatant rule breaking will result in any kind of account action.

That doesn't mean I can't report a buyer for interfering in my auction results.  This was the second time I had listed this particular item, the last time the winner didn't pay, and now this winner chooses to cancel.

I mean, if you aren't going to buy it, don't flippin' bid on it.  lol   If they hadn't had a history of ~150 bid retractions in the past year, I wouldn't have even reported, much less make this post.  But here we are.