Order in Limbo, not sure what to do.

[qazol]

I made an offer, was countered,  and two days ago accepted the counter.   However, the order then proceeded to almost completely disappear from the site (with one exception).

It does not show up in orders, I've received no payment.

However, if I go to active items, and search for the item, I find it.  If I click into it, it says:

You sent an offer.  [Price, etc]  (remember, I technically accepted a counter offer)

Then it shows the 'Review Offer' button.

If I click this, it says ' you have received no offers".

If I click into the pending tab it finally says "1 offer pending" and then under status "awaiting payment".

But again, if I go into orders itself nothing shows up, and the item remains active.

Is this sort of order limbo common?  I don't think i've ever seen it before.  In fact, i thought a buyer had to have their payment information already resolved before they could counter me.

Thanks for any feedback.  I don't mind waiting if it's just eBay waiting on the buyer, but the fact it's not in orders and still live feels like a bug.

[12345jamesstamps]

Some buyers cannot just make a 'high payment' with a credit card.

Buyer has to OK the payment usually by a text on their iPhone or landline.

I did weddings so many times and had so many problems getting the couple to OK the transactions by the iPhones before the purchase after a consultation.

[wastingtime101]

The process of accepted offers moving to pending status on the listing's offers management page is something eBay has been rolling out.

While offers are in pending status the item is available for anybody else to purchase until the buyer pays. eBay is trying to eliminate the inconvenience to sellers when buyers lose interest after an item ends so the seller does not have to start from scratch and lose interested buyers when they relist. They're also trying to eliminate the inconvenience of having your item off the market during the 4+ day waiting period for payment.

If the buyer does not pay within a certain amount of time, the offer will expire and be removed from the pending section. If the buyer pays then it will become an official transaction on your orders page. In the meantime, any buyer can purchase at full price or make an offer.

[qazol]

So I assume ebay is nagging them to finish the transaction? It is a more expensive item so I could see that being the issue.

[qazol]

Thanks, this makes sense too.  I guess I misunderstood ebay, for some reason I thought they needed to already have confirmed payment info when making a (counter) offer.

[ryry-jj]

Since you initiated the offer, the buyer doesn't have to immediately pay....they have 4 days.   Also, until payment is sent, your item is still live for the first buyer who pays, gets it.  eBay may send a reminder to the buyer, but I don't think they are "nagging" the buyer to pay.   

[wastingtime101]

I could be wrong but I think this "pending" status only happens on counter-offers when your buyer requirements are set to require payment methods for offers (here).

Maybe it happens with all types of offers when you don't make those payment requirements? Not 100% sure but @ittybitnot will know.

[ittybitnot]

I made an offer, was countered,  and two days ago accepted the counter.   However, the order then proceeded to almost completely disappear from the site (with one exception).

@qazol 

When you SEND an offer, the buyer has no accept button anymore.  They either pay or don't unless you allow them to make a counter offer.  In this case, your buyer made a counter offer that you accepted.  Buyers are not readily notified that you "accepted" their counter offer, and it is treated like YOU SENT an offer even though you simply accepted their counter offer.   Somehow this make sense to eBay, but sends everyone looking for the "missing" offer like you outline. 

You cannot send a reminder, or an invoice, and the buyer must again pay if they want the product, or it just remains for sale until someone buys it.    If they don't pay for your accepted counter offer, you cannot file the Unpaid Item Cancellation after 96 hours. So you have a non-paying buyer who doesn't get a strike.  Your consolation is supposed to be that the "item is still for sale". 

For either case...you sending an offer, OR you accepting a counter offer from the buyer, if multiple items are involved, they each have to be paid separately by the buyer, and cannot be combined for one shipping cost.   The above procedure was made by eBay for everybody.  It is not affected by the "Buyer Rules" that cause auto-billing.  The "Buyer Rules" limit a buyer's payment options and prohibit combined shipping. You have those preferences that remain set to yes, so any time a buyer makes an offer to you (buyer generated offer) and you accept, the buyer is billed instantly, and the item paid for.  If the buyer is new to the process, and makes offers on ten of your items which you accept, they will have been billed ten different times on their charge card at full shipping price for each.   If you send a "counter offer" it reverts to the aforementioned procedures for "counter offers" above.  No auto-billing will occur, and the buyer will have to pay if they want the product. 

You retain the "Buyer Rules" that require a buyer to provide a payment source in order to make an offer.  If you are NOT interested in combining items for multiple sales to the same person, you should keep them, for it works really well. It makes eBay more money, you pay more in transaction fees, and buyers who would like to make offers on multiple products of your simply won't. 

https://www.ebay.com/bmgt/buyerrequirements

Buyer Rules:

*Require buyers to provide a payment method before they place a bid.

*Require buyers to provide a payment method before they make an offer.

These you can turn off.  The craziness of the "counter offer" situation remains however. 

[qazol]

Thanks, perfect answer.  I suppose it makes sense in some directions, but its kinda wonky in practice.  It feels like a glitch, like ebay 'lost' the order in a pile of rules.

This buyer still hasn't paid, so I'm assuming they never will.   Oh well.

Thanks for the answer.  I do wish the buyer needed to have been cleared to pay before countering.

[ittybitnot]

This buyer still hasn't paid, so I'm assuming they never will. 

@qazol 

In the present state of how this works, there is a very good chance your buyer does not even know you 'accepted' their counter offer.  You may have to contact them on their "Feedback Profile" page it you can even get to that after that flow has been revised/hindered as well.  

You need to get to the page that displays here when one clicks on the feedback number.  Yours is presently (366*) with a green star.  They may find notice under their My eBay/Bids & Offers tab on the dropdown menu  as eBay is not notifying them by message/email that you accepted.  So you can tell them where to look. 

[qazol]

I will try again, but I did try to contact them a few days ago.

The website seemed broken. I was able to find their profile, and when I tried to message them, it had me enter in the item number.  When I did this and clicked to continue, it took me straight to to my entire message inbox with no option to compose a message.

When I get home I'll try again and ensure I did It exactly as you suggest above.

[qazol]

Thank you so much for your insight on this.  The system is very odd.  Sadly, this order never went through, but at least I understand what happened now.

There are definitely some bugs in the system as well.  It's very difficult to figure out how to message buyers from the access points available on these 'pending' orders. 

Also I found that if you put in an item number, the site bugged out and took you to your inbox.  If instead I said it didn't relate to an item, I finally managed to message them.  They never messaged me back so either changed their mind, or it went to their spam folder or whatever.   

Hopefully ebay improves this entire process over time.  It seems to me any counteroffer by a buyer should be binding, not limbo.

Thanks again!