We may be hurting our own sales as normal is no longer normal...

[montana_echoes]

We all set our selling preferences as we want them. Alot (including me) have it set to block all buyers with more than X number of unpaid items in X months. Mine was set on 2 unpaids in 6 months... and my block means they can't buy.

But we have to think beyond what we considered reasonable years ago. I had a someone write to me that they wanted to buy my items but they seemed to be blocked and couldn't even email me to ask me about it. They are a seller but do their buying on another account, a sensible precaution.  And, because of the covid crash of incoming money for some or all of us, they had a situation where they could not purchase some items they won on bid. 

I went into my preferences and changed it to NOT block any buyers for previous non-payment issues.

Jezz, I have my own buying account, and I've had one non-payment as my sales on this account crashed last spring and with no money I couldn't buy it. That seller kindly cancelled the sale for me, but in this time, you may well be killing what sales you can get if you have buyers blocked for previous non-payment of purchases from any sellers. 

Its the new normal. Many people have now had things they thought they could buy and then COVID hit... with that in mind, possibly some may want to rethink that kind of block on available buyers.  Just a consideration, folks. 

[byrd69er]

snnip:    most people don't have good customer service anymore

Yeah, right.

[byrd69er]

Did I share a bowl with you at the Paz Chin-in?

[southern*sweet*tea]

I get every few NPBs - four in one year is a lot for me.  I use the NPB block and I have it set at two in 12 months. On my block list I only add people who show their tails here in the forum.  Right now my buyer activity list is empty. The two NPB blocks that were on there have fallen off.

If someone is blocked by strikes and wants to buy from me, they can contact me and I'll add them to my exception list. I've done it before and all was well.

I will leave my block list as is. Sales and money isn't the issue. At this point in my life, I don't need to invite headaches.

[mam98031]

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@montana_echoes wrote:

Well, mam98031, I usually agree with you on all your posts here, but I have to differ. In these Covid-19 times, the rules are different. And if you pull up the record of how many buyers were blocked tomorrow or next week... and find 2 buyers, you have no way to contact them, no way to reverse it and, as you said, most people buy mulitples from you. That could be an unknown loss of income.  (as another poster said, they wish they could contact the ones who got blocked) 

I understand your stance, but these are not normal times. And really, if you block a non-payer, is that a certain voluntary blindness to the issues we all face now? The non-payment that I had on an item (and the seller cancelled for me) was the first I've ever done, but these times have left hundreds of thousands of people in bad places for months or even since march.

I've actually had 3 sales in the last 2 weeks that requested to cancel on me. Since I sell craft supplies, there is no point in making an enemy by ignoring their request and forcing a non-payment strike on them, things may be great for them in 2 months -- and they'll remember me and come back. 

And keep in mind, if you send a buyer a 'best offer" because you've sent everyone who's watching an auction an best offer... if they accept -- it then won't let them buy it. And that won't show up on your list of bidders you blocked. 

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That is very nice of you to say, thank you.

For me, I don't want to contact the buyers that get blocked, so I don't have any problem with that.  It is rare for anyone to get blocked so I don't see this as an issue like you may.  No "voluntary blindness" here.  We haven't been going through this pandemic for a year and I have mine set to 2 in 12 months.  A sale to a buyer that doesn't pay does me no good and only costs me money trying to get them to pay and to process the sale in my books.  

I respect that far too many people are currently in critical financial situations.  Still if they can't or won't pay, they shouldn't be buying things on Ebay.  Getting a sale that the buyer will not pay isn't going to do you a darn bit of good.

Cancellations are a completely different subject.  I don't make "enemies" of any of my buyers.  That serves no purpose.  If they request a cancellation and I haven't shipped, I honor that and cancel the transaction without delay.  Cancellations are not the same thing as a non payer and there is no block in the site preferences for any certain number of cancellations by a buyer.  I also don't put them on my BBL unless there was something very screwy about their communications to me or strange stuff going on.  That is pretty rare.

I don't use Best Offer.  Never have.

[corvettestainless]

So, when the economy was good and these 'dead beats', who knowingly bid on something, and then knowingly did not pay, did not contact the sellers and received UPI's; are supposed to be 'forgiven' and 'trusted' when the economy is now in the pooper and they are even more likely to 'not pay' again?

Probably simply bidding for the entertainment value of it since they're stuck home and broke? Or they follow through only to return for lying reasons to get you to pay the shipping back, because they really needed to keep the lights on?? 

No thanks. I'll wait to sell to someone with a micro-ounce of integrity. Especially when selling here it can all blow up in your face and cost you $$ (lost shipping, lost fees) and reputation (negs). 

There are 100's of Millions of members, somebody that is not a known dead beat will buy your item. It's not worth it to 'remove' those blocks. 

[whiteyswrecking]

ONCE A DEADBEAT BUYER ALWAYS A DEADBEAT BUYER/SCAMMER, THE ONLY SITE BUY NOW PAY LATER IF YOU WANT, SO WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If i could set my settings to 1 UPI a week I would, don't need people like that buying from me,

I PAY ALL MY PURCHASES IMMEDIATELY, OR DON'T BUY IT.  

[simply-the-best-for-you]

COVID or not, they shouldn't be buying stuff unless they can afford to pay.   COVID has nothing to do with it.   If they are in financial difficulty due to COVID (or any other reason), then don't "buy".  

My blocks are staying as is.  If they are blocked due to unpaid items, they can contact me & I *may* make an exception for them.  

[dirk12955]

Sport bidders have been a problem on ebay since I started selling 20 years ago.

You'd file the NPB and it actually meant something.   3 or 4 of those and the "Buyer" was gone suspended.

And then as seller,    You could leave them a red donut. 

[maros9416]

My financial situation is great now either, but that doesn't stop me from checking my balance before bidding on something. Your consideration is noble, however I think it is more so buyers locking in multiple sales and then simply choosing the lowest one. I've also heard the complaints about buyers purchasing your item, then buying a cheaper one at the bottom of the screen with ' similar items from other sellers '. I think this is the root cause of non-payers.  

[maros9416]

I can't even figure out how to purchase something BIN, and then skate on paying immediately. 

[maros9416]

Right on! Who can know for a fact that those blocked buyers were actually missed sales, or missed headaches. Being the high bidder on a 7 day auction and not paying is foul.

[maros9416]

To loosely quote ( and Ad Lib ) Rodney Dangerfield ' If a buyer isn't up to my standards, then I lower my standards! ' 

[reed-sales]

I just checked my list and I have 11 buyers in the past 90 days that were blocked for $810 worth of product. 

Perhaps it's time to go back and review my requirements. 

I don't sell unique items & have multiple in stock.  It seems silly to turn away business, when in fact as soon as an item sells I relist it anyway. 

I would not be out any time awaiting payment and if the buyer doesn't pay, a simple unpaid item dispute can be opened to get fees back.

[monster-deals]

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@montana_echoes wrote:

Its the new normal. 

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Only if you accept that.

I think the settings are too loose and are borderline useless to do anything to protect a seller.

[sextons-sweet-deals]

if the buyer does not pay after waiting the 4 day period to file a non-payment claim and then waiting another 4 days to close case and get finale sale credit back and relist again for free, I say block them. 

They caused you about 8 days of listing the item!

I have had some block buyers contact me asking why they can't bid, buy, or make offer. I do not log any record keeping on every block buyer (I do have a life and other responsibilities).  I had one recently and we communicated. I removed their block. Then they made a completely low ball offer that was not even worth my time to pack and ship. I put them back on the list!

The pandemic is not an excuse! The shopper  / buyer should not be purchasing anything if they don't have the funds. 

Everyone needs to focus on their personal living expenses. Mortgage, rent, car loan, utilities,  school loans, food,  and clothing for family FIRST! (listed in  in no specific order)

We are programmed to borrow and be indebt as a life style.  It needs to stop!