eBay

batvu · ‎09-15-2017

Need advice from the community.

Background:

I'm not new to selling on ebay but I sell basically stuff like electronics when I decide to upgrade.
In my 100+ transactions, I've never had an issue until now.
Listed an electronic item that sold Thurs 9/7.
My ad requested immediate payment via PayPal.
Sent mulitple ebay mssgs to buyer (2 reviews only) seeking payment with no repsonse from buyer.
I opened up a non payment claim (my first time ever doing this) on 9/9 & was told the UPI Assistant would be deployed 9/11.
I tried relisting my item on 9/11 but system wouldn't let me.
Befuddled - I listed the item as another item I had for sale.

Currently

My newly listed item has multiple bids from highly reviewed veteran ebayers
Then I woke up today & see that the original buyer has paid me & the UPI assistant has closed out the UPI.

What to do?

The original buyer didn't answer any of my requests
I don't want to cancel my current auction with <2 days to go & dissapoint bidders
I want to refund original buyer & move on but system won't let me cancel order
Have read too many cancel orders are a black ball on sellers. I have cancelled 2 times on this auction - 1 through a bidder's request & 1 because of a mistake with listing info.
Afraid I will get bad marks from original buyer & ebay.
What can I do?

getitright1234 · ‎09-16-2017

@the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth wrote:
I don't think it's ever appropriate to relist something knowing there's an outstanding payment. Do sellers not understand that buyers are SO tired of sellers cancelling listings for no good reason? Sellers need to get over themselves and be patient or stop using auctions. It is not OK to inconvenience bidders who have done nothing wrong.

not talking duplicates obviously

A buyer taking (8) days to pay and refusing to respond to messages is the "something wrong." Whenever I have purchased anything on eBay, it did not take me (8) days to pay for an item. If I knew in advance, I needed more time, I would have "asked" in advance. Buyers and sellers need to show mutual respect for each other. For a buyer to hold a seller merchandise hostage, it is very much the something: wrong.

Even when this buyer finally did decide to pay, they, I presumed never once told the seller they had and emergency, etc. etc. etc. Nope, they just took their sweet time fully knowing any seller would wanted to be paid right away.

Things will not start getting better around here until we start making buyers and sellers more responsible and in this case, the buyer started this mess. Any comments that beats up on the OP only promotes buyers continued belief, they can do this type of thing to all sellers.

I remember when buyers who sent an offer and the offer was accept, but refused did not pay right away also held sellers items hostage for days. eBay apparently made a change and enabled other buyers to swoop in and purchase the item (while an offer was awaiting payment. This happened to me; I accepted a buyer's offer, he/she did not pay right away, and within 24 hours another buyer was able to buy the item. I was pleasantly surprised: things had changed. eBay should be encouraging buyers to pay for their winning bids right away, or at the very least communicate with the seller, so the seller knows what is going on.

the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth · ‎09-16-2017

Muttley was describing relisting pretty soon after Eoa.

if sellers are not willing to follow the rules and give buyers six days to pay they need to go elsewhere or stop listing auctions

we make buyers "more responsible" by closing the uid in six days. Not letting it run long then whining when the original buyer pays. If you don't close the uid don't complain when they pay

Seller caused this p.roblem by not closing the uid before they relisted

getitright1234 · ‎09-16-2017

@goddess-bastet-1910 wrote:
@getitright1234 wrote:
@z50com wrote:
BIG FAIL as a seller

The sytem tried to help you and you went around it by listing the item on your own.

You owe the 1st buyer the item.

You should cancer your auction ASAP and ship the item to the rightful buyer. . .
This is why I hate doing auctions., you get these buyers who literally hold you merchandise hostage despite the terms clearly spelled out . Often times, sellers can get a gut feel on the type of buyer they will have continued problems with down the road; some sellers like this "OP" do not want to take that risk. Some buyers need to understand, some sellers especially those who do not sell regularly will not put up with this nonsense and they will lose the item and be blocked.

I wish eBay would allow sellers to re-list immediately after a buyer has not paid within 2-3 days (in particular) when messages go unanswered, as far as I am concern, this buyer lost his right to make claim on the item when he did not honor the terms of the listing................but, I do see that eBay may see it differently; however that is something that needs to be changed. I would be very leary of a buyer who took 8 days to pay and failed to respond to my message(s). I would "Not" want this buyer to have my product in their possession and then be stressed in hopes everything thereafter goes well. Seesh!!!!!
It doesn't matter when the buyer pays, it only matters that the buyer pays before the UPI runs out.
As for the "my product", it's not yours after the buyer pays.
When Ebay started, it was seller was always right. The seller could require the money to reach him
within a few days. Then came Paypal, and the seller could require payment immediately. Then Ebay started shedding buyers like a pug sheds hair. Now sellers are required to act professionally, whether they like it or not.

A "bid" is not payment, so if the bidder does not pay, the seller should be able to relist and do what he/she wants with "their" product.

modern-artifact · ‎09-18-2017

Agree the seller botched it here, however, it IS difficult to parse all the help topics and to know the exact terminology of what you are trying to understand. Further complicating the issue: many help pages are written in a very non-informative manner. Try reading the "top rated seller" page, specifically "benefits"... what do you get if you become a "top rated seller" ? I have read and re-read and the answer appears to be...Absolutely nothing. You have to jump through further hoops to be "top rated Plus" before any benefits accrue. Read the "Seller Protection" page... As David Byrne once sang: "They're talking a lot, but they're not saying anything."

partial*eclipse · ‎09-18-2017

modern-artifact wrote: ... what do you get if you become a "top rated seller" ? I have read and re-read and the answer appears to be...Absolutely nothing. ..

You get Commercial Plus rates for Priority Mail, which cost about 3% less than regular online rates and comes with $100 of insurance rather than the regular $50. That's about it.

muttlymob · ‎09-18-2017

A "bid" is not payment, so if the bidder does not pay, the seller should be able to relist and do what he/she wants with "their" product.

eBay says differently. If you don't want to follow the policies of the site then don't use the site. Or you could use the tools that eBay gives you - BIN with IPR.

Doing whatever you want then expecting eBay to back you up when their policies clearly say otherwise is not a winning strategy.

rixstuff · ‎09-18-2017

They didn't have to pay in 6 because you gave them more than 6. There is no contract "spirit"; sellers can give buyers as much time as they want; 6 days is simply the minimum, which you didn't use.

Too true - I will allow folks more time if payday is coming up or they are bidding on other items of mine. I also have regular repeat buyers who I know have more to spend around the first of the month so can be a little patient if it means more items sell.

modern-artifact · ‎10-20-2017

@partial*eclipse Thanks for the note. I could not find that on the "TRS Benefits" topic, but will take your word for it... Recently attained Bronze PS status, and oh boy... more "Benefits", but alas, I cannot find any notation of just what those BPS benfits might be. These perhaps once meaningful programs live on after the benefits have been whittled to near nothing by ebay corporate.