eBay

justadragonhere · ‎01-04-2019

Hello eBay community. I've been a member of eBay since the late 90s. This is my first post to the community, so hello all!

I never remember things being this bad with zero feedback bidders. I've seen an overwhelming number of zero feedback bidders in my auctions lately. They fight each other to bid up the item and then they consistently either do not pay, or they do not pay on time. They are usually international bidders outside the US in either South American or African countries.

You used to be able to block bidders under a certain feedback rating. Now it seems I can only find one, well-buried setting which allows me to block members by name. That's great, but it doesn't help me since I don't know who these people are before they bid and waste my time and money. Oh, and I can block buyers with unpaid item strikes, but again, these are zero feedback bidders or negative feedback bidders. And you can block them only if they've had unpaid item strikes within a maximum of 12 months! Please, these people are not working to build their feedback or community ratings - their usernames aren't sticking around long enough to develop any history. They're just signing up for new accounts every day.

My questions:
-Is eBay doing anything to fight these folks?
-What exactly are these people achieving by bidding on random items and then just not paying? No one has tried to scam me - they simply aren't paying and aren't responding to communication, forcing me to initiate non-paying bidder processes.

-What do you do as a seller to prevent this? Is there any selling format where I can require instant payment? I'm not a big seller, but I occasionally sell an item or two when I feel eBay is the place for that.

adkhighker · ‎01-04-2019

@the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth wrote:
The OP clearly asked if there was a selling format where they could require immediate payment. Emerald was answering that question.

I stand corrected, and my appologies to Emerald for missing that line.

However, there are so many other times when auction sellers come here with legitimate gripes about non paying bidders, and then posters tell them to switch to fixed price immediate pay when that option is simply ineffective for so many of the people running true auctions for OOAK items in the antiques, collectibles, and other categories as well.

the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth · ‎01-04-2019

It is true that auctions work better for some things. Sellers need to be aware that auctions come with drawbacks. Nonpayment is one of them and it’s not likely to change.

Hopefully if the item warrants an auction it is less likely to be a purchase the buyer regrets.

shenterprises · ‎04-22-2019

There is also a place on your account portion under Buyer Requirements where you can check the box to "Block buyers who are currently winning or have bought 1 of my items in the last 10 days," AND the one under it to "Only apply this block to buyers who have a feedback score of 0 or lower." I think that will work to block anyone with zero feedback, but you might want to check with others since I haven't done that.

I don't really want to block legitimate new eBayers who don't have feedback from making their first purchase. But the problem with zero feedback buyers is growing, and it recently affected me, so I am considering doing that. It's sad that we have to consider this since I recall when I first started on eBay several years ago and I would have been upset to be blocked when I was legitimate.

I recently had a buyer with zero feedback who opened his account on the same day purchase an item for $64. Since it was zero feedback, I did a Google search on the address and found it was a large office building in downtown San Francisco. The address needed a suite number to send, but the buyer didn't answer my request for one.

I searched through Google and found a person with the same name at the office building right next to the one listed. I emailed the person there, and he responded quickly that he did not make this purchase. So I had no recourse but to cancel the order and report this new buyer to let eBay make whatever checks it makes in these cases.

You have to do some searching with the zero feedback buyers, which does consume our time and energy. Many could be legitimate, but others are not. That's what we deal with these days.

the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth · ‎04-22-2019

It blocks people with zero feedback from buying multiple items. Nothing blocks zero feedback bidders from buying the first one.

alexk-il · ‎06-17-2019

Blocking a bidder that registered in 2015 yet has zero transactions since then is another story.

nefidar · ‎10-21-2019

Absolutely and without a question, you used to be able to block 0, 1 or 2 feedback bidders. I know this to be the case because I used to use the setting for YEARS. They got rid of it many years ago but it most certainly was an available option to eBay sellers.

I ended up here to see if I could figure out another way to deal with a problem not mentioned here.

Now since PayPal does NOT refund fees when you do a refund I am getting targeted by what I think is another seller of a similar product.

I have a $5 listing for 10 stickers. I have now had two 0 feedback bidders create an account, purchase and immediately request a refund. They know that PayPal fees are no longer refunded when you do a refund. I refused to refund someone the first time and shipped it. They, of course, left me negative feedback. I went around and around with them telling them that it is unfair that they purchase, then PAY TOO and then request a refund, therefore sticking me with the PayPal fees on the refund.

eBay is offering me ZERO protection and allowing me to be targeted by the 0 feedback buy and request refund people. If PayPal didn't come up with this new policy of keeping fees (which honestly I don't know how that is even legal) when you refund a PayPal due to the BUYER requesting to reverse the transaction then it wouldn't be a problem. But these people are costing me $0.50 a clip now and I think it is going to continue. This is totally not fair to me.

I am getting really **bleep** off.

skokiecash1 · ‎10-21-2019

Absolutely nothing you can do to control this. And Ebay is doing absolutely nothing to help us sellers. Been selling for 8 years now around 70 items per month. And I run bidding listings every 5 days and almost every five days one or two sell to zero or very low scores who never pay. I am constantly opening un paid item cases and have to relist and auction item all over again and sometimes to a non paying low score of zero score who does not pay again for the second time. This happens alot with Apple items and gaming consoles. Most people that can not afford these items and enjoy bidding and winning even thought the will never get the item. Ebay can care less about this. They will do nothing about this worried about losing money in there pockets and meanwhile us sellers continue to get screwed by this time after time years upon years !!!!!

gwzcomps · ‎10-21-2019

They don't care. I have had to deal with bad buyers that have made multiple accounts to circumvent blocks. Also have had fraudulent buyers who have had previous accounts banned for policy violations make new accounts. They will never do anything about it because they care more about buyers than sellers. I have complained about it reported the accounts and nothing happens. They won't take any responsibility or compensate us despite the fact eBay is allowing this fraud to happen. To their usual response they claim they have no way to prevent it. The stupid thing is most of these people making multiple accounts register under the same information. All they would have to do is write some sort of filter that blocks linked accounts till they are manually verified and investigated...

the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth · ‎10-22-2019

I’ve been here since 1999 and you have never been able to block new buyers from buying the first item. Only from buying more than one. the poor way the block was listed and described in the help section made people think it was a total block but has only ever been on subsequent purchases.

if you find you are getting multiple purchases by competitors you should first block them then turn them in to eBay for malicious buying.

sonomarepurpose · ‎11-13-2019

The Zero feedback Buyers are out of control! Lately I have had a rash of them. Because Ebay is not protecting the Seller with making these people build up their feedback to let say about 20 or 30 positives before they can bid is why the Sellers are dealing with all of this zero feedback (SCAM) bidders as I like to call them. Come on Ebay stand up for the Sellers and HELP us not hinder us...….. just saying!

gothkrypt · ‎11-16-2019

This is what my current bidder status is at right now. This is my second time posting this item, as the last winning bidder with a score of 4 dipped out on paying. One of these 0 accounts was created yesterday. I do not sell on eBay often, but I found the growing amount of 0 score bidders (currently bidding in $1 increments) strange enough to research this issue. I'm now nervous that I will be having to go through the process of opening up another unpaid case.

Although I am seeing people mentioning scammers doing charge-backs after payment, would you guys say you experience less silliness placing your items within the "Buy it Now" option? Or maybe including that option in the auction?

magicjohnsonsvariety · ‎11-16-2019

@adkhighker wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
Use fixed prices immediate payment required.

I know you mean well, but I wish people would stop telling auction sellers to switch to fixed price immediate pay required when that option often does not work well for many of us who run true ebay auctions, and by true auctions I mean where the buyers set the price, not the seller.

For example, why would you price a 23 jewel pocket watch by a good maker with a broken mainspring and missing its hands for $350 just because you figured that's all it could possibly be worth in the condition it was in, only to have it sell for $2650 in a 99 cent start ebay auction with 47 bids including several snipes in the last few seconds?

AMEN !!!!

nealla30 · ‎12-01-2019

I am so glad to see this post. I agree and am just as frustrated. I HAVE tried doing BINs or Fixed Price/Pay immediately. Doesn't mean anything. The Zero Feedback bidders still win and then just do not pay.

I too have been selling on Ebay for many years (18 years!) and it is so bad. I've started using Facebook Marketplace and back to Craig's List for some items.

Obviously Ebay is doing nothing to support their long time sellers and it is frustrating!

Just wanted to join in the discussion to say I agree!

nealla30 · ‎12-01-2019

I am so glad to see this post. I agree and am just as frustrated. I HAVE tried doing BINs or Fixed Price/Pay immediately. Doesn't mean anything. The Zero Feedback bidders still win and then just do not pay.

(and I agree - what are they getting out of it!? They just do not pay! It's not like the scammers who get the item and then try to get you to refund money. So odd to me)

I too have been selling on Ebay for many years (18 years!) and it is so bad. I've started using Facebook Marketplace and back to Craig's List for some items.

Obviously Ebay is doing nothing to support their long time sellers and it is frustrating!

Just wanted to join in the discussion to say I agree!