Why do I have to wait 5 days to cancel a non paying buyer? Why isn't it 2 days or 1 day?

[navyvetwatchseller]

I just started selling on Ebay a couple months ago, every sale I made,  the buyer paid within 24 hours, most often within 4 hours...So  why, when a buyer hasn't paid in a reasonable amount of time (like say 36 hours) why isn't that the rule....for me to wait 5 days and my product is in limbo land, and I can't sell it or anything til this deadbeat "person" either pays (which they never have) or 5 days are up an I can cancel....why does Ebay err on the side of the buyer? (it seems, anyway). Why can't it be MY decision to make if a buyer hasn't paid in a reasonable amount of time....I don't think 5 days is a reasonable amount of time...I think it is way too much time.  Or do I have alternatives?

[joshuacbraun]

Many sellers, including myself, started selling on eBay with the auction format. Every now and then you get a bidding war but more often than not, items sell for a small amount. In addition, auction winners don’t have to pay upon highest final bid. Using the Buy It Now format, you can require immediate payment upon purchase. 

If you do continue to sell via auction, you can be proactive with non paying winners and send them daily invoices, marking them as 1st invoice, 2nd invoice, etc… Sometimes, they made a bid and weren’t around their device when they won but a little encouragement of not letting them forget their bounty can go a long ways. Best of luck to you.

[slippinjimmy]

eBay gives buyers 4 days to pay, they always have although it's a bit of a holdover from the all auction days.

The system is actually faster and easier than the old non-payment system.

In any event, add Immediate Payment Required to your listings and the issue will go away.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/creating-managing-listings/immediate-payment-works?id=415...

[fab_finds4u]

They have 4 days to pay. You have to accept that. 

Alternatively, list buy now with immediate payment required.

[chapeau-noir]

Unfortunately, eBay is the only platform I know of that lets buyers string sellers along for payment, while tying up the item.  If you want to continue to do best offer (i.e., its only periodically that you get a deadbeat but the format is working well for you otherwise), just automate the process here.  If you keep getting these deadbeats, just drop best offer and require immediate payment.

This site is really behind the curve in their payment policies.

@navyvetwatchseller 

[yuzuha]

I would assume they allow that amount of time because in the case of auctions, a bidder might be bidding on more than one auction from the same seller and might want to pay for all of their wins at once. It's not like BIN where you can just put all of the things you want to buy in your cart at once.

[buyologist-3]

Good answer!  Do you think the new Wallet will help?  The Vault won't (I think) but the Wallet maybe?  

[doug_5857]

I dont mind waiting 4 days for payment. Maybe the cust wins item Fri afternoon and banks dont open till Tuesday. I will take that sale any day of the week. If you need the money that fast than maybe Facebook is always a fast turn around platform. No fee's, No scams and fast payments.

   Its not gonna make a difference when a Seller receives monthly payments or bi-weekly.

[katzrul15]

@navyvetwatchseller 

Not everyone lives on the site every day like Sellers do.  Especially with Auctions, I bid my proxy and often do not check back in to a buying ID until the auction ends.  What if I am bidding on a couple of your auctions and they end a few days apart?  Most buyers want combined shipping....

With covid, I had to remember to be patient.  I do not pester a buyer with unvoicrs - e-Bay already does that.  I wait patiently and if no payment comes, I let e-Bay do their thing and cancel. 

Remember to put non-paying bidders on your BBL.

[chapeau-noir]

Auctions are such a tiny fraction of business on this site that I don't think it's really worth it to change anything, but best offer is another story.  I sell on two other sites where haggling is common and on neither is a so-called 'buyer' allowed to tie up a seller's item while they decide when they want to pay for it.  The offer is there, but the item is still available to the general public. I have never grokked, ever, someone 'purchasing' something then hanging out for 4 days to pay for it.  I mean, what???  Maybe you can pay for that hamburger on Tuesday lol.  It's never made sense to me.

@buyologist-3  The wallet may help - I think it's a great idea and figured it would be implemented once MP was finally rolled out, and glad it is.  What I think would also make things easier in a general sense is a bundling option - that takes care of the immediate payment/best offer problem insofar as purchasing multiple listings - the buyer can bundle several items and make an offer, if the offer is accepted, the payment goes through, no stringing the seller along for days, and the buyer knows precisely what they're paying for (including shipping), no surprises. 

[soh.maryl]

If you want immediate payment, list Fixed Price, Immediate Payment Required.

May I point out that not everyone is on their computer 24/7? Sometimes, with an auction, we may bid early, but not check back continuously to see what our status is.  It's only right that we should have more than 24 hours to pay for an auction.  

[soh.maryl]

Not exactly sure how "banks dont open till Tuesday" impacts how quickly a buyer can pay.

Can you explain that? 

[chickadee8618]

They can press a button to bid but can't press a button to pay. Its ridiculous and 5 days on top of that. 

[fashunu4eeuh]

In eBayland, the buyer’s interests are protected first and foremost. It is part of the eBay way. Waiting for payment is the same. As some others suggested, if this method is not your cup of tea, list fixed price with Immediate Payment Required.

[7606dennis]

Actually, the new process is a lot better than the old UID process that was previously in place.  You might want to consider listing using the fixed price format with IPR.  Be sure not to entertain any offers.