Yet another way Ebay is creating problems between sellers and buyers

[gurlcat]

So apparently Ebay has started some new (?) pay-by-date thing that can contradict the date a seller has set in their site preferences, which is bound to create confusion and resentment.

I will give my own example for illustrative purposes, but I am not asking for help or criticism; this is information for anyone who may need it in the future.

In case you didn't know, on your seller page, Shortcuts > Site Preferences > Unpaid Item Assistant, here is where you can set the number of days before the buyer receives an unpaid item notice, for an auction win, offer from seller accepted, or offer to seller accepted. You can set it as low as 2 days, which I do, because the only reason I even make offers is because I'm trying to move stuff FAST. Honestly I see no reason why Ebay can't treat an offer sent by seller and accepted by buyer the same as 'immediate payment for BIN' since the buyer has to accept the offer in real time. But whatever.

Additionally, even when the buyer receives an unpaid item notification, they have FOUR MORE days to pay, and if they don't, basically nothing happens to them and the seller has to start all over, after those 6 days of waiting with their item held hostage from anyone else buying it.

And now apparently Ebay has made it even more confusing/contentious.

I sent a bunch of offers to watchers on Monday (the 19th) and most of the accepting buyers paid immediately, but one did not. Within a few hours I sent her an invoice, which is redundant but then the person can't say I didn't send an invoice (been there, done that).

So today rolls along, no payment, no message from this buyer, and I know she will receive an unpaid notice tonight. So just to see if she's a living human, I sent her a simple message this morning: "Hi, you accepted this offer on the 19th, when do you intend to pay?"

She quickly replies with this message (below). Truth be told she's right about me being unhappy, more about not getting the courtesy of a message to let me know when she would pay before I ask, than the $15 itself, but I don't know how she thought I "sounded" unhappy, because I didn't include smiley faces or apologize for bothering her or something? Anyway, according to her screenshot, Ebay told her to pay by the 23rd, which is 4 days after she accepted, and according to her this is some "new" thing. But she is still going to receive the unpaid notice tonight, two days before she thought the payment was "due", and probably assume that I'm manually sending the notice to be mean to her.

So I called Ebay, got a poor English-speaker, who just explained what I already knew about how the Unpaid Item Assistant thing works, didn't seem to understand what I was saying about this "new" thing the buyer is talking about. I don't know why I even tried, honestly.

Here's just another reason I'll hesitate to make offers again.

[powell-memorabilia]

@gurlcat 

Okay, I’m usually on eBay’s side, but this looks foolish and confusing.  I don’t let anyone go four days without paying

without some action on my end.

[buyselljack2016]

"Hi, you accepted this offer on the 19th, when do you intend to pay?"

---------------------------------------------------------

I can understand what the buyer may think when getting a message like this from a seller. Maybe not your intent, but could be seen as rather curt, and impatient.

[gurlcat]

I often defend Ebay too, because usually an upset person is either a newbie who simply doesn't understand a feature and therefore did it wrong themselves, OR an old-timer who can't accept that change is inevitable and Ebay is not going to be the same creature they got used to 15 years ago forever. 
But SOME of Ebay's policies and changes are downright counterintuitive and cause totally unnecessary problems.  

[downunder-61]

WOW - are they trying to get buyers to hate sellers?

I have found most of the changes okay and have adapted, this however is unacceptable, and they have no right to 'speak on our behalf' especially in such a distructive and rude manner.

I have all BIN, immediate payment on my listings, but I am outraged for seller running auctions etc, this is NOT on eBay and if you want to disrespect buyer USE your own identity, don't mash it up to look like a seller response.

A way to force immediate payment and end auctions perhaps ? That would be my best guess,

Just man up and announce it if that is your intended purpose!

[brian@ebay · Accepted solution]

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@gurlcat wrote:

So apparently Ebay has started some new (?) pay-by-date thing that can contradict the date a seller has set in their site preferences, which is bound to create confusion and resentment.

I will give my own example for illustrative purposes, but I am not asking for help or criticism; this is information for anyone who may need it in the future.

In case you didn't know, on your seller page, Shortcuts > Site Preferences > Unpaid Item Assistant, here is where you can set the number of days before the buyer receives an unpaid item notice, for an auction win, offer from seller accepted, or offer to seller accepted. You can set it as low as 2 days, which I do, because the only reason I even make offers is because I'm trying to move stuff FAST. Honestly I see no reason why Ebay can't treat an offer sent by seller and accepted by buyer the same as 'immediate payment for BIN' since the buyer has to accept the offer in real time. But whatever.

Additionally, even when the buyer receives an unpaid item notification, they have FOUR MORE days to pay, and if they don't, basically nothing happens to them and the seller has to start all over, after those 6 days of waiting with their item held hostage from anyone else buying it.

And now apparently Ebay has made it even more confusing/contentious.

I sent a bunch of offers to watchers on Monday (the 19th) and most of the accepting buyers paid immediately, but one did not. Within a few hours I sent her an invoice, which is redundant but then the person can't say I didn't send an invoice (been there, done that).

So today rolls along, no payment, no message from this buyer, and I know she will receive an unpaid notice tonight. So just to see if she's a living human, I sent her a simple message this morning: "Hi, you accepted this offer on the 19th, when do you intend to pay?"

She quickly replies with this message (below). Truth be told she's right about me being unhappy, more about not getting the courtesy of a message to let me know when she would pay before I ask, than the $15 itself, but I don't know how she thought I "sounded" unhappy, because I didn't include smiley faces or apologize for bothering her or something? Anyway, according to her screenshot, Ebay told her to pay by the 23rd, which is 4 days after she accepted, and according to her this is some "new" thing. But she is still going to receive the unpaid notice tonight, two days before she thought the payment was "due", and probably assume that I'm manually sending the notice to be mean to her.

So I called Ebay, got a poor English-speaker, who just explained what I already knew about how the Unpaid Item Assistant thing works, didn't seem to understand what I was saying about this "new" thing the buyer is talking about. I don't know why I even tried, honestly.

Here's just another reason I'll hesitate to make offers again.

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@gurlcat it sounds like you may be referring to the Unpaid Item change we announced in the Spring Seller Update. Now, sellers can cancel a transaction with the buyer didn't pay reason after 5 calendar days. 

Prior to this change, a seller had to wait 2 days before they could open an Unpaid Item case. Then the seller had to wait 4 days before they could close that case. This was a total of 6 days. The new system actually reduces this timeframe to 5 days, making it a slightly faster process now.

You can read the FAQ about this change here. I hope this helps!

[downunder-61]

Hi brian@ebay 

Not that interested in why, more interested in the tone of the message, it is unwarranted and rude, and reflects badly on a seller through no fault of their own.

Most sellers are more than happy for eBay to send a message to remind about payment - but this message has crossed a line, and the muppet that came up with it needs educating in etiquitte and plain old common courtesy, they should be ashamed!

[ittybitnot]

eBay is rolling out their new "cancel after 5 days" program, and do away with the Unpaid Item Dispute.  Coming soon:  After five days a seller can simply cancel the transaction for non-payment. 

Buyers are still supposed to get strikes for non-payment as before, and you buyer restriction settings are still supposed to work.

I would guess the "pay before you lose it" may have something to do with that. 

[brian@ebay]

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@downunder-61 wrote:

Hi brian@ebay 

Not that interested in why, more interested in the tone of the message, it is unwarranted and rude, and reflects badly on a seller through no fault of their own.

Most sellers are more than happy for eBay to send a message to remind about payment - but this message has crossed a line, and the muppet that came up with it needs educating in etiquitte and plain old common courtesy, they should be ashamed!

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@downunder-61 sorry, I'm confused. Which message are you referring to? 

[brian@ebay]

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brian@ebay wrote:

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@downunder-61 wrote:

Hi brian@ebay 

Not that interested in why, more interested in the tone of the message, it is unwarranted and rude, and reflects badly on a seller through no fault of their own.

Most sellers are more than happy for eBay to send a message to remind about payment - but this message has crossed a line, and the muppet that came up with it needs educating in etiquitte and plain old common courtesy, they should be ashamed!

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@downunder-61 sorry, I'm confused. Which message are you referring to? 

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@downunder-61 I'm heading out of the office for the day, but I'm sharing a copy of the email we send buyers who don't pay immediately just in case you are referring to that message.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

Brian, I was aware of the change, and I know Harry has said they are working on adding Immediate payment to Offers, maybe by the end of the year. BUT....

Please check with the team handling this. It looks like ebay is sending out the notices , but is NOT preventing sellers from continuing to start an Unpaid Item Claim....so you've got two things going at once. I don't know if this is because the new system is in a phased roll out, or if its a glitch, but ebay needs to change the Unpaid Item flow to PREVENT sellers from filing a case. Sellers trying to file an unpaid item case need to be told about the change in the flow, and need to be told that they need to choose Automatic or Manual for the new system. This situation would have been prevented if the OP had not filed an Unpaid Item Claim. As long as it is possible to do, sellers will do it because many sellers never read the Updates or Announcements. So, sellers should be blocked from doing it.

I hope that makes sense....I'm pretty tired tonight....

[downunder-61]

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@buyselljack2016 wrote:

"Hi, you accepted this offer on the 19th, when do you intend to pay?"

---------------------------------------------------------

I can understand what the buyer may think when getting a message like this from a seller. Maybe not your intent, but could be seen as rather curt, and impatient.

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Please see the post from bryan eBay Post number 10 - the message actually reads "Looks like the seller is still waiting for payment"

Where did your message come from "

Hi, you accepted this offer on the 19th, when do you intend to pay?"

[downunder-61]

.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

The message you are quoting is the message the OP says she sent directly to the buyer...it was the seller's message, not ebay's message....

[downunder-61]

Just figured that out, will teach me to not read properly.

brian@ebay My apologies, totally got the wrong end of the conversation, sorry for the confusion and my abrubtness