Slow Payers and the Unpaid Assistant

[webhobbit]

I've been on eBay since 2000 but only selling regularly for about 1.5 years now. Seems to me the system for deadbeat/slow payers is totally unfair to sellers. This is 2020 -a buyer should be prepared to pay for their item within 24 hours of the auction's close. I know eBay's automated assistant gives them longer than that but I think if a buyer waits around long enough for that to kick in the system should AUTOMATICALLY hit them with a negative ...could simply say "slow pay" or something. As a seller I can't pop them for fear of a reciprocal negative. This is **bleep** as they certainly deserve a negative for holding up the sale and wasting everyone's time.

[femmefan1946]

Most of the unpaid disputes, based on complaints here, are on Auction listings.

The simplest was to avoid them is to use Fixed Price listings.

Even simpler is to add Immediate Payment Required, and you Fixed Price listing stays available until somebody actually pays.

The reason that Auctions are where the UIDs are is that today's customer is into Instant Gratification.

He  sees your attractive opening price and thinks he bought. When he notices he only bid, he says a bad word and moves on to his second choice, a Fixed Price Listing at a higher price but immediate purchase.

[merylwitch]

     The irony there is those same slow payers tend to be quite aggressive if and when they do actually pay.  I agree with the other responder.  If what you're selling can be listed as a fixed price item without a best offer option you can require immediate payment which eliminate's that. However, if what you're selling needs the auction format than the slow pay / no pay does factor in.  A lot of my new arrivals require auction style since it's hard to gauge a buy it now price when there's very little reference (I do a lot with collectible and vintage items)  depending on condition.  There's more non-payer's than ever before as well as an increase in returns (even though I don't offer them) however I've seen a substantial increase in sales over the last 3-4 years (each year being better than the prior) so it does balance out in well in our favor.  The "problems" are about 2-3% (returns, non-payers, lost or damaged packages) the annual increase has been between 5 - 10% so from where I sit eBay is where it's at for what I'm selling.  I've tried most (if not all) of the other site's and there's really no comparison.  The other big selling site is wayyy too demanding, limiting, oppressive and extremely one sided.  eBay is still a community and has that flavor and feel to it.  Seller support is very important to me and this is the only place where I get that. 

[femmefan1946]

Yes. This is where having a business plan comes in.

Part of that business plan is understanding where your sales are best and then comparing them with potential losses.

Losses would include time lost to non-payers and losses to refunds.

I also sell collectibles (stamps and books) but over the decades I have learned that my demographic are buyers who actually read (!) the description and as a result I have very few requests for returns.

I believe, and you may have different experiences, that a "no returns" policy is counter-productive, since neither eBay nor Paypal will enforce it.  If you sell here or use PP for payment processing you make refunds: the only difference is who pays for the return.

There's more non-payer's than ever before as well as an increase in returns (even though I don't offer them) however I've seen a substantial increase in sales over the last 3-4 years

Which is where having a plan helps.

As is careful record keeping.

We see sellers ranting that they are leaving eBay after their first failed transaction in four or five or fifteen years.  The loss always hurts, but failed transactions, whether deadbeats, rude customers, or returns (valid or no), are a part of business.

And need not be a loss.

With a non-payer, file the UID and relist. All you lost was time.

With a refund request, get the item back in saleable condition and relist. Your higher costs (from postage and packaging if all went politely) are tax deductible.

[merylwitch]

     While I agree with most of what you have to say the acceptance of returns doesn't work for my business model and many of the item types that I sell.  I tested for about 6 months and it unfortunately turned much of my media and clothing categories into a rental service pushing returns in those areas well over 7% and even with the allowed compensation it didn't balance as many would continue to file "not as described" on new merch.  Used items in those particular genres would then generally sell for 20 - 25% of the new price so each item if returned was a loss.

     That being said perhaps I will try again in specific categories only catering to the collector. We shall see.  You sell to a very specific audience with an older demographic, while my demographic varies greatly depending on what I'm listing so there is always a learning curve on my end.