Forum

Buyer refuses to pay, claiming child placed bid: What to do?
 

In this situation, what's the best course of action? He has no intention of paying and simply asked for my understanding. The nice thing to do would be to let it slide and eat the fees, but how do I know this is even true? The buyer was sending me questions about the item AFTER he had already won. I almost get the feeling he just changed his mind. What should I do?

Doesn't matter in the slightest if its true.

This is not something you should be concerned about. Buyers change their minds all the time. It's not like you got scammed.

Send a "Cancel Transaction" request and MOVE ON!

Simple as that. :D

I would put in a claim of unpaid transaction - that way he does not botch you by refusing to cancel the transaction.

Of course he changed his mind. I once had a buyer say that he spilled his coffee and accidentally placed the bid when the cup hit the keyboard. The cup actually hit the keyboard twice, once then he clicked on 'Buy It Now" and then it bounced up and back down to confirm the bid. :lol:

But unless you're planning on taking him to a small claims court, there's not much you can do. As rsot said, move on.

I don't recommend this tactic for buyers that are in communication with the seller for several reasons.

The main reason is you are forcing the buyer to make a decision to either buy the item or take a unpaid item strike.

If they chose the 1st (buying the item) you are at their mercy of what feedback and DSR they will give you based on an item they didn't want.

Also you are much more susceptible to a claim for the same reason...you forced a sale because the buyer didn't want a unpaid strike.

Anyway, I prefer this line of reasoning. :peace:

TGMT, That's a really good point, I've never thought of it that way.

haha Awesome!

I WOULD TELL HIM AS A parent of a young child you are responsibility for your kids actions.Pay up

I'd just agree to cancel transaction, since sellers can't leave negative feedback but buyers can. Or has the rues changed?

Still the same only buyers can leave negative feedback.

I like when they tell you a similar story and you just received payment from them on another account you have for the same item.

It absolutely amazes me how many times I've received this same excuse. I always advise that I have to file an unpaid item case in order to recover the fees I have already been charged. Most dont realize they will receive a hit for unpaid item, and seriously... they deserve it anyways.

Kris I do the same thing. Graciously let them know that to recoup losses I am forced to follow procedure unless my losses are somehow recopued without that process. Let them know if they choose to send the money, then I'll be leaving positive feedback for them immediately and even though the contract was breeched, it won't be mentioned in the feedback. I remind them I understand it wasn't their fault and tell them I am sorry that happened. The few times it happened, they paid me. If they were to say they didn't have the money, I would just let them off the hook but still offer an address to send the money if/when they can.

My most annoying thing is buyer not paying on ebay

next they will be saying their cat bought it, on the news I saw a three year old bought a conservatory and some other toddler bought a car on ebay, so you could say your kid or dog bought it and they seller has to accept.......

Are you saying that if you say when you cancel transaction with an explanation that the item was damaged or out of stock the buyer can't press the disagree to cancel tab?

no I didnt say that...buyer can always disagree to cancel, and you lose your fees. If it is completely unreasonable or ebay/paypal themselves cancelled the bid, then you can usually get fees back by contacting ebay, I have won this issue recently.....

I could never figure out why ebay has that feature when it wasn't always that way. I hate dogging buyers to agree just so I don't get robbed by ebay.

By the way I noticed buyers paying up more than usual even though it may take a week or two...( three month survey)

I don't get silly excuses anymore at all. Buyers just don't do anything these days. Now they just let it sit for 4 or 5 days without so much as a message. They are learning they run the rodeo. I just send invoice a couple times and after 5 or 6 days send them a note asking if they wish to cancel. Politely. If they don't get back by 7 or 8 days I just file a cancel "buyer changed mind". If they don't reply in a week you get fees back. I never file a non paying strike as it can actually piss them off.

They deserve the strikes but I'm not getting a neg or neutral from some tool because they abuse the system. And the kind of person that cant be bothered to send you a simple note is the same kind of person to leave bad feedback for them not paying

I always use the unpaid item feature because 1. they cant refuse to cancel the transaction leaving you with paying the fee and 2. any feedback they may leave gets negated when sale is cleared.

Why would they refuse if they don't plan to pay? They normally just ignore it or agree. You have buyers they don't pay but still refuse to cancel? Its automatic if they dont reply so they would have to actually go out of the way to refuse

Is feedback removed for sure? The way eBay is I always worry that it wont be.

I would talk to the buyer first, and come up with some sort of solution, afterwards take action.

You say 'when sale is cleared' no negatives get though? You mean when they agree to cancel and/or disagree to cancel?

1) When they agree to cancel can they leave a negative?

2) When they disagree ( not pay) can they leave a negative?

3) When you give them a unpaid item strike, after not paying and case closed,
can they leave a negative?

One time a buyer was an ah*le through out the auction, then he won so I said the dog ate it and got a nasty neutral in there after I cancelled.

When they sale is close with unpaid "strike", they can't leave feedback - it becomes blocked. If they refuse to cancel, they can still leave a negative feedback - just happened to me.

The very second you mark it unpaid thats it? They cant do anything on feedback?

Well once you mark it unpaid - they can still leave feedback (they can leave feedback anytime they want upon winning a sale) - that's the sad reality of eBay. Feedback cant be left after an unpaid sale closes.

Its that window between the two I'm not cool with. Any person that has no respect to even reply to a message over a week is too volatile and can leave a neg because you dinged them

And that's why you can close an unpaid case in 4 days of opening it - yes you're looking at a week length. If they leave neg feedback and unpaid closes without payment then you can live chat with eb ay to remove it.

as much as I want them off ebay because I know full well they do it over and over, its just safer to cancel and let it close on its own. You still get fees back

This happens all the time...don't worry about it. You lost time, not money!

Done deal. I didn't even know I could recoup my listing fees until I read all of your posts. I cancelled it, and just relisted the item. Frustrating for sure, but at least Ebay does one thing right. Thanks for all the replies.

But actually... you ARE losing money. At least I am. Happened to me today. 7 day auction closes at a really good price (for me) and I'm happy to know those funds will be in my Paypal account, and can be transferred to my bank account. I'll have the money I need for whatever it is I need at the moment in just a few days. Then I get a message from the winner... 'Please cancel this sale. Sorry. I hope you dont mind.' Well actually I DO mind.

So I send off a Second Chance Offer... knowing full well I will NOT receive a reply, and then relist the item for another 7 bloody days. Which now makes it a minimum of 10 days until I get my money. Not to mention, I relist the same item every week anyways... which results in me losing one weeks profits for this particular item. So yes, I do #!%#ing mind.



Ok. I'm done venting. But it still is unbeleivably irratating.