Frequent e-bay sellers- need some advice.

**Kimberlina** · 08-02-2006, 03:13 PM

I've been using ebay for years, but only do a 2-3 transactions a year. I have never had a problem as a seller before, and am looking for a little advice.

I sold some of DD shoes (uber cheap, I might add, for a very good pair of Stride Rites) in an auction that ended 5 days ago. I made it very clear in my instructions that the winning bidder must contact me within three days of auction end to verify addresses and inform me how they wanted to pay. I also made this clear in the invoice I sent out.

I have since sent out two e-mail reminders that I needed to hear from the person. I just sent her another copy of her invoice with a reminder, and that she needs to contact me so I can help her resolve any problem she might be having. (Just trying to word it nicely.)

I allow 10 days for payment. Do I wait now until the ten days is up to report her as a non-paying bidder (assuming she still doesn't contact me?) And what is your recommendation re: feedback? I have 100% positive right now, and I don't want retaliatory negative feedback on my account because SHE didn't contact me.

Then, if she still never pays, can I relist it for free, or do I HAVE to offer it to the second highest bidder first? I know I can go search around over there, but I am betting one of you knows.

**halloweenfreak** · 08-02-2006, 03:27 PM

i think you can start a dispute at 7 days. but i know there is a link on there where you can request this persons info such as a phone number. ive had to call people before to get them to pay. as for relisting, if they dont pay, ebay will not charge you for the first listing, and i dont think you have to send out a second change offer if you dont want to.

**SHOPGIRL** · 08-02-2006, 03:36 PM

What you should do is request a final fee credit through ebay. You can do this after 7 days. If she doesn't respond to anything they do, they'll give you a credit. Then,you should leave her negative feedback. Sometimes emergencies arise, I've had that happen with buyers before. Anyway, once you know she isn't going to buy them, you can relist them on ebay or sell to the other bidder if you're happy with the price. Sometimes the second bidder has already purchased something else.

**Darlene** · 08-02-2006, 04:02 PM

Could she be on vacation? Not that it's an excuse but just wondering. Hope you hear from her soon.

Just had a prob with someone I bought from on ebay saying I didn't pay and started the alert business, told them I sent the day after I won auction then sent another payment because I didn't want problems. Got mail today saying both payments finally arrived. First one was sent on the 18th & the next the 26th. Come to find out they just moved & that's prob why it took so long. Grr...Now she says she can't locate the book & hopes to soon & hopes I'll be patient & will be sending one of the MO's back to me. Made me feel like a lying loser and now wants me to be patient...better get some good feedback from them. Sorry for changing the subject just needed to vent,lol.

**Kimberlina** · 08-03-2006, 12:21 AM

She may be on vacation, but if so, she shouldn't have bid, because it states twice in my auction that contact must be made within 3 days.

Anyway, Darlene, it sure sounds like you are getting a run around. She complained that you didn't pay her when she didn't even HAVE the book???? And now YOU have to be patient? I'd sure as heck do more than that for a buyer if I were that seller- as in FREE BOOK. Is it a rare book? I'd just tell her to send you all your money back and forget it otherwise, our your going to file a dispute for item not received.....

**bumplett** · 08-03-2006, 12:33 AM

I have had a very few people to not pay & NO contact. I deal with it through ebay. They will send the bidder a warning.... and you get your fees refunded.... I don't leave neg. feedback very often at all! I hate those people that will leave someone a neg. just to get back at them for something that was their fault to begin with!

Don't forget to file a non-paying bidder report with ebay. If you search in the ebay help section, you will find it!

**babetteq** · 08-03-2006, 12:44 AM

Perhaps her computer died? That happened to me the day after I bid for something and I got negative feedback because I couldn't get it fixed in any reasonable time (I was living on an remote island) so I didn't get any warnings, phone call anything..... Perhaps she needs a phone call?

-babs

**Kimberlina** · 08-03-2006, 08:02 AM

Yeah, guess I will have to call....

**frugalfarmwife** · 08-03-2006, 08:21 AM

Have a little patience, it could be a lot of things. I sold a very large item and shipped it out and computer started acting up here, I was offline for 3 days, came back to a neutral feedback on the item because it had been damaged in shipping! This item was 12" by 4 feet and 3 inches thick, the UPS driver HAD to have run it over, sigh. We worked it out and I still left the buyer good feedback because he'd completed his part of the transaction well.

kj

**MelissaMarie** · 08-03-2006, 11:04 AM

A lot of people just don't read the auction terms thoroughly. If it has only been 5 days since the auction ended and you allow 10 days for payment, I would just wait until a day after the 10 day time limit you set in your auction. I have a 10 business day policy on my auctions, and someone JUST sent out payment via money order on Tuesday for an auction that ended on July 23rd... so they were cutting it close.

You can pull their contact info (phone number) and call them, but if you have already contacted them numerous times I would just hold off a few days because they might neg you for harrassment. Also - if you don't have a high feedback rating, I would hold off on negging them just yet because they can give you a retalitory negative and it would make your percentage go waaay down and would make it harder to sell later on. (I am all for negatives, but sometimes it's not worth it if it will bring your percentage down really low, which happens if you have few transactions).

If the buyer doesn't pay after your communication and after the 10 day payment policy you set, you should file with Ebay a non-paying bidder form for that bidder. Ebay will contact them, and if they don't respond to Ebay after a set period, Ebay will refund you your fees. Also - at this point, if the buyer were to give you a negative for whatever reason (if you gave them a negative and they gave you a retalitory neg, it wouldn't be counted in your feedback score, it would still show up on your feedback but would have a notation saying something along the lines of "Feedback not counted, buyer did not respond to a non-paying bidder notification")

Just be patient... anything could have happened. Sometimes people bid and win things and they don't sign on to their computers for a few days...