Problems Selling on Ebay - Buyers Not Paying!

JayLenochiniMac said:

You were protected under paypal seller protection, which requires you to track the package (with signature confirmation for items over $250). You got your money, no loss and they covered the risk for you.

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Yes I realize that. My point is that eBay makes it so easy for people to scam on there. How on Earth can they rationalize canceling a bid after something was paid for and shipped? Either they are really incompetent or they just don't a give a crap about the sellers. And what made me more mad is when I talked to someone on the phone at eBay they couldn't wrap their tiny mind around why it could be a problem to cancel a sale after something was shipped. So as I said, PayPal was good and helpful, eBay not so much.

And now that you made me think about this process I went back and looked at my eBay account. So the person who got to cancel their bid (and who eBay claimed had their account removed) is now back on there. So when I check their eBay profile it says they have 100% positive feedback even though when you look through at all the things people wrote they are almost all bad. eBay needs to tighten some things up.

Oh wait, I should have read more into their stupid website. "Sellers can only leave positive feedback for buyers." WHAT?!?!??!??!?!?!?

drummingcraig said:

Right but only after he had to prove his case to them. If I understood his post correctly (and I agree completely) he was upset that it even happened the way it did. eBay canceled the transaction AFTER the item was marked as shipped. That shouldn't have been allowed to happen.

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TonyC28 said:

Yes I realize that. My point is that eBay makes it so easy for people to scam on there. How on Earth can they rationalize canceling a bid after something was paid for and shipped? Either they are really incompetent or they just don't a give a crap about the sellers. And what made me more mad is when I talked to someone on the phone at eBay they couldn't wrap their tiny mind around why it could be a problem to cancel a sale after something was shipped. So as I said, PayPal was good and helpful, eBay not so much.

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It's not so much he had to prove his case to them, but to show that he satisfied all requirements of paypal seller protection, including tracking the item (and requesting signature confirmation for items over $250). ebay can cancel after the fact, but paypal will still cover the seller if it was shipped to paypal-confirmed address once paypal gives the green light, as long as all other requirements are met.

Marrakas said:

Ehm, that still doesn't justify the crazy fees. We could go back and forth for ages, but the thing is, the double dipping fees are just retarded. "just list it higher"; Like people will pay more just because I list it for more?

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That's nothing new. Prices on ebay are typically higher than on Craigslist due to the larger customer base (and bidding wars with auctions). The point is it becomes essentially a wash as CL buyers expect to pay less. So either you give a cut to ebay and not have to deal with the buyer in person or you get less through CL. You decide.

enophi1 said:

I wanted to buy an iphone 4s 64GB for my daughter for Christmas and now have to buy the 5 due to the amount of ads on Ebay that could be just siphoning money from the buyer and not delivering the goods as they are stated, or no goods at all.

Then you have the issue of not knowing if the phone is in the condition it's listed as.

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That makes no sense. ebay protects the buyers like crazy. Just file an item not as described claim if it's not as listed and you're 100% guaranteed to get your money back.

"Right but only after he had to prove his case to them. If I understood his post correctly (and I agree completely) he was upset that it even happened the way it did. eBay canceled the transaction AFTER the item was marked as shipped. That shouldn't have been allowed to happen."

Yea that's my issue with this. It should never have happened.

Sorry, looks like I quoted that wrong.

andyx3x said:

Why anyone would sell an iPhone on eBay over Craigslist just befuddles me.

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Safety and security. You can set up ebay to be pretty well protected. For example, I have it tagged to an account that only has a few dollars in it for selling. Even if there is a problem with a buyer, no money to go after.


As for Craigslist, I have found nothing but filth and trash on that site. Both times I tried selling on there I felt the need to be armed to do the deal. Bad feeling knowing you are walking into a 100% unknown situation with some nut off the internet.

That being said, nothing is as smooth as amazon or gazelle trade in, but you don't get anywhere near as much money.

I had sold my 4S 4 times to get a good buyer !
I sold it 600$ and after ebay and paypal fees i get a clear 480$ CAD
Waste of time !

Tip... Ditch the Ebay - Paypal monopoly scam and list somewhere like Amazon. You get your payments faster, no random holds (unless you've done something bad)... overall its much better.

I ditched that scam and couldn't be happier.

Mikex6956 said:

I sold it 600$ and after ebay and paypal fees i get a clear 480$ CAD

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I take it Canadian eBay fees are higher as $120 in fees on $600 sounds rather excessive?

andyx3x said:

Why anyone would sell an iPhone on eBay over Craigslist just befuddles me.

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One word...


Flakes.

I once bidded on an item on ebay, but decided that it was something I really didn't want. Unfortunately I missed the opportunity to cancel my bid. I apologized to the seller and sent him 40 bucks. He happily canceled it and relisted the item.

Ungibbed said:

One word...


Flakes.

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Tell me about it.
They tell you yes yes I want it I will show up there at that time and they never do.
They dont even bother calling or texting to let you know they wont come.
Then you call them and they're like sure I'll be there in 5.
And still never show up and when you call them again 15 minutes later they dont answer.
Just tell me you're not interested or cant make it whatever.
Dont just waste my time and make me sit there for 30 minutes for nothing.
CL rant over
lol

eBay is incredibly bad now its almost not worth using, its almost like Russian rolette with half your purchases/sales wondering when a person will try to scam you it happens all the time. Another way to do it is sell your item on craigslist and do the transaction through paypal, you arent charged that much fees wise and the transaction is protected.

swervinsuburban said:

Another way to do it is sell your item on craigslist and do the transaction through paypal, you arent charged that much fees wise and the transaction is protected.

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How is the CL transaction protected with paypal?
At any time the person that send the money can reverse the charges and get his money back after he picked up your item in person.
And then you have no proof or anything to claim against it.
With CL its cash only and end of story.

Applejuiced said:

How is the CL transaction protected with paypal?
At any time the person that send the money can reverse the charges and get his money back after he picked up your item in person.
And then you have no proof or anything to claim against it.
With CL its cash only and end of story.

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i'm saying you could ship it to them, they can't do a chargeback if you proved you shipped it out with tracking and signature CC companies contact paypal before they do a chargeback and get information from them before letting a chargeback happen you actually have a lot of protection on Paypal more so then even eBay most of the time. If you go to the Paypal site they have a FAQ page and it lists your protection and how to not be liable for charge backs.

Paypal has chargeback specialists that will actually fight the chargeback for you if you provide them with tracking information etc.

swervinsuburban said:

i'm saying you could ship it to them, they can't do a chargeback if you proved you shipped it out with tracking and signature CC companies contact paypal before they do a chargeback and get information from them before letting a chargeback happen you actually have a lot of protection on Paypal more so then even eBay most of the time. If you go to the Paypal site they have a FAQ page and it lists your protection and how to not be liable for charge backs.

Paypal has chargeback specialists that will actually fight the chargeback for you if you provide them with tracking information etc.

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That's paypal seller protection, but paypal direct payments aren't covered under this protection so how would the CL buyer send the money?

JayLenochiniMac said:

That's paypal seller protection, but paypal direct payments aren't covered under this protection so how would the CL buyer send the money?

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You're protected, any transaction on paypal is covered by their policy you send them an invoice...the buyer has to have a Paypal account unless you pay the 5 dollar a month fee and have the upgraded account then you can charge people's cc's also

swervinsuburban said:

You're protected, any transaction on paypal is covered by their policy you send them an invoice...the buyer has to have a Paypal account unless you pay the 5 dollar a month fee and have the upgraded account then you can charge people's cc's also

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Can't be just any transaction according to https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/security/seller-protection-learn-more :

When you are not covered:
-Items are picked up locally or delivered in person.
-You sell services, intangible items, or digital goods.
-You receive multiple payments for the same item.
-You've received a claim or a chargeback, and the shipped item is found to be significantly different than it was described.
Example: You describe a new laptop, but send a used one.
-PayPal Direct Payments
-Virtual Terminal Payments
-PayPal Business Payments
-Items that are not shipped to the recipient shipping address on the transaction details page. If you originally ship the item to the shipping address but the item is later redirected to a different address, you will not be eligible for PayPal Seller protection. We therefore recommend not using a shipping service that is arranged by the buyer, so that you will be able to provide valid proof of shipping and delivery.

swervinsuburban said:

i'm saying you could ship it to them, they can't do a chargeback if you proved you shipped it out with tracking and signature CC companies contact paypal before they do a chargeback and get information from them before letting a chargeback happen you actually have a lot of protection on Paypal more so then even eBay most of the time. If you go to the Paypal site they have a FAQ page and it lists your protection and how to not be liable for charge backs.

Paypal has chargeback specialists that will actually fight the chargeback for you if you provide them with tracking information etc.

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What if he says you send him an empty box?

JayLenochiniMac said:

Can't be just any transaction according to https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/security/seller-protection-learn-more :

When you are not covered:
-Items are picked up locally or delivered in person.
-You sell services, intangible items, or digital goods.
-You receive multiple payments for the same item.
-You've received a claim or a chargeback, and the shipped item is found to be significantly different than it was described.
Example: You describe a new laptop, but send a used one.
-PayPal Direct Payments
-Virtual Terminal Payments
-PayPal Business Payments
-Items that are not shipped to the recipient shipping address on the transaction details page. If you originally ship the item to the shipping address but the item is later redirected to a different address, you will not be eligible for PayPal Seller protection. We therefore recommend not using a shipping service that is arranged by the buyer, so that you will be able to provide valid proof of shipping and delivery.

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Invoice is not a direct payment, a direct payment is you just sending money, I'm saying you can list it on Craigslist and ship it to the person to avoid eBay fees and pay pals protection is somewhat better

I just had another iphone buy it now auction get won by a 0-feedback bidder who I'm pretty sure isn't going to pay either. A search on google for answers led me to this thread. I've been trying to figure out how to get the "require payment immediately auction" back. I haven't seen that offered anymore with the auctions (as well as bolding listings, adding purple highlighting, and a subtitle).

redman042 said:

I'm just now trying the Buy Now option and did price it according to recent sale values. I can't do Require Immediate Payment because I don't have an upgraded eBay account.

...

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Moshe1010 said:

Here's how to avoid that:
1. List only "Buy Now" sales and check the "Require immediate payment" in the sale listing options (you also pay less fees when you list it as fixed price listing). ....

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redman042 said:

Here's an update...

Following the advice from several people here, I relisted all my items at a fixed price (Buy It Now) with the require immediate payment box checked. To require immediate payment, you need to have a Paypal Premier account. I believe there is a modest bump in seller fees for doing that but did not research this.

I have already sold both phones (within a couple hours of relisting), got immediate payment, and the items are on their way to the buyers. This was a WAY better experience than with the auctions, and eBay final value fees are much lower to boot.....

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Seems the issue is that I would need to have a Paypal Premier Account. but I just checked my paypal and my account is set up for that. Can anyone give specific instructions on how to do this? It used to be easy but with ebay's new auction listing style I can't find it anywhere.

Or can I not do this because I have an auction style listing WITH a buy it now option?

Ramio said:

I'm a power seller with 1285 100% positive and sell thousands of dollars worth of stuff monthly and have had my share of bidders not paying. What I do is if I don't get payment within a day, I write them a message and tell them to let me know by the morning if they plan on paying or I will relist. If you don't get a response, relist it and send them a cancelation request. If they don't reply within 7 days, you can close it and you'll get your fees back. From experience, buyers who don't write or pay within the first 24 hours usually never pay. It's much better than going through filing a non paying claim which could take a very long time.

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Looks like I'll go this route so I don't have to lose 8 days again.

zildMacjian said:

never had a problem with people refusing to pay ... i really wanna say your just unlucky if you get people like that !

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I think the issue is with scammer decoy accounts that are designed to throw off auctions for whatever reason.

firedept said:

One of the best responses above. Ebay used to be easier to sell on, but has changed over the years. Sellers must be a lot smarter to beat the scams and non paying. Been selling since on Ebay since 2000 and have always been paid on literally thousands of items. But I set very clear rules in my auctions. I state all my Terms & Conditions clearly in my auction and I do not let anyone abuse them. That is why they are there. I have been fortunate over the years though and have a regular clientele base to deal with. Watch who is bidding and use their feedback to your advantage. If uncomfortable remove them as a bidder.

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With eBay, your rules and policies don't matter much. If there is a dispute, eBay buyer protection policies will prevail.

I sold a brand new sealed box HP Touchpad (I sold quite a few of them). I was very detailed in my rules and made it clear that the item is brand new and factory sealed and no returns will be accepted and the buyer should contact HP with any questions since there was a one-year warranty.

So a guy bought the Touchpad. He couldn't turn it on because the battery turned out to be low (a good number of Touchpads came discharged). When instructed to charge it first, he simply opened a dispute arguing that there is no battery inside (stupid MF). The dispute was reviewed by both eBay and Paypal, and both told me to GTFO with my NO RETURN policy and forced me to take the Touchpad back.

As a result, I ended up with an open-box Touchpad (about $40-50 less than a brand new), shipping cost, at least a week of wasted time, and a lot of frustration.

Since then I have decided to never sell on eBay. I would rather sell on Craigslist even if I get less after factoring all the fees. In person, in a public place, item inspected (opened only if paid), cash changes hands, everyone's happy. No headache and no douche buyers.

ferganer said:

With eBay, your rules and policies don't matter much. If there is a dispute, eBay buyer protection policies will prevail.

I sold a brand new sealed box HP Touchpad (I sold quite a few of them). I was very detailed in my rules and made it clear that the item is brand new and factory sealed and no returns will be accepted and the buyer should contact HP with any questions since there was a one-year warranty.

So a guy bought the Touchpad. He couldn't turn it on because the battery turned out to be low (a good number of Touchpads came discharged). When instructed to charge it first, he simply opened a dispute arguing that there is no battery inside (stupid MF). The dispute was reviewed by both eBay and Paypal, and both told me to GTFO with my NO RETURN policy and forced me to take the Touchpad back.

As a result, I ended up with an open-box Touchpad (about $40-50 less than a brand new), shipping cost, at least a week of wasted time, and a lot of frustration.

Since then I have decided to never sell on eBay. I would rather sell on Craigslist even if I get less after factoring all the fees. In person, in a public place, item inspected (opened only if paid), cash changes hands, everyone's happy. No headache and no douche buyers.

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Trust me, I feel you. I'm a power seller with 1291 100% feedback and I'm sick of how eBay always sides with the buyers and how they don't care about what the seller wants. I've quit eBay for good about 2 weeks ago after 10 years and will never go back. Fuxx eBay.

me and my friend have been good sellers on ebay since we were freaking mini entrupenuers haha like seriously selling our video games and bikes since age 13 on ebay. now that we both are 21 we QUIT THE F outa ebay because its such a scam city, asian market overrun by foreigners and hackers with 100+ accounts in some remote area of israel LOL im not trying to be so judgemental its just what we've seen. we both switched to amazon this year and could not be happier. direct deposit right into your credit card nice and easy, shipping with usps comes right out of your total fee no big deal. BUT

amazon got greedy. they started taking WAY too much money out. i just sold my htc one x for far less then i could of then it got like 30 bucks taken right out of it. luckily the buyer always pays a certain amount of shipping and you usually make a profit on it. since amazon started getting real greedy ive been buying on craiglist. have gotten SUCH good deals you guys can not even imagine. i built a mini studio of things people put as used but were really new. the sucky part is how these adults have no idea how to communicate. they are not like teens who love to keep you updated they just tell you oh yea lets meet this and this day and never show up... but craigslist has been real good otherwise. cash in hand walk out the door and boom your off . you get to test the product out put your sim card in it see it works pay the dude and walk out. its so awsome. someone really needs to come up with a real secure site. i woudlnt mind if someone partnered with UPS or something for free shipping and you had to enter your social in to create a one time account and only the most legit people could sign up. til then aftermarket sales are just a fantasy

redman042 said:

I've upgraded myself and my wife annually to a new iPhone since the 3G model, and always sold the old ones on eBay for a nice price. I have a perfect sellers rating with 21 feedbacks. Never had a problem, until now.

eBay buyers are no longer paying for winning bids. They just stay silent until I have to file an Unpaid Item Case, wait a total of 8 days (wait 4 days, file unpaid item case, wait 4 more days), then try again. This has now happened 6 times in the last month! I'm selling my brother's iPhone 4, my wife's iPad 2, and my iPhone 4S.

I don't get it. On all my past sales, I always got payment minutes after the bid closed and shipped the very next morning.

Through some research I've learned that this is becoming more of a common problem on eBay. eBay does very little enforcement towards buyers, and they rarely bother to ding a buyer's record if they fail to pay. So that means a buyer can win your bid then change their mind and not pay. Or they can bid on many phones at once, win more than one, and only pay for the one they want. No skin off their backs! For sellers, yes you keep your item and can sell again, but it's a hassle and significantly delays the sale.

I don't really want to deal with Craigslist, and other online sale methods don't get enough money for the device. I've always gotten good prices on eBay.

So I'm now attempting to sell the iPad with a fixed price (Buy It Now) and see if that brings better success. I priced it a little lower this time. Hopefully I get a motivated buyer.

Anyone have advice or experience to offer here?

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take it easy.bin will be an better method

eBay buyer not paying

Ramio said:

I'm a power seller with 1285 100% positive and sell thousands of dollars worth of stuff monthly and have had my share of bidders not paying. What I do is if I don't get payment within a day, I write them a message and tell them to let me know by the morning if they plan on paying or I will relist. If you don't get a response, relist it and send them a cancelation request. If they don't reply within 7 days, you can close it and you'll get your fees back. From experience, buyers who don't write or pay within the first 24 hours usually never pay. It's much better than going through filing a non paying claim which could take a very long time.

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Ramio thanks for this! I bumped into your response while researching on this issue i'm having with a non-paying ebayer. If i "relist", can i still leave this person a -ve FB? Could they do the same to me out of revenge AFTER i leave them a -ve FB?
i'm no power seller like you I only sell the no-longer-wanted designer stuff from my own closet. If i get a -ve feedback trashing my stuff it'd be hard for me to sell even for the odd times i'm selling something. I'd have no other sales to cover my fees etc... so just hoping to keep my 100% +ve

I really don't understand the policy of not being able to leave negative feedback for buyers. The feedback system is what makes (made) eBay work and be trustworthy. If someone doesn't pay then you should be able to leave a negative feedback that goes on the record for that account (of course some scammers will have tons of accounts, but still). Just reinstate the feedback system so it goes both ways, and institute some kind of policy to provide ID when registering to make multiple accounts difficult, and eBay would be wonderful again.