Venting: Ebay Deadbeat Buyers

[thetruthisoutthere]

Originally Posted by Runscott

It's bad enough that as a seller I can't give negative feedback to a buyer who screws me, but I just tried to re-list an item and was halted in my tracks for adding the word 'deadbeat' to the description. This bidder basically 'saved' my item during the Christmas buying season and then failed to pay and never contacted me to indicate they weren't going to pay. A 'negative strike' on this buyer is useless to me and not anything that any other potential seller can use to warn themselves against this loser.

Shouldn't an ebay seller be able to indicate, either through negative feedback or through his description, some verbiage that can warn other prospective sellers?

Since we are not restricted by ebay rules here, I will warn my fellow collectors that tumbleweed888_4 is a pariah to our hobby. He/she purchased a baseball from another buyer, failed to pay, then the item was re-listed and ended, then he/she purchased a similar item from me and never paid. After all of this, ebay protects this loser from ME?

Scott, I feel your frustration.

Years ago, when EBay implemented their "No Negative Feedback" to deadbeat and scam buyers, I knew that would allow trash buyers to have the freedom to do whatever they felt like without fear of penalty.

Really sickening.

[Huysmans]

That's an unfortunate story.
Hopefully, more honest buyers cross your path Scott. ☺
I do have to say though, its a two-way street.
Before these modern changes to sellers on EBay, I had been ripped-off numerous times in the 'old days' of the Bay.
I received the completely wrong items, I had cards switched with lower grade examples than I had purchased, twice I received empty boxes, and twice I was fool enough to send money orders, both times with the items never sent, with one of the seller's then having the NERVE to claim on my feedback that I was a "greedy" buyer looking for free stuff.
Let's be honest, its other dishonest sellers that have ruined it for the honest individuals, but then again, that can be said for the buyer's as well.
Case in point, the Global Shipping Program was implemented due to countless sellers sending either empty boxes or the wrong items, with numerous buyer's also dishonest "claiming" they didn't receive their item. Now, as a Canadian buyer, I have to pay an exorbitant amount for shipping, so that the items are first sent from the seller to a processing plant, with EBay then opening and confirming the contents before they're then shipped to me.
Sadly, there never seems to be any middle ground on the Bay....
Its either sellers getting ripped... Or buyers taking it on the chin.

[earlywynnfan]

Do 'non-paying strikes' even mean anything? I wonder if any buyers have actually been kicked off for that. I'm sorry, but they should show up for public view.

[ctownboy]

Runscott,

This doesn't often happen to me (but happens more often at Christmas time) so what I do is the following, I relist the item but at the very beginning of the description I say, "I am relisting this item because tumbleweed888_4 bid on and won but never paid for it".

This way, people know why I am relisting the item (since it has previously been listed and "sold") and also know what buyer to watch out for.

David

[thetruthisoutthere]

Originally Posted by ctownboy

Runscott,

This doesn't often happen to me (but happens more often at Christmas time) so what I do is the following, I relist the item but at the very beginning of the description I say, "I am relisting this item because tumbleweed888_4 bid on and won but never paid for it".

This way, people know why I am relisting the item (since it has previously been listed and "sold") and also know what buyer to watch out for.

David

+1

[vthobby]

Ebay exists to protect the buyers which is a shame really. I understand the importance of that but they really have gone overboard. I set a re-stock fee of 20% which clearly is in all of my auctions, and Ebay has NEVER charged the buyer that fee because they said the item was not as advertised!

I have done over 4500 deals on Ebay and this has only happened 3 times but their rules are simply not enforced if you are the seller. Same with the Post Office, good luck trying to collect insurance an anything with them. UGH!!!

Happy New Year!

Peace, Mike