Ebay query please.

[Punch]

I sold my car (based in France) on ebay recently. The Uk buyer outbid someone else during the final minute. The buyer asked for my telephone nos; but has not contacted me as promised within 24 hrs. Now 2 days have passed and he isn't responding to my emails.

This is my first sale on ebay although I often buy items. Do I leave negative feedback for him, forget about it, report him or what? Any thoughts. I suppose that he could also lie and leave negative feedback fror me, which i obviously don't want or deserve. Anyone got any suggestions please ?

Thanks,

Paul

 

 

[Ejc]

I'd send him an e-mail, with a read receipt if possible, saying if you haven't heard back from him within 24 hours - you will leave negative feedback and report him as a non responder to e-bay.

It maybe the the daft so and so did not realise the car was in france and has got cold feet - highly unpleasant I know.

all the best

 

[Punch]

Thanks I'll do that. I just really wanted to confirm what was the proceedure to follow in cases like this.  He knew the car was here in France. He said he bought it to use at his French house.

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and wait another 24 hrs. 

Paul 

[Cacknanty]

The problem with leaving negative feedback first, is that they can post negative feedback back on you !

A totally unsatisfactory system in my view. I now only ever post -ve feedback if they have already given +ve.

After a 'tit for tat' -ve posting, the only way to get rid of it is to agree with the other party to remove both -ve feedbacks.

With your problem I would keep trying the buyer for a few more days and then report them to ebay who can remove them from the system. However they can just rejoin using another name although they start from scratch again.

You could offer the car to the losing bidder under the 'second chance' procedure. Obviously they would only pay what they had bid up to.

Good luck.

[Alcazar]

I'd be inclined to offer to the next highest bidder.

Unfortunately, eBay is full of ffolk who do this sort of thing "for a laugh", and mess it up for others. A bit like the idiots who invent computer viruses.........people like me are left thinking, "WHY", and wishing for half an hour with one of them in a locked room

Alcazar

[Ecossais]

Paul,

 

It must be particularly infuriating when a lowlife wins a bid for a high value item such as a car – I hope you get your car sold.

 

If you’re selling on eBay, you could include a statement along the lines of,

 

“Due to previous problems with timewasters (or ‘non-paying bidders’, to give them their proper title!), bids will only be accepted from Buyers with a feedback score of more than (say) 5”.

 

Also, only accepting payment by PayPal will avoid ‘cheque lost in the post’, etc stories from timewasters (just add a bit on to your postage cost to cover the commission payable to PayPal).  You wouldn’t want a car paid for by PayPal, but maybe it would be worthwhile insisting on a deposit of £100 paid by PayPal within 24 hours of an auction ending.

 

I know this may disadvantage some legitimate new eBayers, but it takes a couple of weeks to go through the eBay grievance procedure if a timewaster wins an auction and it’s an unnecessary waste of your time and Seller’s fees.

 

A legitimate new buyer, keen to bid on your item, can always email you, and you can then take a view on whether to accept a bid if he / she appears genuine.

 

With regard to ‘tit for tat’ negative feedback, there’s a time limit of 90 days within which to leave feedback on a transaction – you could try leaving your negative feedback at the 11^th hour which MAY then make it impossible for the timewaster to reply if they’re time barred.  (I don’t know if someone can still reply to negative feedback after 90 days).

[Ron Avery]

Have you sent the bidder an invoice?  The feedback rating of the buyer will also give you a clue, if the feedback rating for the successful bidder was a 0 or worse then you are probably wasting your time, cars seem to attract the timewasters.

If not,  it could be that there is a good reason for lack of response, for example I had to go to the UK for 10 days to see a seriously ill old friend in hospital and stayed in a non computer owning location, or it could be just that his/her computer has crashed.  Another idea,  if your buyer has previous  + feedback, is to contact previous buyers or sellers and ask if they had problems with contact or have another E mail address.

You can offer to the 2nd bidder, if you like their bid, but if you do have to relist, put a condition that nobody with negative or low feedback can bid.

[Russethouse]

If the first or second buyer does not complete I think you can get a refund on your ebay fees too.

3 days is usually standard for contact, I would send an invoice plus a note that should you not hear in 48 hours the item will be re-offered and negative feed back left.

Good Luck

[Renaud]

I notice that a couple of people who have been messed about by no-show buyers when they re-list name the guilty party. Seems a good idea.

Gus