posted on November 30, 2000 01:03:04 AM
Is it just me lately or are people not reading or caring? I've had to send out 5 NPB warnings (2 FVF so far) in the last month. In the last week I've gotten 3 checks, when the second line in my eoa says I don't take them. Now please, no arguments on whether I should take them or not. My finances are way too tight for even one $5 bounced check fee, which is why I'm selling on eBay in the first place.
All 3 of the checks are under $20, it's almost Christmas and I'll be out of town next week so I'm going to accept them, this time. I don't know, maybe I'm one of those anal people who read every word of a tos and eoa, but this is getting ridiculous! I've readded the line back into my aucton tos, I hope that works...
UBB kicking my butt tonight...
~~MouseSlayer is not a cat =^..^= ~~
[ edited by mouseslayer on Nov 30, 2000 01:06 AM ]
[ edited by mouseslayer on Nov 30, 2000 01:11 AM ]
posted on November 30, 2000 10:00:19 AM
If you can't absorb a bounced check fee, I wonder how you can stay in biz.
That being said, if you do not wish to take checks, use large letters to say that you do not take checks. Or you might add that if the bidder sends a check, you will immediately NPB and void the auction for TOS violations.
I have had one bad check in over 700 auctions. The bidder made good even on the fee. If you can't afford a bounced check fee, can you afford to turn away bidders?
posted on November 30, 2000 10:56:24 AM
People do always opposite to your TOS, this means, that they are not a real buyers. In my TOS I say, do not email me your mailing address with your email, send it a long with your payment, because I receive so many emails that I won't be checking who is who, but that's the first thing they do, some of them on purpose and the rest of them also on purpose, Only a few follow all the rules, they are really lazy to read. So when a check or money order is received and has not address, I don't wait to cash the payment until I found the sender, no way, I immediately deposit it to the bank, and I keep doing my business, I wait until the sender contacts me with the check # or MO # if they don't have the # it means they don't have a receipt, if they don't have a receipt it means that they are tremendous irresponsibles, so I make them wait and wait, then we have to figure it out who is who, they are always waiting for eBay or the sellers to solve their problems, they have to learn their lesson in life, after all I have to cover so many nonpaying bidders, and if the real sender don't contact me, we use that $ to cover other irresponsibles. One irresponsible covers another irresponsible. I don't think why eSellers have to suffer in paying high fees for nonpaying bidders, or ebay itself in spending computer sources for not a successful transaction, we are not in the obligation to pay for others mistakes or laziness. SO BUYERS PLEASE READ ALL THE EBAY RULES AND THE SELLER'S TOS, so everybody can be happy, otherwise you'll have to wait until we have a chance to clarify your condition.
posted on November 30, 2000 11:50:50 AM
mouseslayer, I do not take checks either and find the same problems. I remind them of it also in my email after the auction. That helps,but I still get some.
I got burnt on a check from a buyer with 100+ feedback and he was a repeat buyer so I sent his item when I recieved the check.I have never recovered that one.
Most of my bidders are out of state and I tell them if I come to there state can I pay by check at the local Gas Station or Motel? How about the Antique shop or flea market. Not likely.
posted on November 30, 2000 11:59:35 AM
MouseSlayer:
I'm in the same boat. I used to accept checks but because of all of the bounced checks I have quit accepting them. My bank charges $20 per bounced check and one month alone I received 10 bounced checks. After that I said enough is enough! It's clearly stated in my TOS and also in my EOA email. But yep, bidders still send me a check every once in a while. I tell them I will send their VOIDED check back to them when I receive the correct payment or if they want their check back first to send me a Self addressed stamped envelope. I don't know what's so hard about reading and following something so simple.
Oh, and it did not hurt my sales at all when I stopped taking checks.
posted on November 30, 2000 04:44:43 PM
Well, my situation has improved a little here lately (partially from eBay, woohoo!) so I will take the ones I've gotten lately. I emailed the buyers and explained that I didn't normally take them, but I would this time. Part of the reason I am is because it's close to Christmas. I'm also going out of town next week and don't want to wait more. Plus a couple of them were slow payers and I want to get them completed. But I did tell them I would hold until they clear, "no problem" they said. It's just that I've gotten 3 in a week and it's driving me crazy!
mballai I'm not doing this as much as a business as just a little extra to get me through a tough time, which is why a bounce check could hurt so much. I'm mostly selling off my old stuff I no longer need or use because it would look better in someone else's closet
posted on November 30, 2000 05:08:04 PM
mouseslayer, I don't think it's just you..I don't know if it's that people don't read, don't care, or just flat do what they want. I do take checks, but the thing that drives me crazy is I specifically ask for the winning bidder to email me back with their address. I like to get my items packed early so when payment arrives it's ready. What gets me is the ones who don't email you, just send a payment, no item number, no user id, no email address with payment, and then it's up to us to figure it out. Drives me nuts and wastes my time! Well I feel better now.
poton- just wondering, when the buyer doesn't follow your rules and you make them wait, even after they have contacted you, do they leave you negative feedback, or do they believe the long wait was their fault?
posted on November 30, 2000 05:37:58 PM
Open a separate checking account just for auction payment deposits and funds from credit card payments then there is no fear of bounceing a check in your regular checking account.
Many local and online banks offer free checking some even offer small interest and no min balance.
this way if check bounce they wont bounce in your regular checking account.
As far as deadbeats they have been a fact of life in business since the begining of time if these dead beat winners are on High $$ amount sales you might want to concider finding a collection agent if the NPB Alret dont get then maybe negging snail mail and phone calls will. http://www.Dman-N-Company.com
posted on December 1, 2000 08:18:58 AM
If you can't take a $5 bad check fee get out and go flip burgers at McDonalds (or is it Microwave them now?) What do you do with your profits? Listen to the previous poster and get a second bank account for your ebay or even set it up as a real business and pay your taxes. You will still make a profit if you do things right. If you can't do this then you better go to your local 7-11 and get a job working nights. I hat to make less than $10 profit per item. The way I do it with photos, listing emails, packing and mailing I have about 30 mins per item and I think my time is worth about $20 an hour (including my $1500 computer, $300 camera packing suppllies etc)
posted on December 3, 2000 10:31:07 PMspuddy98,
That is part of the problem, I can't work right now. And to top it off my company has messed up my disability check. That's why a $5 charge would hurt. I just wish people would think before they speak and give some benefit of the doubt. It's not that I'm lazy, I'm in pain 24/7 and it's hard enough to keep track of the few auctions I do run between the pain and the drugs. Ok, I'm off my soapbox now...
posted on December 3, 2000 11:04:19 PM
My terms of payment are clearly stated on each auction. Originally, payments were accepted by money order or VISA. No exceptions.
I'm using Billpoint now with reasonable success.
I don't take cheques, never have, never will. I can't be bothered to try and collect the value of the cheque plus the bank charges from someone who can't balance their cheque book.
This doesn't stop people from sending them, but they won't get the goods until they pay as requested.
In Canada, cheques are becoming obsolete. Try passing one in a small retail store and it won't fly.
Even VISA isn't foolproof. I've had sales as low as $5.00 that could not be authorized.
posted on December 3, 2000 11:32:05 PM
The replies here size up one fundamental problem with ebay.
Too many different terms depending on whose auction you win
We got people who want shipping addresses only with the payment.
We got people who want the shipping address in the email.
We got people who don't take checks.
We got people who refuse to use the services that allow buyers to pay with credit cards.
We got people who only want money orders.
Many of you scream my TOS, others jump on this silly banter. And me personally I thought this was a commerce medium. Perhaps people have just gotten plain old tired of doing business with unbusiness like ebay sellers. Then again maybe this trend is why person to person business is doomed to failure and perhaps it helps explain why ebay is seeking to modify its business model to be able to survive as more and more buyers get tired of 2 million different TOS's to buy a stupid $10.00 item. That they have surmized can be bought locally without the hassles of a TOS that in many cases over complicates what should be a simple commerce transaction.
posted on December 3, 2000 11:37:01 PM
Maybe I'm the only one on eBay that gets all the good bidders and very few deadbeats and in 26 months i've never had a bad check.
The following is on the front page of all my auctions:
Please Read The Small Print:
I I ship Monday thru Saturday.
For Next Day Shipment U.S. Customers Use Billpoint or Paypal, International Customers Use BidPay, Paypal or Billpoint.
Merchandise is shipped NLT the day after payment is received,
"Including payment by personal check"
Winner pays actual shipping cost & combined shipping charge, unless otherwise stated. Items are shipped from zip code xxxxx by Priority mail.
I do not ship UPS.
Insurance should be included if desired.
Maybe it's what a person sells. I have had at the most 30 deadbeats since i've been on eBay. I've given out my share of negatives and have only two with 1134 positivies of which 865 count. I have many repeat customers. I read this board daily and seldom post, but for the life of me I can't figure out where people come up with so many bidder problems. I must be leading a charmed life.
For the people that don't want to take checks, just send them to me. I have never waited for a check to clear and never will. I ship six days a week and I always ship NLT the first business day after receiving any type of payment.
Don't get me wrong for I have had a few make my life miserable, but 99.9% have been nothing but great, honest and fast paying customers.
posted on December 4, 2000 06:54:04 AM
I agree networker 67. Thanks for saying that. I didn't think of it that way.
There are lots of ways of doing things, and different people have different ways. If someone doesn't comply with your terms of sale, it could be because they are just following the "rules" from the last ebay seller they dealt with.
Also, it could make people frustrated in buying things on ebay, and could be driving away buyers.
posted on December 4, 2000 07:47:15 AM
Too many different TOS on eBay driving people away?
Why is the variety of TOS on eBay any different from what you find if you shop locally? Some stores don't take checks, some do, but only local customers, some will take any. Some stores don't take credit cards, some will, but just M/C and VISA, some will take just about any. Have you tried to buy a money order lately? Even stores that take checks and credit cards want cash for a money order. Why all the different TOS's? Isn't that confusing?
Are all the different TOS's on eBay really that confusing? If you don't bother to read them, and just assume what you will, I guess maybe they could be, but every business (online or not) has their own method of operation. There is no "standard" set of rules that every business follows.
If you, the buyer, do not read the TOS that most sellers provide in order that you might know what to expect regarding the transaction, that is your problem, not the seller's, and if you have come to eBay expecting that every one of the thousands (millions?) of sellers are going to be running their businesses in exactly the same manner, you'll probably be disappointed.
posted on December 4, 2000 08:47:36 AM
You are all welcome to use my TOS.
At the end of this auction It pleases me to contact you on the following Thursday afternoon between 2:00 & 3:00pm unless I am busy. You will then send cash payment enclosed in the box that you want your item shipped in. Make sure it has postage attached.
If I do not recieve your cash payment within 48 hours of when I contact you I reserve the right to rerun the item and keep your money for my time. If you do not like the item you are welcome to return it. No refunds.
This TOS is in effect as long as business is good. When things slow down I will be accepting any form of payment you will send and kissing your butt as usual.
