posted on June 18, 2001 12:59:51 PM
I had an auction end recently, and sent out a WBN immediatly at close. Didn't hear anything from the winning bidder. Sent another reminder 3 days later. Still didn't hear anything... on day 6 I sent one more reminder, this time saying that if I didn't hear anything by day 7 I would have to file a non paying bidder alert.
On day 7 I tried to do a NPB alert, but ebay said it had not been 7 days (it had though), so I decided to wait until the next day and try it again. The next morning (before I had a chance to do the NPB alert) the bidder sent a one sentence email that they would pay by PayPal... This is the first and only time I have heard from bidder - 8 full days after auction ended. He didn't send his address or anything, just that he would send payment via paypal - actually he didn't even form a complete sentence, "paypal - will send address with payment"...
I sent a nice email stating what email address to use for paypal and the total due, etc... It's been two days and no payment and no other emails.
This bidder has a respectable feedback profile - no negatives and the comments indicate a very prompt payer with "excellent communication".
I've never had a deadbeat bidder - but it seems this guy knows just how far to push the system... How long do I wait for payment, and when/if I do finally get paid, what sort of feedback would you give?
posted on June 18, 2001 01:54:26 PM
I don't think you are being impatient, but then, I'm feeling jaundiced at the moment due to a whole raftload of late payers. I just tried to neg one and found them NARU. Maybe they got kicked off for not paying anyone, I can hope.
posted on June 18, 2001 03:42:36 PM
If all your info was in your WBN (or EOA), then you were impatient.
Sometimes the first I hear from a winner is ten days later when the check arrives in the mail.
I want money, not a penpal.
posted on June 19, 2001 06:16:55 AM
It's now been 11 days with no payment and I'm impatient? As far as I could tell up until 3 days ago this bidder had fallen off the face of the earth. And its looking that way again... how long does it take to send money via paypal? (rhetorical question, I know it takes a few minutes to go through the process, not days.)
What happened to the ebay recommendation to contact each other within 3 days? After 7 days of absolutly no contact, I think I had a right to be a little worried.
I know many sellers give a little too glowing feedback, and I don't want to do this... this buyer, if he ever pays, will not be getting "excellent buyer - speedy pay, great emails! A++++" from me. If he completes the transaction, I will likely put in "finally paid".
posted on June 19, 2001 06:47:23 AM
In a perfect world, both bidders and sellers would contact each other within three business days. Realistically, this doesn't happen all the time. A lot of times, the first contact I get from my buyer is a snail mail payment about ten days after the auction closes (which is perfectly fine by me). 11 days without payment is not that long - I'm actually going to file a couple NPBs today on somebody who hasn't paid (or contacted me), in just over a month - that's the point where my patience runs out.
It is odd that he said he'd send a Paypal payment, but then doesn't. However, I've had emails like that myself, and several days later, I get a PP payment - so it's unusual, but it does happen, for whatever reason (maybe the guy doesn't use a credit card and is waiting for some other funds to come into his PP account....).
Anyway, I don't see much reason to worry, unless you need this payment right now to pay a bill or something. Worst comes to worst, you have a NPB on your hands - we all have to deal with them from time to time. It would be nice if NPBs would come right out and tell you that they aren't going to pay for the item (which they do on rare occasion), but that's counter to what NPBs are all about. In the end, you still have your item and can relist it - that's better than having them pay for it with a rubber check or canceling a credit transaction after they get the item.
[ edited by holdenrex on Jun 19, 2001 08:09 AM ]
posted on June 19, 2001 09:37:07 AM
as much as it is well known that some buyers/sellers misuse the old "I'm sick, had a car accident, family member died, house burned down" .......... still it DOES happen to us all once in awhile.
Besides, although I've been using PayPal for 2 yrs I have twice had it refuse to acknowledge ME as I was trying to send a payment, and once I sent a payment to the wrong email address. AAAaakKKkk!
Mom, dumber than a door-knob but sure can spend that dough!
posted on June 19, 2001 10:15:49 AM
It's been 10+ days, and under the circumstances, I'd probably push the NPB button to get his attention.
I get snail mail payments 2 and 3 weeks after thea auction all the time. But when someone is unresponsive to queries, and says they will pay by PayPal but doesn't, it doesn't bode well.
Do the NPB thing and see if that lights a fire under his arse.
posted on June 21, 2001 10:41:44 PM
Well, it apparantly is going to drag on a little longer...
I did the NPB this afternoon, which was 14 days after auction ended, and 6 days after buyer said he was sending payment via paypal.
I got a cryptic email back from buyer...
something about being "shocked" at ebay's notice and that I should be patient... No more than 5 words in the entire email.
Buyer is still getting glowing feedbacks talking about how quick and wonderful he is, an "excellent communication" - apparantly he is only quick with other sellers.
posted on June 21, 2001 11:05:02 PM
There's no way to expect everyone to be accustomed to the quickness of internet auction transactions.
Your situation has happened many times to me and these people turn out to be good persons who just aren't up on the speed. I have family members and friends who don't access the internet for weeks at a time. The internet is something that's just there when needed, unlike for many of us sellers who use it as daily tool.
posted on June 21, 2001 11:20:47 PM
You know, I really don't start trying to track people down until about 30 days after the auction ends, and only 1 in 100 stiff me. You have to remember, e-mail isn't a phone call. Until I started doing this home business thing full time about a year ago, it wasn't uncommon for me not to check my e-mail for a week and have about 20 messages waiting. As a buyer, nothing will keep me from bidding on an auction that the 'MUST RECEIVE PAYMENT IN 7 DAYS OR NEG FEEDBACK WILL BE LEFT' Ususally it's 10 days, but you get the idea. It just costs you money if you're too impaitient.
