posted on February 5, 2001 09:44:00 PM new
Hey everyone! I'm curious to see what you all do when someone with negative feedback bids on an item.
I usually have no problem with someone with generally good feedback, with a negative one thrown into the mix.
But, after having Several obvious dead-beat bidders bid on my items (always at a high price, of course!) and never get my money, I've recently started stating in my TOS that I reserve the right to cancel bids placed by people with negative or hidden feedback. This past weekend, I had to cancel my first bid because the guy had -1 feedback.
So, I'm wondering what everyone else does? Do you give them the benefit of the doubt, that they'll pay you (even if they didn't pay the people from the past?) or do you cancel their bid immediately? Do you email them and let them know beforehand, or just "do it"?
posted on February 5, 2001 09:50:55 PM new
I think it's a bad idea to cancel bids. It just serves to keep down the price of your auction. If the winner doesn't pay, offer to an underbidder or re-list.
Who has time to monitor bidders while the auction is in progress, anyway?
posted on February 5, 2001 09:53:54 PM new
I just let these bids ride. I get so few deadbeats, and when it does happen you can always get your fees back through eBay's convoluted process.
The last thing I would do is to add threatening statements to my TOS. All this does is offend the 99.5% of bidders who are legitimate.
I will never bid on an auction with a threatening TOS. People who are so untrusting of others probably have their own reasons, I figure. I'm not interested in dealing with them.
posted on February 5, 2001 09:56:55 PM new
Hmmm... I wouldn't think of my TOS as threatening in any manner (over 500 feedback, and no complaints yet! LOL). I just figured it should be "Written down" so if anyone asked me... I could refer them back to the auction's page... Covering my bases, I guess you could call it...
Would you re-list the item right away, or wait and give that person a chance? I've just gotten sick of the whole "the MO's in the mail"... "I forgot to mail it, it's in the mail NOW" ... "I don't know WHY you haven't received it yet" ... circle. Always ends with ignored emails and a lot of wasted time on my part...
Not to mention the time to fill out the NPB form with ebay, and wait the 10 days... then fill out the Auction Credit Form. On more than one occasion I've tried to apply for the credit a day late, and a dollar short.
posted on February 5, 2001 10:15:14 PM new
Hi mattndes!
In my 3 years of selling on eBay, I have only cancelled a couple bids. I did not warn them, I just cancelled them, citing their feedback as my reason on the cancellation form. These were people who have racked up some serious negative feedback quite recent to bidding on my items. I have also given several questionable feedback-ed (I know that is not a word!) bidders a chance and been very glad I did- they became great customers.
As far as adding that you don't accept bidders with negative feedback in your TOS, I'd like to offer my two cents. I don't think it actually stops them from bidding, and it doesn't really need to be said because you ALWAYS have the right to cancel anyone's bid when you feel uncomfortable with them. Something like that in your TOS wouldn't stop me from bidding, but it could be interpreted as a little negative and not too friendly. Just something to think about. Good topic!!!
posted on February 5, 2001 10:34:30 PM new
mattndes,
Auction credit form ?????
I have never seen that form. Do you mean I can actually get credit for the auction listing ?
Or are you refering to the Final Value Fee Credit ?
Re : to accepting bids from buyers with neg feedback
When I get a bidder like that I end the auction right then !
I treat them as if they had a a perfect feedback and I try to complete the sale. 9 out of 10 times they are deadbeats, but I file NPB alerts on them as soon as I can and I file FVF on them as well.
By doing this I have had several of these losers suspended !
posted on February 5, 2001 11:11:32 PM new
ACKK!!! I'm sure I knew this way back when, but over the past several months, I've assumed that I also received a credit for the original LISTING fee when I filed a NPB/Final Auction Credit form. You mean, you only receive a credit for the Final Auction VALUE, and that doesn't include the listing fee?
Geesh, I've got to go back and re-read this stuff. I just don't have the time to check the ebay invoices as carefully as I should, so I haven't added it all up the way I probably should be doing.
OK, now I'm definitely going to cancel bids placed with "suspicious" negative feedback! LOL I probably won't "list" it in my TOS, though... I hadn't really realized I could cancel bids without notifying people of my right to do so! ROFLOL!
This is America, right? We can do as we please (unless we want to arrange a sale off-ebay, or charge for PayPal... then we're crossing the line!
Thanks for the replies. It's given me some stuff to think about...
posted on February 6, 2001 09:00:18 AM new
I just received a payment yesterday from a bidder who had a -2 rating when he won my auction. Of course my reaction was, here we go again, but imagine my surprise when the money order arrived yesterday. I gave him feedback and now he's at +3. You just never know. I've had to file NPB this week for a couple of members that have feedback close to 1000. You just never know. I like to give the benefit of the doubt and no longer retract bids.
posted on February 6, 2001 11:34:01 AM new
If I don't receive payment within 12 to 14 days I send a friendly reminder, but with a deadline (If payment is not received by the DY/MO/YR I will relist this item). Yes, you can waste a lot of time following up on deadbeats and filing for FVFs, but I feel trying to monitor an auction in progress is a bigger waste of time. With snipers, you really don't know til its too late anyway.
~Des