Is Fergoose or any other eBay expert about? Winning bidder wants to cancel...

[FriskyBivalves]

...oh yes, it's the old "my son bid using my account without permission" line. He did at least message me soon after the auction ended. But it was an expensive item - sold for over £1,000 and I'm furious over waste of time/dashed expectations etc etc. what's more it looks to me as if some kind if snipe tool was used as the bid came zinging in at last second. Seems a lot of effort to me for something you weren't meant to be buying.

He wants to cancel the transaction - and i sent a pretty snotty email back with reluctant agreement but now think it's risky as if he reneges, I still get charged final valuation fees; is that right? I didn't do a formal cancellation request at least.

The thing is, I'd like to give the under-bidder a Second Chance Offer but if I open an unpaid item dispute I'm guessing I can't until that has all rumbled through.

Oh, what to do, what to do. Would very much welcome a steer...

[fergoose]

I wouldn't because if he refuses you will be saddled with a £100 final value bill to pay

Wait until day 4 and open a non paying bidder dispute, then once that is closed 4 days later you can do a 2nd chance offer - but you must do the correct non paying bidder bit first.

[FriskyBivalves]

Ahh thank you very much Ms F Goose. A terrific help, as ever. I've learned a lot from your responses. Do I need to warn the buyer that I'm going down the unpaid item route given that I'd said in a msg to him that I would reluctantly agree to cancel? God it's all so boring.

[fergoose]

no I am afraid I wouldn't warn them - but then I am heartless!

It's all very well them agreeing to cancel but if they don't when you send the request you will be £100 out of pocket - I don't think it's worth the risk.

[FriskyBivalves]

Hah. He has messages back today saying that miraculously he has a friend who will buy the item from him for the same price as he bid on eBay. Just fancy that! So will I ship it to Slovakia?

Er, will I chuff.

Is he now sitting on an invoice for the bid price plus UK P&P automatically sent by EBay or do I have to send him one? I mean, can I do the unpaid item procedure without any further comms with him? This has scam written all over it IMHO.

[fergoose]

yes you can just wait until day 4 and then open the unpaid dispute

[FriskyBivalves]

Fantastic. Thank you so much for your super-quick advice.

I always imagine you sitting in the middle of a vast nerve centre of computers at Disgruntled Ebayers HQ, where bells ring to warn you when an MN thread goes up... Don't tell me anything to dispel the illusion, pleeeeease.

[fergoose]

haha - indeed. :) (bored in bed recovering from flu with not much else to do is more accurate this week)

[sarahtigh]

you would only be £70 out as that is current max for ebay commission

[FriskyBivalves]

Good point, SarahTigh, and thanks - but still blimming annoying.

Meanwhile, Fergoose, oh Fluey-Fergoose...are you still languishing in bed and poised to help the hapless?

I'm planning to open the unpaid item case on that first problematic sale tonight but now I've got another one! Bidder sounds nice, but again it's a very expensive item.

She wants to organise her own courier to pick item up as she is in Ireland until the end of the month. And she is suggesting putting the money straight into my bank account and bypassing PayPal - I don't know whether that's because she's aware I might know about the problem of people arranging their own courier, falsely claiming the item never turns up and then clawing back the whole price from PayPal.

The buyer has given me mobile number to call her direct etc. But...I just don't know what to do!!! My instinct is to agree to a courier, but only if I arrange it, and only to send the item to the address linked to her PayPal address.

Do you think that's the best way to proceed, or would it be safe to send it to Ireland?

Everything I've read about this says insist on Cash On Collection but obviously you can't do that if a courier is involved, whether booked by seller or buyer!

Thanking you kindly

[fergoose]

I am still Fluey Fergoose - but hey, can still type and sniff.

I would only arrange a courier myself too - I agree with you on that one. Far less hassle. Bank transfer is fine and free - the only thing is how much would the courier be if to Ireland?

[FriskyBivalves]

for the flu!

So quick with your reply - I love it. Your eBay klaxon is even more effective than the Sporners' Klaxon.

Well, I've offered to get a quote from the likes of DHL or FedEx to Ireland because I'm not entrusting it to a bargain-basement man-with-van [no offence at all to all MNers whose husbands are men-with-vens.].

So you think it's safe to give her bank account details?

[fergoose]

aw- thank you - yes totally safe to give bank details - you are only giving sort code, number and name which is exactly what would be on a cheque. Plus no Paypal fees - win win really :)

[FriskyBivalves]

Oh, and I've just had a message from Mr Dodgy Bidder in Eastern Europe asking whether i've found another solution if I'm not happy to ship my first problem item overseas.

I'm just going to ignore it, and open the unpaid item dispute this evening.

Sorting all this out is like having a full-time job.

[sarahtigh]

courier to Ireland for item above 2kg and less than 15 will be roughly £23 use parcel2go to get quote or parcelmonkey parcel2ship parcwelforce europrioity will be about £26

[FriskyBivalves]

Cor, you two are seriously eBay experts. Thanks, both. Miss Ireland is now saying she's paid by Paypal but there's nothing come through. zzzzzzzzz

[fergoose]

ask her to tell you which email the address the paypal money was sent to - and of course don't send the item before you get your paws on the dosh.

[sarahtigh]

I have just sent 14kg parcel to dublin for £22 used parcelmonkey by road takes 3-5 days

[CuriousMama]

Blimey what a headache for you and not the Ireland one!

It's great there's help on MN though