Buyer wants to cancel transaction WWYD?

[BikeRunSki]

Yesterday I sold something on eBay which is large and about £1500 new. It had 28 watchers but only one bid of £450.

The buyer lives about an hour drive away from me, and because of the size, we'd arranged to meet half way and hand over the item this evening.

I have just had a message from them saying it is not suitable for what they need it for, would I mind cancelling the transaction?

I am miffed. I was miffed yesterday because I thought it could sell for more, but I don't use it and reckoned £450 in the bank was better than something I don't use in the garage. Now I am miffed that I am back to where I started. No money has changed hands.

I have accepted that I am not going to get any money from this buyer. What is the best way for me to cancel the bid and not for me to look bad? Can I leave then negative feedback as a buyer any more? My listing fees were minimal because it a free listing week end. Will I get charged for cancelling a transaction?

If I am going to do so, then best to do so tonight, as I can relist for a week ending on peak time Sunday evening.

What should I do?

[4athomeand1cooking]

You will get your final fee awarded back once the buyer confirms cancellation.

Also you must NOT leave a negative comment with a positive feedback sign - so best not to leave feedback for this person at all.

You are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Your only option is to cancel or insist on payment, both of which the buyer can leave feedback (unless he refuses to pay) but the former will probably be better.

[lagoonhaze]

If you do it as a non paying bidder you then get the chance to offer it to bidder before I think.

If you cancel you cant leave feedback.

[BikeRunSki]

There was only one bid though lagoon.

I have cancelled the transaction. I have nearly 1000 positive feedbacks, I don't want to start an upset now, especially as I would still not have actually sold it! Keeping the eBay karma positive!

[TheBakeryQueen]

I'd do it as an unpaid item case. You can then close it after 4 days & get fees credited.

[Cloudkitten]

After 10 years on Ebay, I have concluded that most transactions work out very well, the ones that don't, I don't fret over - just get rid of them in whatever way as soon as possible and then never think of them again :)

All that's happened here is that you will have to relist. Without this duff bid, your item wouldn't have sold anyway, so you would have been relisting... you are just rightfully annoyed but there's no real harm done.

When this sort of thing happens I just cancel and relist too...

[BikeRunSki]

I agree CloudKitten. I have also been on eBay for ten years or so, and I reckon 99% of transactions have gone smoothly. Just a bit gutted, because this was probably the most expensive thing I' d ever sold and the cash would be handy right now.

[Cloudkitten]

I know Bike :) I would be bugged... but it's what I tell myself.. to make it go away...

[lljkk]

I would cancel.
IME that would work out fine & is safest.
If you file NPB they may well pay so they can resell, BUT they can also neg or slam your stars if they are unhappy. They may not pay which is your best outcome as no FB.

If you cancel you CAN both leave feedback, and they will probably leave you quite nice feedback for being understanding.

[BikeRunSki]

I have cancelled but they haven' t accepted it yet, so.can' t relist. Really frustrating.

[LilyBossom]

If they ignore it you will automatically get your fees back, but if they refuse the cancellation then you won't.

I would have done a non paying dispute too am afraid - after sending them an invoice with the added large p&p charge, that way they wouldn't have been able to leave feedback either.

[lljkk]

It's a bit of a gamble no matter what you do, but if they do accept cancellation then you get a chance to relist it all the sooner.