Can someone clarify the issue of payment on ebay?

[perceptionreality]

I thought you had 7 days to pay but sellers often say pay within 3 days or item will be relisted. I tend to pay straight away but what is the correct time frame?

yes you do have 7 days to pay - sellers can state 3 days but they can't file a dispute until day 4 and close it until day 7. Only once the dispute is closed after day 7 should they then relist the item.

Ah ok, thanks fergoose

Fergoose you are wrong, sellers can open a non payment dispute now on day four and have been able to for over a year.

buyers do not get 7 days to pay, they get however long it states payment should be made in on the listing.

Here

pages.ebay.co.uk/help/buy/questions/unpaid-item.html

Sorry fergoose just read your op again you said day 4.

ebay state you should pay as soon as possible that does not mean you wait.

Where does this 7 day thing come from?

A seller can open a UPI on day four, it does not close for three days, so technically 7 days, a buyer though who waits that long is just plain wrong. When you win an item theoretically the polite thing to do is pay within 24 hours.

and also sellers who don't wait the full 7 days and relist or do a 2nd chance offer before those 7 days are up - if the first buyer does pay, they could potentially end up with 2 buyers for only 1 item and of course 2 lots of fees.