Please help - buyer won bid for item , inspected and then left saying he wasn't buying it after all!

[lisalisa]

I auctioned a very heavy cabin style children's bed second hand on ebay and it sold . They buyer asked if he could pay on collection which I agreed to. I did warn the buyer that the bed was very heavy and would need to be dismantled on collection ( it is a john chartley bed) which are solid wood . I also warned of marks and scratches.

The buyer came just now and spent about 15 mins trying to dismantle the bed. he removed about 10 or 11 screws and then just bolted out of the house whilst I was on the phone leavcing a flying message with my cleaner that the bed was damaged and broken and he didn't want it. The bed is not damaged or broken at all although his removal of screws now means that ( as I don't own a screwdriver!) it cannot be physically used safely now if I wanted to use it.

How do I handle this best?

Put it to a non payment dispute

and relist it or offer to the next bidder . You cant make him pay but you will receive your fees back

The thing is he has sent a rude message and I am not keen for him to come back to my house again should eaby make him pay. CAn i only get my fees back by opening a non payment dispute?

you can get your fees back if you both agree to back out of the transaction - perhaps send him an email asking. Although it would depend on what exactly his rude message said, he may not be willing to engage further and or you may think it is not safe to engage further if he was angry and rude?

oh and you won't be able to get eBay to make him pay because he can probably allege that the item was not as described and eBay will find in his favour.

yes - i would open a non paying dispute then he can't leave bad feedback

If you ask him to cancel the transaction he could be awkward and refuse and you will be left with the fees still to pay

If he sent a rude message via eBay then you can report it to them as that is not permitted

I've sold many things on eBay and, most of the time, transactions are problem free but you always get the odd one that is a total pain like yours. It's immensely frustrating so I feel for you. If I was you I would just opt for the 'cancel transaction' option as you will get your fees refunded then. I wouldn't bother with a dispute against the buyer as they can leave you negative feedback which will affect you as a future seller (whereas sellers are unable to leave negative feedback for buyers which I totally disagree with). Just take it on the chin and when you re-list take photographs of all scratches so that nobody can say it wasn't as described. If he has already left negative feedback, however, then you should report him as you've nothing to lose!

Oh, maybe take Fergoose's advice actually - sorry, didn't realise that non payers can't leave negative feedback x

also the buyer will get a non payment strike which is a black mark against their account - if they make a habit of not completing transactions they risk losing their eBay account, so you should always file a non paying bidder report for that reason alone.

Screwdrivers are very cheap and easily obtainable. On the other hand, he was out of order - report him.

He can get the non payment dispute overturned by saying the item was not as described, you may not win a dispute then you cannot open a mutual withdrawal and get your fees back.

to be honest you should have dismantled it first thats your best option a screwdriver costs 99p

you cant put in an item not as described until you pay for it!

Oh goodness - I could'nt have unsscrewd it ! It was a hadn made solid wood bed and I stated in my listing that it would have to be dismantled. I do not think I should have had to dismantle it first.

I have opened a non pyament case. If he says it was not as described does htat mean I lost my fees as it is a very high fee indeed as the bed was expenseive

If he opens a not as described case you can escalate it and tell eBay he didn't buy the item or take it away as he is a non paying bidder - they will then close the case in your favour.

I had a buyer do the same to me and they pretended they had collected paid and the item was damaged and left me horrid feedback. this was because I did not offer collection for an item and they presumed they could just turn up without agreeing with me first.

They then opened not as described case, all lies and nastiness I was dirty and all sorts (lovely!), I spoke to eBay live help and they just said wait and then escalate, and put a note on, which I did and they closed it in my favour. Also removed neg, and then I closed unpaid case on day 7 and nasty buyer also got a strike.

thanks fergoose - I have opened - before I saw your reply - a non paying bidder case. What will happen if he replies saying he didn't pay as the item was not as described > ( even though it certainly was as described!)

I think he can't reply can he - can only pay. At least I think that is what happens with a non paying dispute. It is just a reminder to please pay, and if they don't pay you close it and that is it. (I think!). Mind you I've not seen one as a buyer to be honest.

I doubt very much he will even think of opening a not as described dispute to be honest.

Thanks fergoose. How soon after can I close the case and get my fees back from ebay?

3 days after opening so day 7, but it is timed to the minute so if you opened at 8pm you have to wait until 8pm on day 7 to close it.