Will I be penalised if I cancel a buyer's bid?

[GU24Mum]

Please can I pick someone's brains about an Ebay query.

I've listed something for collection only. I've had one bid which is from a bidder who is quite a distance so I sent a message to check the bidder knows it's collection only. They came back straight away and said they hadn't realised and can they withdraw the bid. I've said that's absolutely fine and they need to do the withdrawal themselves. The bidder has said he's new to Ebay and isn't sure he's done it properly - he hasn't so I've politely reminded him.

I don't want to cancel a bid if that is going to mess up my seller stats - does anyone know if sellers are penalised for doing this?

Thank you.

Explain to him that he needs to do it himself and that failure to do so will result in a non-payment strike. There are help pages he can use. Unless it is near the end of the auction he can still do it.

If he wins just open an unpaid item dispute, wait until it closes and re-list with the location prominently in the title, along with 'Collection in person'.

You can cancel at the end (unless it is changed) as he has not adhered to your listing terms, but try to get him to withdraw the bid first. I think you will get a defect if you cancel it, and then will have to fight to get it removed which is a time consuming pain.

You can remove it yourself without a strike, I’m pretty sure. . I think you just go to the bid history, click on his bid and do it from there.

Thanks both. Fortunately he was outbid the day before the listing ended.