Is this a chancer? What would you do?

[MeridianB]

Listed a toy just over a week ago. Lots of watchers but just one bid at asking price.

Auction finished and no payment so sent a reminder couple of days later and received a message today saying

“Other people bid so I stopped and I don’t know why my bid is the highest and anyway it’s too much money for me so I need to cancel”

There is much time left for me to relist and be sure of a sale and timely posting for Christmas. And because their story doesn’t stack up I’m inclined to refuse a cancellation, even though I’ve done it in the past.

Apart from anything else, this buyer would have been invoiced as soon as they won and said nothing for two days.

What would you do?

How many people actually bid for the item Op?

Just one. No other bids at all.

And I know they can cancel a winning bid within an hour of the end of the auction.

They can't afford it. Cancel the sale.

If they can’t afford then why did they bid?

@MeridianB maybe they could afford it at the time and something came up, or they were bidding on two items at the same time not expecting to win both and won the other one.

Which is fine, but not my problem.

I’m usually really happy to be flexible but they bid in the last few hours, failed to cancel straight away, failed to let me know and now claim there were other bidders, which is not true, so this time I feel less accommodating.

But I do appreciate other opinions hence asking. If you were in my shoes you would cancel to kind?

I'd cancel it. You can't force them to pay either way.

But I do appreciate other opinions hence asking. If you were in my shoes you would cancel to kind?
Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean? You cant make them pay so you're going to have to cancel the sale and choose 'Buyer hasn't paid' as the reason so that A. you get your fees back, B. you can relist it and C. the buyer can't leave you negative feedback.
I sell a lot of stuff on eBay and I've learnt not to be emotionally involved tbh because frankly people are dickheads, just cancel it and move on, don't give it headspace.

It’s just frustrating when it’s so blatant. Will they get a non-payment strike?

News flash. People are flaky.

@MeridianB

It’s just frustrating when it’s so blatant. Will they get a non-payment strike?

Only if they're a regular offender

@MeridianB

It’s just frustrating when it’s so blatant. Will they get a non-payment strike?

Yes, they do, if you choose the 'Buyer hasn't paid' option when cancelling. If a buyer gets more than two unpaid 'strikes' some sellers can exclude them from bidding by not allowing buyers with two plus strikes to bid. If they keep doing it, eBay may suspend them.

I'm guessing your buyer wants you to cancel but not say it's because they didn't pay.....if so, you need to say no, because you won't get your fees back.

.....and that's what I mean by taking the emotion out of it. Just cancel, say they didn't pay, re-list and move on. Block them from bidding in future and if they send offensive messages, report them.

Can you sell on marketplace instead? May be more likely to get a quick sale.

In similar but different flaky circumstances i cancelled due to buyer's non-payment, and hopefully shell get blocked/barred if she continues.

Thanks all. You’re right. I will get move on and relist. I needed to hear it!

Just feeling fed up with eBay today as I have also bought something that the buyer hasn’t sent (marked as despatched but then asked for two weeks delay as they had covid in the house, which I said was no problem. Now another two weeks later and no item, no reply to message).

Just tried to cancel and it only lists three reasons - buyer asked to cancel, item is damaged, or problem with delivery address. Nothing about refusal to pay.

@MeridianB

Just tried to cancel and it only lists three reasons - buyer asked to cancel, item is damaged, or problem with delivery address. Nothing about refusal to pay.

Ah, that might not be available until Day five after non-payment (they get four days to pay and you can cancel on the fifth day)

Ok - so I should wait for that?

You lot are savage. I'd just say buyer asked to cancel. Maybe I'm soft!

Op just cancel as customer asked to cancel,
That way they can't leave you negative feedback
I sell a lot and I'm getting scammers and non payers a lot
At the moment EBay aren't interested
Just re list and see what happens

I am usually soft, too, but this one seems so flakey that they can presumably keep doing this indefinitely if they don’t get the non-payment marks?

@Guiltypleasures001

Op just cancel as customer asked to cancel, That way they can't leave you negative feedback I sell a lot and I'm getting scammers and non payers a lot At the moment EBay aren't interested Just re list and see what happens

Thank you. Am I able to leave feedback for them saying simply ‘buyer declined to pay, asked to cancel’?

Been an eBay seller for years on and off and recently had a clear out and had this 2 times when a bidder has said “sorry I don’t want it anymore” so annoying! And eBay do nothing whereas in the past this was an absolute no no! eBay just tell you to cancel the sale.

Hi

No sadly you can't

But that's probably for the best as it would just provoke them and possibly
Escalate
I've had a guy do a chargeback as no idea who has used his card and hadn't bought anything
But received the goods all signed for to his work office, and is now trying to claim there is a problem with the item, the one that doesn't exist and he didn't buy and got refunded by his bank for. Go figure