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burlisonbears Burlison Bears
Louisville, Kentucky
Posts: 1,174

Hey guys I need your help/advice.

I listed a cute little elephant quite a long time ago. I had a few people fighting over it and it went for $81.00, which I could really use right now to help toward moving expenses. But I haven't been paid yet!

The collector is one of my best collectors too. She has many of my bears and I've never really had any problem with her. A lot of times it takes her a week to pay. So I waited a week after the elephant auction. Then I reminded her I needed payment. Got no response. A few days later I told her I needed payment or she needed to tell me if she can't pay so I can relist the elephant. No response again. My auction ended on the 19th of May. It's been two weeks and two days. What do I do? What is the standard amount of time allowed for someone to pay? This has never happened to me before.

Should I email her once again and tell her I'll give her 48 hours and then relist it if I have heard nothing back from her?

Also, one of my loyal collectors emailed me about that elephant cause she had been fighting for it. I happened to mention to her days ago that it still hadn't been paid for. She emailed me back and said if they don't pay can she have it for the high bid of $81.00?  I don't even know if that's allowed. Wouldn't I have to relist it? And here's my dilemma...if I let this other lady buy it then suddenly hear back from the winner...could I get in trouble for selling it out from under her? Could I end up with bad feedback?

Gosh, I don't know what to do here. The winning bidder has always been a good paying customer and faithful collector. I certainly don't want to lose her business. I don't know why she hasn't responded to me in all this time. It's not like her to do that.

Please someone give me some good advice here. Don't know what to do and I really need that money as we're moving in 2 weeks and can use all the help we can get.

-Eliza

Nancy D Dog Patch Critters
Titusville, FL
Posts: 512
Website

There is a way to get info like a phone number for someone who won one of your auctions. Go to my messages on your my ebay. On the left it says find and contact member. I would try to phone her to make sure she is OK. Might be a computer problem or sickness.

Acipenser Bine-Teddies
Stockholm
Posts: 862

Dear Eliza,
I have never sold on ebay, but I'm a buyer. From what I see, most people state clearly in their auctions within what time span they want to be paid, usually 3-10 days. If you did that, stick to that number and then the deal is off. If youd din't say anything in your auction I think you have waited long enough, particularly since she hasn't responded. She could of course have had an accident or be ill, but how are you to know? I think you can get her phone number through ebay, but you can also file a non-paying bidder report. That way she may not be able to harm you with bad feedback. Never been a non-payer and never having sold anything I can't tell you exactly how that works though.
Ebay wants you to relist I think, but you can make a second chance offer to the lady who wants the elephant if she is the second highest bidder. I've had such offers twice and accepted both. There should be some function on your auction, which lets you do that. She gets an email with the offer and an expiration date by which she has to accept. Then you send her an invoice and she (hopefully) pays. I got the items for the price I bid, so you may not get $81 from her though. I have also bought things off ebay after an initial deal with a seller. Ebay doesn't like that, but I think they are greedy enough, so if an auction didn't sell and I can get it later, its only fair to the seller to not make them pay fees again for a re-list.
Good luck!

edie Bears by Edie
Southern Alberta
Posts: 2,068

Eliza, I think the best thing to do would be to try phoning the buyer - it is always so much easier to get things sorted out in person than trying to email back and forth. If you don't get any answer to a phone call - or 2 or 3 - then I would email the lady and tell her you are going to sell the elephant to someone else if you don't hear from her within 48 hours. You wouldn't need to relist the elephant, you could either just sell it to the lady or if she prefers the safety of ebay then you can send her a second chance offer as suggested - if she was the second highest bidder then it would offer it to her at her last bid which would have been $80 but you could just tell her you will add an extra $1 to the postage cost if you want the extra dollar.

kbonsall Kim-Bee Bears
Pennsylvania
Posts: 5,645

I would probably email her one more time telling her that you understand that circumstances arise and you haven't heard back from her and are considering selling to the second highest bidder. 

There is no reason to wait TWO WEEKS for pmt... I could see one, NOT TWO, especially because she isn't communicating with you.  Two weeks for pmt is really unreasonable, especially when you rely on that money to live and to pay your ebay listing fees LOL...

Maybe give her a call, depends on how comfortable you are with that.... or, if the other two options dont work, you can always file an unpaid claim against her... or if you dont' want "sour grapes", just sell to the second highest bidder... you will see in the bidding history it says "make second chance offer" or something like that... it will be sold for their highest bid....

It is completely understandable that someone comes on hard times and can't pay, and if that is the case, she should tell you...

Hope all turns out well!!!!!!
:hug:  :hug:  :hug:

Laura Lynn Teddy Bear Academy
Nicholasville, KY
Posts: 3,653
Website

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I agree with Edie... try phoning her.  Something could be wrong ... hopefully only with her computer.  I saw that she did just get one neg feedback recently for another item... sounds like something happened.... bear_sad

burlisonbears Burlison Bears
Louisville, Kentucky
Posts: 1,174

Yeah, I just found out about that negative feedback too.

First off, there is no phone number listed on ebay or paypal for her...just her address.

About the negative feedback.... I just found out about it a few hours ago. It said that she didn't pay for the item. Then I saw that that was a whole month before she bid on my elephant....so after she didn't pay for that she decided to bid on something from me. I contacted that seller who gave negative feedback and he told me that she initially responded to the first email but then never responded again and never paid. He said she ignored 5 different emails. Then....she bids on my elephant a month later......and she hasn't responded to the invoice and 3 separate emails from me so far. Very strange.  So apparently she's done this before without explanation.

Strange since she's always been a good paying collector who regularly buys from me. But now knowing that she never responded to that other person and then a month later does the same to me really makes me question what's going on here. I was thinking something was seriously wrong with her, but now I think she's probably still using the internet and just ignoring my emails.

If she's just ignoring me that irritates me cause I'd much rather her just say she's sorry she bid on the item and can't pay...and I'd be fine with that. Not knowing and letting time pass has been a pain and is much worse.

Anyway, so I've emailed her one last time and said I'm giving her one more day and then I'm going to offer the elephant to the other bidder.
I just hope I don't end up with any negative feedback about this whole thing.

-Eliza

kbonsall Kim-Bee Bears
Pennsylvania
Posts: 5,645

But if you do get negative feedback, you can RESPOND to the feedback so you can explain what happened. I know, I know, every time I sell something I worry about the possibility of negative feedback... you just never know who you are dealing with (honest or dishonest, friendly or not-so-friendly)....

Hopefully your buyer is ok but it is "strange" about the non-paying a month before...

Hopefully all turns out well for you and no negative feedback is received!  :hug:  :hug:  :hug: I highly doubt it since she is in the wrong bear_original

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