Two of my auctions sold but the buyers did not pay within the days I request payment (3 days). On the 5th day when no payment was rec'd, Second Chance offers were sent out and both items were sold and paid for that day. TODAY, one of the items was paid for again by the original buyer. I simply refunded the payment. Here's my question - is there something else that I should have done first before making the second chance offers?
Thanks in advance for your professional input...y'all are a great wealth of knowledge!
Melanie

I usually give seven days for them to pay. This gives them enough time to send their PayPal payment even if they are busy for a few days..

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A deal is not always a deal - Some just make you pay in the end.

You can't even file a non paying buyer complaint for 8 days.

I notice that a few of mine pay on fridays. I agree, I don't think you can even file a non payer or sell to anyone else until after paypal's set days to accept payment. Does anyone know for sure?

Yes you can't file until the 8th day and I usually wait until I close the dispute (another 8 days) before offering it to a second chance bidder, but that's just me.

Especially this time of year people are away on vacation and really busy so 3 days really isn't enough time IMO.

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

Please understand...I'm not being smart or funny, just want to make sure that I get this right in the future...
OK - I'm in the wrong. Just for my future auctions - I have to wait 7 (seven) days for payment which is a rule that ebay has set? I can't have auctions that require payment within 3 days. Then I have to cancel the transaction or file non-paying bidder (on the 8th day) and close that before I can offer the item via 2nd chance?
I got my first negative out of this so I want to make sure that I understand the rules from now on.
Jeez...all over a $3 pair of jeans and trying to get my auctions paid for and mailed out before I leave town next week!

No, you don't HAVE to wait, but it's just a better way to do business, it helps the customer out a little. And you also don't have to wait the 8 days to offer the item to a second chance bidder, that's just my personal preference.

They really aren't rules, but to avoid negatives like this one, you need to be more customer oriented. Communication is really key.

Let me ask, what did the negative say that you were given? Did the buyer respond to the unpaid item dispute?

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

Im guessing she didnt file an unpaid item dispute because she didnt give the buyer at least 7 days to pay, only 3 days. You can't file a dispute for 7 days.

flipper113 - I didn't even think of filing a non-paying bidder. I had other buyers that I could offer a second chance offer to and just did that.
I want to have a method of how things happen - I'm super organized so I like to have a plan!

The explanation of the negative is she paid in 5 days, I sold the item to another buyer, won't deal with again. I can't figure out why she was allowed to leave feedback but I'm still checking into that.
How much communication is enough? I sent three invoices and one email. She didn't respond to any of them. On the 5th day, I assumed (stupidly!) she'd changed her mind, wasn't going to pay and offered the item to 2nd buyer. I thought once the item was purchased, the other lady would be glad that I wasn't bothering her!
I feel that I am customer oriented - I refund overpayment of shipping, I leave feedback, I ship the day after payment, I offer combined shipping and my rules are clearly stated in the auction. I even state in my auction to please contact me if there are any problems - before, during or after the auction. I check email frequently when my auctions are going on and answer questions promptly. After my auctions end, I package and post all items that have been paid for immediately and take them to the post the next day, sometimes that day!
I do believe that communication is key. I just think that 5 days without any response if too long. Do you wait 7 days and then file a non-paying bidder before selling to second chance?

Thanks so much for your input.

A completed transaction allowed her to post feedback.

If someone doesn't pay, I file the non paying bidder report. Ebay then emails them a warning. They give them 8 days. From there you can file for your fees back and give them a non-paying winner strike. Then I offer to the second chance. I know its a long time but I believe thats the way Ebay likes it to be followed. After you have ended your transaction that way, you dont have to worry about them again. I had someone try to pay me 30 days after I closed the complaint and gave them a non payer strike.

No more negs for bad buyers = more non-paying bidders.