Ebay Sales: Challenges With Buyers

Selling on eBay as a business has many advantages and far outweigh potential challenges. However, sooner or later, all eBay businesses will have unhappy customers. When this happens you need to be informed and ready to address any obstacles quickly and professionally. Below are a few examples of potential situations you may encounter and recommendations on how to overcome them.

Buyer Bailout

The successful bidder of your auction hasn"t come up with the money. You have not been given any information on payment and worse yet, he is nowhere to be found. What is the solution?

First, email the buyer a courteous note about the payment due. Do this two or three times within a month after the auction ends. If this method does not generate any action between 7 and 45 days from the buyer, you can issue a "Non-Paying Bidder Report" to eBay.

As an additional option you could issue a "Second Chance Offer" to an under bidder from the original auction between 7 and 90 days.

Buyer states that he did not receive the purchase

This buyer could be trying to obtain the item from you without paying for it. Always ship your product via a method that requires the shipper to provide you with a delivery confirmation notice. Now you will have proof that the package was received.

Items that Arrive Damaged

It is critical to pack your items properly in order to avoid damages during shipping. Always use a strong cardboard box and wrap the product with bubble wrap or use peanuts for the best protection possible. It is also recommended that you purchase insurance on items $25 in value or more. Should damage occur during shipping, you would be able to file a claim with the carrier and all is well.

Negative Feedback

No matter how careful you are as an eBay seller, somewhere along the way a buyer will have negative Feedback. Even when things go smoothly and everything is done correctly, there will be that person who chooses to find fault regardless. When you sell it on eBay, you will, sooner or later, encounter an unhappy customer.

When this happens, it is possible that the issue may not have been what you did after all. The buyer could have had a bad day and as a result, chose to respond with negative Feedback at that moment.

In the event you receive negative Feedback, here are some suggestions. Once you have concluded the best way to address the complaint, contact your customer via phone or email. You may find the best solution is to simply have the buyer send the item back to you and refund their money. If you are unable to resolve the issue in a manner that is satisfactory to both parties, you may resort to eBay"s arbitration service through Trade Square.

As a follow up, it would be important for you to tell your version of the situation on eBay"s Feedback page. This way other buyers can evaluate both sides of the issue and draw their own conclusion. Most importantly, always maintain 100% professionalism in all situations.

When you start an eBay business, it is important that you understand the best way to handle potential challenges with buyers along the way