Buyer Defaults on Purchase

[chgobroker]

I sold a vintage motorcycle at auction on ebay and the winning buyer did not pay or respond to my invoices or emails. The process cost me over $100 in fees and another buyer for $8,100. I'm in Illinois, do I have any recourse? Ebay is useless and won't even allow negative feedback to protect others. Don't they have a feduciary responsibility to their paying registered sellers? Thank you. (buyer in in New Mexico)What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

 

[TheGeekess]

<sigh>
This is why eBay has a help system.
"Summary of what to know about the unpaid item process

* There are time limits for the seller to take action based on the transaction date – 45 days to report an unpaid item dispute, 60 days to close the dispute.
* To request credit for Final Value Fees the seller needs to file an unpaid item dispute using the Dispute Console.
* eBay’s Unpaid Item Dispute process is separate from PayPal’s Seller Protection Program (see Seller Protection Policy Overview).
* The seller can give the buyer an unpaid item strike only if the seller closes the dispute. Sellers can also remove unpaid item strikes."
Unpaid Item Process - If a Buyer does Not Pay
Also see:
eBay Help: After the Listing Ends
Insertion Fee Creditfor Relisted Items
Relisting Your Item
Requesting Final Value Fee Credits

 

[chgobroker]

I am in Illinois and the buyer is in New Mexico. I'm familiar with ebays policies, but they are worthless. Do I have any legal recourse with the buyer? Thanks!

 

[JustAPal00]

You get your final value fee back and get to re-list the bike for free, so you're not out any money. Try a second chance offer to the number two bidder, or list it again. All you will be out is a little time.

 

[TheGeekess]

You get your final value fee back and get to re-list the bike for free, so you're not out any money. Try a second chance offer to the number two bidder, or list it again. All you will be out is a little time.

That's not what the OP wants to hear, though. He wants to SUE SUE SUE!

 

[chgobroker]

WRONG! I would like to make sure other sellers are protected from people like this that waste time and cost legitimate buyers what they want. Ebay is a joke! I will find a better venue for sales. Thanks for your .... answers????

 

[JustAPal00]

WRONG! I would like to make sure other sellers are protected from people like this that waste time and cost legitimate buyers what they want. Ebay is a joke! I will find a better venue for sales. Thanks for your .... answers????

If you file the non paying bidder complaint and follow through, not only will you get your money back, but the buyer will get a strike against his account. Sellers can automatically block bidders with 2 or more strikes in the last 12 months. You will be helping everyone including yourself. I hate non paying bidders, just as much as sellers who don't accurately describe what they are selling!

 

[FlyingRon]

JustAPal,

You are wrong. Note that this was an ebay motors vehicle purchase. He is out $80 ($40 for the listing, $40 for the transaction fee). This is non-refundable, even with the UPI dispute resolved in his favor.

Listing fees are not refunded on ebay.

There's no FVF on vehicles.

 

[JustAPal00]

No FlyingRon, you are wrong! You get your fees back in the form of a relist credit! Then you relist for FREE so as I stated in my first post, all the OP is out is his time! If the OP doesn't want to take advantage of the free relist, then he is out his money, but that would be his choice!

 

[FlyingRon]

The "transaction fee" for vehicles is NOT refunded with the relist credit.
The relist credit also doesn't include any of the "extras" added to the insertion fee (which since he says he's out $100, rather than $70 I assume he had some).

The only thing he gets back from ebay is a $30 credit on the insertion fee.
Straight from ebay's site:

Otherwise you will be charged a Transaction Services Fee, whether or not you carry out the sale with the buyer.

You owe a transaction fee on the placement of the first bid that clears the reserve.

There are a half a dozen things that work differently on ebay than the normal auctions.
Vehicle sales are one of them.

 

[chgobroker]

FlyingRon is Right

You don't get your full credit back. Its very costly. More than that we lost a prime part of the season for motorcycle sales, other buyers have moved on and all the loser bidder got was a strike! Ebay needs to support those individuals that pay their fees! Thanks FlyingRon!