eBay Gold Buyer Fails to Pay Seller

[qcTrader]

What is the name of your state? AZ

I recently held an auction on ebay for the sale of a gold chain and pendant. The bidder has failed to make payment in our parameters (3 days) and ebay's parameters (7 days). We accept PayPal only. The winning bidder is refusing to answer our e mails and has given ebay a bogus telephone number in Minnesota, and perhaps a bogus address (we don't know about this). The final bill comes to over $1,000. The necklace is worth much more as it is approx. 3 ounces of gold. Is there a precedent for suing eBay bidders who do not pay? Are there attorneys in MN who handle this sort of thing and who would represent us without us going out of state, and to file suit including attorney's fees? We have 100% feedback, and rely on these personal sales to supplement a fixed income. How do sellers resolve such situations to their satisfaction? Thank you.

 

[mrtoledo]

File a non-paying bidder report with eBay, request a refund of your Final Value fees. The only lost money would be your listing fee on eBay. Your best option would be just to relist the auction. Tracking down the non-paying bidder and enforcing the contract would be cost prohibitive. If you were scammed out of $1000 buck it would be a different story.

 

[qcTrader]

Gold Bidder on eBay fails to Pay

Thank you for your time to reply. We are still interested in upholding the contract and would be interested in learning the answers to our original questions. There are more than a quarter of a million people we understand who rely on eBay to pay the bills. Surely justice can be served here and the honest seller can prevail? If attorneys brought suit to include attorney's fees and got good at this, this oculd be a great source of income. Thanks again.

 

[stephenk]

how much are you out of pocket at this point?

 

[qcTrader]

Out of pocket so far

hmmmm...I am not sure where that K-mart conversation came from...

We are out so far $94.18 (eBay listing fees and final value (30.38) which only the latter we think we MAY be able to get back), plus one printer cartridge cost of $30 for all the documentation we had to print relating to the failing bidder. This could be such a great trading grounds if there were something concrete which could enforce a final bid...

 

[Fat Tony]

I'd call the eBay police if I were you.

 

[racer72]

You will have to go to Minnesota at least once, probably twice on your dime if you want to sue. Even if you were to win a lawsuit there is absolutely no guarantee you will get anything from the high bidder. Doodoo happens, relist and move on, it's not worth getting your panties all twisted up over.

 

[qcTrader]

Question above repeated

What is the name of your state? AZ

Saying things like "call the eBay police" is not helpful".

Original question is below:


I recently held an auction on ebay for the sale of a gold chain and pendant. The bidder has failed to make payment in our parameters (3 days) and ebay's parameters (7 days). We accept PayPal only. The winning bidder is refusing to answer our e mails and has given ebay a bogus telephone number in Minnesota, and perhaps a bogus address (we don't know about this). The final bill comes to over $1,000. The necklace is worth much more as it is approx. 3 ounces of gold. Is there a precedent for suing eBay bidders who do not pay? Are there attorneys in MN who handle this sort of thing and who would represent us without us going out of state, and to file suit including attorney's fees? We have 100% feedback, and rely on these personal sales to supplement a fixed income. How do sellers resolve such situations to their satisfaction? Thank you.

 

[teflon_jones]

File a claim with eBay to get your listing money back. You're not entitled to anything for your printer cartridge. Are you willing to travel (at your own cost) to the buyer's location to fight this out in court with them?

 

[qcTrader]

eBay entitlements

eBay does not return listing fees, only final value. Of course it is not practical to travel to MN for an unpaid for item. Are there not ways in the legal system to resolve such issues by power of attorney, and are there not attorneys who are versed in this?

 

[mrtoledo]

I wonder if this type of transaction could be turned over to a collection agency?

 

[qcTrader]

collection agency

That is the best suggestion I have heard yet,
it's just hard to envision a collection agency going
after someone who has yet to receive the goods...
does anyone know how collection agencies work?

 

[stephenk]

instead of wasting all of your time on this moron, have you attempted contacting the second highest bidder to see if they wanted to purchase the item?

 

[mrtoledo]

instead of wasting all of your time on this moron, have you attempted contacting the second highest bidder to see if they wanted to purchase the item?

I think the OP intent is based upon principle and legality of the bid on eBay. In the long run the OP would be further ahead to get their final value fees refunded, eat the listing fees from eBay and re-list the item.

However a third party company to track down deadbeat bidders and sellers might be an interesting business opportunity.

 

[Fat Tony]

Did you try the eBay police yet?