Would buyer scores help sellers on ebay

[Sweetness]

I noticed a trend of buyers taking forever to pay and threads complaining about it. Buyers are given info about sellers habits via DSR's but as a seller I really have no way to tell whether or not I will have to wait to get paid. Checking feedback is pointless because as sellers can only receive positive feedback.
What if ebay was to keep track of how long a buyer takes to pay and lists it as a feedback type score. Normally I don't care much but sometimes whether or not I take an offer would be influenced by how long I might have to wait to get paid. For example if 2 buyers both offer 20 but one buyer's buy score says they always pay asap and the other takes a few days I would obviously want to sell to the faster payer. It really could be done in a simple way.

 

[George_Calfas]

I suggested this to ebay. DSR for payment speed could force a payment prior to additional bids being place on more items.

 

[tooly22]

I suggested this to ebay. DSR for payment speed could force a payment prior to additional bids being place on more items.

I have to agree with George 100%. I just ran into a rash of late payers and after following my normal protocol of multiple invoices and an email indicating I would file an NPB, I had to file. After zero communication back, I filed the NPB's on two bidders and was subsequently paid by both of them within 5 hours (one of them being an FCBer who has now done this twice on auctions they have won).

Some sort of accountability on the buyer side needs to happen.

 

[Sweetness]

I suggested this to ebay. DSR for payment speed could force a payment prior to additional bids being place on more items.

Thats what I hate about ebay. The choices they make are 100% based on profit projections not on providing a quality service. Ebay will do anything to milk a little more $$$. I hope one day someone in charge at ebay realizes that the only reason ebay exists is because of the sellers, I understand catering to buyers but ebay does nothing to ensure sellers have a good experience. Having all the buyers in the world won't insure profits if no sellers are selling.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

i usually pay on the weekends

 

[George_Calfas]

I suggested this to ebay. DSR for payment speed could force a payment prior to additional bids being place on more items.

Thats what I hate about ebay. The choices they make are 100% based on profit projections not on providing a quality service. Ebay will do anything to milk a little more $$$. I hope one day someone in charge at ebay realizes that the only reason ebay exists is because of the sellers, I understand catering to buyers but ebay does nothing to ensure sellers have a good experience. Having all the buyers in the world won't insure profits if no sellers are selling.

Slow/non-payers are causing sellers to leave and affecting eBay profits. They need to fix this.

 

[sportscardtheory]

People should focus more on what they are selling and how they are selling and less on how long it takes buyers to pay. If they don't pay, they get a strike, too many strikes and they are suspended from eBay. Putting limitations on when and how people can pay would only hurt everyone's sales. I'm not for it at all. If you want instant payments, make all your non-auction-style listings IMMEDIATE PAYMENT ONLY. Otherwise, you shouldn't be complaining about people taking too long to pay. Personally, as long as you pay me, take as long as you need up to 8 days. eBay isn't a retail store.

Someone taking awhile to pay me has never HURT my sales. Putting buying limitations on bidders/buyers WOULD hurt my sales.

 

[Zithy]

It really was just a few years ago that you bought/sold stuff either at shows or through mail order. 3-5 days to receive a check or money order, 7-10 days longer for a hold until the check cleared . . .

In just 20 years people have gotten spoiled if they do not get instantaneous payment just because it's possible. Sure, it's very convenient and most of us pay right away because we want our items as soon as possible, but if a seller is that dependent upon receiving a payment or two that is running slow, it makes you wonder if the seller should be buying sportscards in the first place. And it they're not dependent on the payment, why get riled up about it? Just wait. You're still moving your product. Just expect that most pay quickly, and some don't and fewer still(hopefully) don't pay at all. Just part of the business.

 

[sportscardtheory]

It really was just a few years ago that you bought/sold stuff either at shows or through mail order. 3-5 days to receive a check or money order, 7-10 days longer for a hold until the check cleared . . .

In just 20 years people have gotten spoiled if they do not get instantaneous payment just because it's possible. Sure, it's very convenient and most of us pay right away because we want our items as soon as possible, but if a seller is that dependent upon receiving a payment or two that is running slow, it makes you wonder if the seller should be buying sportscards in the first place. And it they're not dependent on the payment, why get riled up about it? Just wait. You're still moving your product. Just expect that most pay quickly, and some don't and fewer still(hopefully) don't pay at all. Just part of the business.

Thanked. Good post. I agree. I am very patient when it comes to payment. So many sellers want/expect immediate payment or a day or two later. I don't care when I get paid, as long as I get paid. I open a resolution after 8 days, if they pay, cool, if not, they get a strike and I get my fees back and relist. No big deal.

 

[ArtVandelay]

It really was just a few years ago that you bought/sold stuff either at shows or through mail order. 3-5 days to receive a check or money order, 7-10 days longer for a hold until the check cleared . . .

In just 20 years people have gotten spoiled if they do not get instantaneous payment just because it's possible. Sure, it's very convenient and most of us pay right away because we want our items as soon as possible, but if a seller is that dependent upon receiving a payment or two that is running slow, it makes you wonder if the seller should be buying sportscards in the first place. And it they're not dependent on the payment, why get riled up about it? Just wait. You're still moving your product. Just expect that most pay quickly, and some don't and fewer still(hopefully) don't pay at all. Just part of the business.

My issue is not that I physically have the money instantly, it is that I do get paid in the end for the winning bid price. Especially due to timing of players getting hot, this could reduce the cases of buyers remorse. Slow payment can lend itself to non payment. This has left me holding cards that would have sold to the next highest bidder had the non-paying winner not taken their time in paying and realied the card could be had for less now.

The fact that we have evolved from paper checks being 7-10 days to instant click of a button transfers is not the issue. It is the act of initiating a timely payment. In the old days, that actually probably hurt the buyer. If they waited a week to send a check, add days for snail mail, then add 7-10 for check clearing, then a few days for handling and shipping of the item - they could be running close to a month to recieve if they choose to pay slow.
I would agree that some form of buyer rating would be good. Not sure about the metrics or incentives/penalties. Maybe extra ebay bucks percentage for timely payment?

 

[danboone2006]

In a time when most people are online before work/school, during work/school, and after work/school, and when people who have smart phones can pay for items while they are doing anything I would think that people would be paying quicker than ever. But it seems that people are taking longer, it makes no sense to me. If I'm bidding on something that means I want it. Chances are, I'm watching the auction end on the computer or my phone and the second it ends, I click the button that says "pay now" because when you bid, you "commit to buy" if you're the higher bidder, and if I'm bidding, that means I want the item, and I want it as fast as I can.

For example yesterday, 2 auctions I was bidding on ended while in line for an IP Indians Auto Signing. Watched it end on my phone. Paid right after that. What's so hard about that?

 

[bportjoey]

your probably the same sellers that start asking for your money 6 hours after the auction has ended. One time I got a email not even knowing I won the auction yet and I was already being threatened with "if im not paid by the morning I will relist my item" I was like dude I won this not even 6 hours ago. On top of it the card was only like 8 bucks. If your that hard up for money maybe your in the wrong hobby

 

[200lbhockeyplayer]

If sellers simply used the NPB option, this wouldn't be an issue.

I no longer send the "friendly payment reminder," and just send the NPB notice when possible. I figure, they bid on the auction, they receive the auction congratulations winning email from eBay and then the receive the final invoice from me. After receiving the NPB, they have 4 days or so to pay...if not, I'll close the NPB - they get a ding, I get the auction fees back.

As a buyer, there are times I flake on paying, and if I see an NPB email, I'm on it ASAP. For the sellers afraid of what buyers think if they receive it...for me personally, that NPB shines poorly on me as a buyer, and it's my fault not the seller.

 

[Fandruw25]

While it could possibly be useful, it would likely just be abused by the sellers. Remember how many times a seller held feedback hostage until you left them a positive? It'd be the same thing, just now if they get hit on any of their DSR's, they'll hit yours even if you paid within 10 seconds.

 

[George_Calfas]

While it could possibly be useful, it would likely just be abused by the sellers. Remember how many times a seller held feedback hostage until you left them a positive? It'd be the same thing, just now if they get hit on any of their DSR's, they'll hit yours even if you paid within 10 seconds.

And buyers ding you even if you send the same day and USPS take s a week to get them the card. Ebay has recognized they need to do something to empower sellers. Buyer DSR would be a good start. Buyer DSR would not have to be seller provided, it could be an automatic function done by ebay, payment sent 1-3 days 5 stars, 4-5 days 4 stars etc.....

As for NPB the strike is removed when they pay so no harm no foul.

 

[jonebone]

I think it is an excellent idea as well. As for people on the "Maybe you shouldn't be selling items if you need payment ASAP" side of the fence, it is more about principle than the money. I can just as easily counter, "Maybe you shouldn't be buying items if you don't have the money to pay for them today." Of course there's some middle ground in between as both of those are extremist viewpoints.

I have it in my auction policies to please pay within 48 hours. Of course, I can't enforce that since buyers get 8 days to pay (4 to file NPB, 4 more for them to respond), but I certainly put it in there to speed up the process. If an auction ends Monday and you can't pay until Friday, it is too much for you to "Ask a Question" and mention this point beforehand? I won't care and I'll say "Sure, no problem", but I absolutely cannot stand when buyers ignore the seller and pay whenever they feel like it.

 

[sportscardtheory]

I think it is an excellent idea as well. As for people on the "Maybe you shouldn't be selling items if you need payment ASAP" side of the fence, it is more about principle than the money. I can just as easily counter, "Maybe you shouldn't be buying items if you don't have the money to pay for them today." Of course there's some middle ground in between as both of those are extremist viewpoints.

I have it in my auction policies to please pay within 48 hours. Of course, I can't enforce that since buyers get 8 days to pay (4 to file NPB, 4 more for them to respond), but I certainly put it in there to speed up the process. If an auction ends Monday and you can't pay until Friday, it is too much for you to "Ask a Question" and mention this point beforehand? I won't care and I'll say "Sure, no problem", but I absolutely cannot stand when buyers ignore the seller and pay whenever they feel like it.

This is just how it is though. It's eBay. It has been the same since day-one. There has always been a 7 to 8 day window to pay for items. To me, it's one of the great things about buying on eBay. You have no idea how many times I have bought a steal being broke knowing that in 7 days I would get my check and pay then. You are ALLOWED that amount of time to pay and everyone knows that. Principles are thrown out the window when it is ALLOWED.