Auction site buyer messing me about

[FB.]

I had a few items in my garage which I no longer needed but thought someone else might be able to make use of.
So I put them on a well-known auction site in two lots for £1 per lot, collection only, cash on collection (so they could approve the items before taking them).
Four people bid and the winning bid was £10.50 x2 lots.

The buyer has now stood me up three times in three days, leaving me sitting abouit wasting time over items I wish I had just sent to landfill.

What can I do to avoid selling to this person, to avoid spoiling my reputation/feedback and perhaps offer the items to the next-highest bidder?

Thanks,
F

[greenishfing]

I would get in touch with the auction site and report them. When you put the items for sale did you stipulate a length of time in which the items had to be collected? If not you may have a problem selling the items to some one else. I believe that you can bar individuals from bidding on your items.

[FB.]

I would get in touch with the auction site and report them. When you put the items for sale did you stipulate a length of time in which the items had to be collected?

I didn't state a timespan to collect.
But the winning bidder has agreed to collect (and pay on collection) on three separate occasions in the last three days but didn't turn up each time.
I gave them a six-hour slot the first time, a three-quarter-hour slot the second time and a two-hour slot the third time.
That's a lot of my time wasted and I can't keep wasting so much time.

[veggiechicken]

Can you withdraw the items from sale and start again?

I've no idea really as I don't sell on there.

[FB.]

Can you withdraw the items from sale and start again?

I've no idea really as I don't sell on there.

I'm not sure if I can withdraw without being punished.
I don't often sell things on auction sites either but I thought someone could make use of the items rather than me throw them away.

I was trying to be a little eco-friendly by not sending things to landfill that someone else might make use of. I would have given the items away if I thought I could find someone local.

I fear that the winning bidder technically now owns the items, so I would probably get a mark against me if I don't go through with the sale.

In any case, it's a lesson learned and I won't bother to sell on auction sites again.

[veggiechicken]

If the purchaser hasn't paid then he doesn't own them, does he?

Give him an ultimatum - turn up at x-time or the item will be re-listed.

or https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/...buyers?id=4137

[FB.]

If the purchaser hasn't paid then he doesn't own them, does he?

Give him an ultimatum - turn up at x-time or the item will be re-listed.

or https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/...buyers?id=4137

I had to allow Paypal in addition to pay on collection although stated a preference for pay on collection just in case the buyer thought I hadn't photographed/described the items well enough.

I wonder if I push too hard they'll use Paypal and then play some kind of trick/scam/con.

I've heard/read that the buyers have all the power on auction sites so I have a feeling that it's going to end badly for me whatever I do.

[lottie dolly]

ring up the site,and tell whats occured,ask for advice,thats what was done for me on e bay several months ago,they have access to all correspondance between buyer and seller,hope you get sorted .

[muckdiva]

I’ve found Ebays customer service ‘chat’ option quite helpful in the past. The chat link isn’t that easy to find though...sometimes it comes up as an option, sometimes not.

[FB.]

Update:

Well, would you believe it?!

They phoned up sheepishly mid-evening and said they could be round in 15-20 minutes.
They arrived at the stated time, inspected their items, seemed happy, paid cash, loaded the bits into their car, shook hands and off they went.

Let's hope that's the end of it.

[veggiechicken]

All's well that ends well.

[FB.]

All's well that ends well.

Don't get too excited - they haven't left any feedback yet.

[veggiechicken]

No but you haven't left them any feedback as buyers either!!

[nickdub]

I sold an old car of mine on Ebay recently it took me about 3 months with several winning bidders not contacting me etc in the end it did go of with a nice chap but I won't be going down this route for old cars again - Ebay is however a good place to buy cars a s long as you use some common sense which includes stuff like you rock up somewhere and they seller looks shifty or dodgy, forget about the car and turn round and go home- smaller things sell OK BUT they have to be things you can post really unless they are both heavy and valuable where my suggestion would be to check out similar items which other people have sold via the completed auctions tick box on the advanced search page that gives you a list of similar things which have sold or not sold and how many times the vendor had to list them

finally if money is not an issue, I just list bits and bobs on free-cycle -everything which I have had contacts for, the people have come and fetched it and been very grateful - even I as a Scrooge I get pleasure from paying a bit forward sometimes, as a sort of thanks to people, now long dead,who helped me in the past.

[muckdiva]

Yay, glad it’s sorted. I used to sell a lot on EBay, but they aren’t too fair on sellers at times, so I’ve been gradually moving my inventory to my own website. I still use it, but I try to avoid auctions as I find buyers tend to be more reliable on BIN transactions. Very irritating to have to chase someone for payment for a fortnight only to have them decide that actually, they don’t want the item after all