e-bay help needed

anyone help with this??

I sold something recently on e-bay - collection only. the succesful bidder is local so OK there.

I chased him for payment through Paypal - took him 4/5 days to cough up.

I've now mailed him 4x since payment asking him to call to arrange collection but he's not replied to my e-mail or called me on the number given.

anyone know where I stand on this?  is there a time deadline on collection items that if they've not collected in a set period I can assume that they can't be arsed so can relist??  can he ask for his money back if he doesn't collect??

I haven't checked with e-bay yet - thought I'd check the forum collective wisdom first

ta muchly

Have you 'accepted' the money from paypal? that's normally where the issues happen. if you accept it before he collects it - he can (theoretically of course) say that the item was never there, wants a refund and provide a negative report on your account (has happened to me).

Have you tried getting his contact details from ebay? I'd contact them and explain the issue.

yes - I've taken the money from my Paypal account

I have mailed him direct (not via ebay) but no reply.  I also have an address for the person but don't see why I should deliver as it was collection only.  The item is at my office which is closer to his home address anyway - he just needs to pop around to collect it.

I'm just finding the whole thing a bit bizarre.  why buy something and then not bother to collect??

It happens a lot. I'd contact E-Bay and register the problem so if something does go bad - you already have the proof in your account. It's the easiest option for a resolution. I'd never deliver it... maybe say that if he doesnt come around in the next 10 days - you'll mail it to him with recorded mail and he'll be forced to accept the cost?

It's definitely bizarre but not unusual. I held onto something for 4 weeks before the guy even asked about showing up (it was only some textbooks so nothing really snazzy - just really heavy).

Emmy_bug wrote (see)

maybe say that if he doesnt come around in the next 10 days - you'll mail it to him with recorded mail and he'll be forced to accept the cost?

It's definitely bizarre but not unusual. I held onto something for 4 weeks before the guy even asked about showing up (it was only some textbooks so nothing really snazzy - just really heavy).

ta for the feedback - I'll wait a bit longer. and I don't think I can't mail a big wooden wine rack to him - hence collect only... 

Maybe he's not well, there's been a problem in his family, he's gone on holiday, he's dead on his kitchen floor with the cat eyeing him....

Register the lack of collection with ebay, then you've covered yourself.

Given up wine, FB?

I used it more as a threat. Just make sure that you keep proof of any emails/calls so that ebay can track the case as well if it does goes bad (I realise that i'm not sounding positive... but it's one of the reasons that i stopped selling on ebay)

You may want to contact Paypal as well as eBay and let them know what is happening in case the purchaser decides to contest the payment. Paypal wont be interested though once you get past their time limit for contacting them which is something like 4 weeks.
Their suggestion if you ever purchase something and its going to take longer than 4 weeks to for it to be delivered is to contest the payment before the time limit is up so that its in their system.

just spoken to ebay

there is no time limit on a collection but they suggest c45 days as that's the time frame in which a buyer can raise a dispute.  and at least they have the issue logged now.

they are mailing me his contact numbers so I can try to call him

I'll give him the weekend and then make a call

I try to do all communicating (as buyer or seller) through eBay's messaging system, its a faff sometimes but at least then eBay themselves have a record of the communication whereas the other party can always claim that they didn't receive emails.

Can you not just refund him via Paypal as you have his email address and list the item again?

Wait out the 45 days I guess and then you will be in profit

As long as you can keep walking around it. Send him a reminder once every couple of weeks... Who knows something might have happened to him!! stuck in hospital with a host of broken limbs, worrying about his wine rack!

Has the guy bought anything else online since? You may at least know if he's around.