FAQs
Consequences for Failing to Pay a Winning Bid
You're liable for the deposit on auction day and the rest of the purchase price, plus fees, by the completion deadline (typically 28 days after the auction). If you can't pay the deposit, you may face legal consequences.
What happens if I don't pay for an accepted offer on eBay? ›
Failure to pay for items is a violation of our abusive buyer policy. When a seller cancels an order because the buyer hasn't paid, the unpaid cancellation is recorded on the buyer's account. Buyers who have excessive unpaid cancellations may have limits imposed by a seller or by eBay, or lose their buying privileges.
What to do if someone doesn't pay you for an item? ›
Set Clear Expectations From the Start
- Choose a Payment Schedule. ...
- Don't Let Invoices Pile Up. ...
- Send a Written Reminder Promptly When You Don't Receive Payment by the Due Date. ...
- Send a Debt Collection Letter. ...
- Make Personal Contact With the Client by Phone or a Face-to-Face Meeting. ...
- Send a Final Demand Letter. ...
- Take Legal Action.
What happens if you don't pay for something you committed to buy on eBay? ›
If the seller does not cancel and you do not pay, the seller may file an unpaid item case against you. One case alone may not affect your account, but if you have two such cases within the last year, many sellers may automatically block you from bidding or making a purchase.
How long to wait for non paying bidder? ›
If the buyer hasn't paid for the items you are selling on eBay, despite receiving an invoice from the seller, then you have the option to cancel that order. However, you need to do the cancellation of the order after four days of not receiving payment.
Can you back out after winning a bid? ›
This agreement clarifies that bids can not be retracted, and that if they are the winning bidders, they must accept and pay for that item. However, from time to time there are extenuating circ*mstances that keep a bidder from honoring this agreement.
Can a seller cancel an accepted offer on eBay? ›
A seller can cancel an order if: The buyer asks to cancel the order and they haven't dispatched the item yet. The buyer hasn't paid within the time allowed. The buyer used the wrong delivery address when they completed their purchase.
Can a seller back out of an accepted offer eBay? ›
Seller back out on a sale after agreeing to an offer using a false reason. eBay cannot make a seller ship an item and they will not reinstate the transaction. Best Offers do NOT include shipping and those terms are not negotiable.
What happens if I don't pay for something I won on eBay? ›
You will get an unpaid item strike placed against your account. 2 of those in a 12 month period will get you blocked from bidding and buying from hundreds if not thousands of sellers on eBay. The seller may also cancel the other bids on the other item your bidding on.
What happens if someone refuses payment? ›
If the debtor is employed, you can get an Earnings Withholding Order to garnish the debtor's wages until you are paid. You have the right to collect up to 25 percent of the amount over the federal minimum wage that the debtor earns (as long as it is not exempt under other rules).
There are several steps you can take for a client who won't pay:
- Write a very clear email and reattach your contract. Send a friendly email reminder to a customer for payment. ...
- Work with a lawyer to send a payment demand letter. ...
- Take legal action. ...
- Hire a debt collector.
Can you sue someone for not giving you something you paid for? ›
You can sue for up to $5,000 in Small Claims court. For this sort of situation, you would sue for "breach of contract" and ask the court to either force them to do what they promised and/or to make them repay you the money you paid for their services.
Does eBay punish buyers for not paying? ›
If it is cancelled and you make sure it's because you weren't paid, the buyer gets a strike. Smart sellers have their Buyer Requirements set to block bidders with 2 or more strikes in a year.
What happens if you win an auction and can't pay? ›
If you don't pay, 96 hours from the end of the auction, the seller can cancel the transaction citing buyer didn't pay. You will get an unpaid item strike placed against your account. You may face legal consequences. The auction house and seller can demand that you pay the amount specified in your contract.
What happens if someone doesn't pay for your item on eBay? ›
For items awaiting payment, you can select how long buyers have to pay for items. Typically, orders that aren't paid for will be cancelled automatically after 4 or more calendar days. For combined invoiced, the timeframe is based on when the most recent item on the invoice was purchased.
What to do when eBayer doesn't pay? ›
It's important to cancel any unpaid items within 30 days from the day the buyer commits to buy so the item can be relisted. You don't have to contact the buyer if they haven't paid – we'll send them reminders to pay. If you don't receive payment, you can cancel the order after 4 calendar days.
What happens if you are the only bidder? ›
If there's only one bidder then the auctioneer is allowed to “run them up” to the reserve price, by bidding against them. However, if their highest bid is still lower than the reserve price then the property will not sell. It's a strange auction rule, and sounds surprising.
How long before I can open an unpaid item case? ›
You can open a case 2 to 32 days after a sale. Simply go to the Resolution Center – a link appears at the bottom of most eBay pages. On the main page, select 'I haven't received my payment yet' and then click 'Continue'.
What happens if an auction ends with no bids? ›
Nothing. The auction ends, and then depending on the seller, can be relisted. The seller can make adjustments to pricing and shipping before relisting the item if that item had few or no bids on it, to make the item more attractive to a potential buyer.