If you are new to selling on eBay, you may encounter some problems with buyers and this article addresses three common problems eBay sellers face and how to resolve it.



#1. Deadbeat Bidders

Deadbeat bidders are people who bid and won an auction but do not pay. This happens quite often on eBay according to my own experience.

This usually happens for bidders with low or no feedback. One way to minimize deadbeat bidders is to allow only bidders with at least 10 positive feedback or more to bid on your auction.

The other possibility is to leave negative feedback on the winning bidder although I doubt it is of much use. The other party feeling sore may decide to damage your feedback reputation by giving you negative feedback as well.

If you want to recover the listing fees, there is a four step process eBay sellers can pursue by filing an unpaid item dispute. If eBay deems it is genuine and to its satisfaction, you will receive the auction listing credit.

#2. Fake Shipping Services

After winning an auction, the buyer may request for alternate shipping arrangement or a fake escrow service.

To prevent being duped by such schemes, it is always best to use a recognized shipping service such as USPS, fedex express etc especially for international buyers. Ask whether a tracking id is provided and demand for the shipping company name, address and url before agreeing to it.

Also, for escrow services, eBay recommends using escrow.com. If the buyer insists on using other escrow services, my recommendation is to say sorry to the buyer and that you do not want to take the risk. Most buyers I've encountered understand this.

#3. Disagreement of terms of sale

This usually happens because of miscommunication between the buyer and the seller. As an ebay seller, be sure to list all terms and conditions on the auction listing. Ask potential buyers to email you if they have any doubts.

You can also ask a third party service to help. Squaretrade.com is one of the official dispute resolution service providers available.

Try not to let it resolve into a credit charge-back affair as it does no good to your credit rating.

The above are three of the common problems most eBay sellers face. I would suggest visiting eBay seller education at http://pages.ebay.com/education/selling.html if you are new to eBay selling. They explain in depth about how to sell on eBay.