Several options are available to buyers or sellers that are tired of waiting for their trading partner to perform. If you find yourself in such a situation, follow the steps outlined below.
For Sellers Waiting on Buyers
- You must wait at least 7 days to begin the claim process
- You must begin the claim process within 45 days
If your auction is long closed and your buyer still hasn't paid, visit the eBay Unpaid Item Process page to begin the process of having your fees refunded. Note that the process itself takes time, since after you file eBay will attempt to contact the buyer directly in order to resolve the situation.
Whether or not the buyer eventually pays, if you feel as though you've had a bad experience with a buyer, always feel free to leave negative feedback in order to fully inform other eBay members (and the person's future trading partners).
For Buyers Waiting on Sellers
- Attempt to contact the seller first
- You must wait at least 10 days to begin the claim process
- Consider also filing a credit card dispute after 30 days
If you've paid for an item but have not yet received it many days or even several weeks later, and you have contacted your seller to attempt to resolve the situation to no avail, it may be time to file a dispute. The Item Not Received or Significantly Not as Described Process is designed to help you to notify eBay when a seller has failed to deliver.
Once a dispute is begun, eBay will attempt to contact your seller in order to nofity them that you've filed a claim. eBay will then mediate between buyer and seller in an attempt to resolve the dispute. This process may go on for up to 90 days, during which you can either inform eBay that the seller has come through and the dispute has been rendered moot, or escalate the claim to the Trust and Safety team for further action.
Since eBay is not a law enforcement agency and has no jurisdiction over financial resources other than their own, you may want to file a dispute with your credit card issuer if after the first 30 days of the dispute process you find yourself unsatisfied. Keep in mind that you must notify your card issuer of your dispute in writing within 60 days of your payment in order to be protected.
Once the situation has reached a resolution, good or bad, be sure to post feedback about your experience so that other eBay members are fully informed when buying from the seller in question.
