eBay® for Dummies®, 6th Edition

Chapter 13. Troubleshooting Transactions

In This Chapter

• Dealing with a difficult buyer

• Handling other auction mishaps

• Ending an auction early

• Canceling an auction after it ends

• Getting refunds from eBay

• Relisting an item

There's no getting around it: The more transactions you conduct on eBay, the more chances you have of facing some potential pitfalls. In this chapter, I give you pointers on how to handle an obnoxious or difficult buyer as if he or she is your new best friend (for a little while anyway). In addition, I explain how to keep an honest misunderstanding from blowing up into a vitriolic e-mail war. You find out how to handle a sale that's (shall I say) on a road to nowhere, how to get some attention, and if it all goes sour, how to sell to the next highest bidder legally and relist the item, and get back the final value fee you paid eBay. There's no way that all of what I mention here will happen to you, but the more you know, the better prepared you'll be.

Dealing with a Buyer Who Doesn't Respond

Most of the time, the post-auction transaction between buyers and sellers goes smoothly. However, if you have difficulty communicating with the winner of your auction or fixed-price sale, you should know the best way to handle the situation.

You've come to the right place if you want help dealing with potential nonpaying buyers (more commonly known as deadbeat bidders, which is how I refer to them). Of course, you should start with good initial post-auction communication; see Chapter ...