Not paid item....arghhhhh

[hipposdream]

Again.... a transaction and no payment...
I have mailed the buyer 3 times but no reaction at all so I have cancelled the transaction.
I think it is so rude, buying something, not paying and not even a polite answer when the seller is contacting you 3 times.
I thought of giving negative feedback but I am afraid that I will get negative feedback too then as you never know with such a buyer.
But now I cannot warn other shop owners for that buyer..
What would you do?

[Former_Member]

I'm not sure it was intentional, so I wouldn't worry too much.

[hipposdream]

????

[Former_Member]

I don't really understand how someone can buy something without paying for it, I thought that all it only showed as a sale if someone had paid for an item, or is this something to do with direct checkout?

[Former_Member]

Wait, I don't understand. How can someone buy something and not pay? I'm truly asking, how is that possible?

[hipposdream]

Yes if you have payment method "other" you can do it....
Maybe I should just delete that payment method ?

[Former_Member]

Angela,
You can set up "other" as a payment option in your shop. This is done for several reasons. One of them being trades.

The reason I say it could have been intentional is, when I was a buyer (not a seller), I almost completed a transaction as "other". I was more or less curious how far the sale would go without putting in any payment. I thought, Wow I can buy this and not pay. How strange! When I actually did it as part of a trade, I was surprised ow quick the transaction was done and no verification of anything was needed.

I also think, if you're sending a convo, buyers don't get on Etsy like we do. They rarely check their convos. Also, life happens. Unlike us, the last thing a buyer is thinking about is their Etsy account.

[Former_Member]

if someone has bought an item then they should pay for it, if 'other' is hindering your process then id remove it, it has happened to me on another site and personally i hate it, and to top it off they dont even respond to email...? GGggggRRRRRRRR

[hipposdream]

Yes I have removed it now !

[PiecesOfMePaperCraft]

Leaving the buyer a negative feedback wouldn't warn other sellers. No one can see buyer feedback except the buyer.

[Former_Member]

Thanks for this enlightening thread, I didn't even know that was possible!

[Former_Member]

I found using the "other" feature just confused new buyers.
Did you try sending out a paypal invoice?

If the buyer doesn't understand how "other" works, they may be waiting for an invoice and not a convo.

This only happened to me once because the buyer used "other".

I just sent a paypal invoice and the payment went through no problem.

Since all Etsy and PP fees have been deducted it's perfectly legit.

Of course, I had to removed "other".

[hipposdream]

Yes I have contacted her ( 3 times) askinf of there was a problem and if I could assist....but no reply at all....

[Former_Member]

Did you ship it?

[hipposdream]

No not at all...

[joliefemmebydiana]

This has happened to me before and I appreciate the advice. It is good to bring up problems like this because then others can benefit from the learning experience. Thanks!

[Former_Member]

I keep the Other off unless im doing a trade ATM kinda thing.

And a negative wont help other sellers, not like I can control who does and doesnt buy. After its happened to late anyway.

[diarysketches]

I have many people choose other if they don't have a paypal account and I send them a paypal money request...never a problem (and I email them not through etsy convo usually)

[Former_Member]

Yes Wendy a convo is good but also may confuse the buyer who is waiting for an official invoice or receipt.

Invoice via paypal will outline the product ID, payment methods and buyer protection.

Even if a buyer does not have a PayPal account they can still just checkout via cc or e-check through the paypal option or DC from seller.

No need to create additional steps for buyers by using "other" only to redirect to PayPal. This is automatically done by the system upon check out.

It is my understanding "other" is good for local buyers who wish to pay cash or check.

[ElectronicGirl]

i have not had this "non-payment" thing happen on this venue...but I have had it happen multiple times on every other marketplace I am on. very annoying.
i was getting so many at the other venues..i just put those storefronts in permanent vacation mode and directed customers here or to my direct site.

might want to put in your policies, a time limit on non-payment transactions. just to cover yourself when cancelling the transactions. :\
good luck

[NakedRatDestash]

I don't trade anymore. (learned my lesson!) No checks or money orders. I only accept Paypal and Direct checkout. If someone wants an item, they must pay for it immediately just as I do when I purchase something. It is a business.

[lipmeister]

I didn't read through the threads so maybe someone said this. If you accept money orders, that happens. It has happened to me twice!! No response and no payment. I won't accept money orders anymore. I don't want to depend on the buyer to get it to me. One time it took 2 weeks for me to get it. Plus if it isn't a USPS money order, you need to wait till it clears to make sure it is ok.

[Former_Member]

I just had this same situation. Under "not paid" it states "direct checkout" is this what is considered "other" or is this through etsy's credit card option. thanks.

[Former_Member]

i just looked at my shipping and payment section. i don't have any payment options offered except direct checkout and paypal.

how can a customer use a credit card but have it show up as "not paid" and there is no shipping address listed for the customer either. confused. how do i handle this?