Why bid if......

desirusso

O.G.
Apr 13, 2007
188
5
you are out of the country and cannot pay. Here is my situation: I have a buyer who put in an offer I accepted. I gave them 3 days from close to pay, so yesterday I sent them an email reminding them to pay and if they did not the I would have to file a NPB with ebay. So I receive an email today :

Sorry so much about the delay. I am fully aware of the time allotment you have given in which to pay; however, I am currently out of the country and using my blackberry to handle all internet transactions/activity, and paypal will not allow me access to my account from there. I have been in contact with paypal regarding this odd issue, and they have informed me I will have to wait until I am back in the U.S. to complete this transaction. Ebay is also aware, and have they have no alternative ways to help me. Please, please, please work with me on this. I will be back from my peacecorps training in the islands on 10/1, and will be fully able to access paypal at that point. I cannot do much from out here since both paypal and Ebay have told me I will need to wait. I wish there was something more I can do, but I thank you for your patience in advance if we can work together in holding off until then.


What should I do, be nice and extend this? (btw I am going on vacation for a week on the 30th) so I won't even be around to get the funds if she does pay.

Any help would be appreciated
TIA

Desiree
 
It sounds to me like she wasn't aware that she wasn't able to access PayPal from her blackberry until after the item ended.
It of course depends on your situation, but if it were me I would probably be so thrilled that she's *communicating*, I'd let her get away with it. Just this once ;)
 
How odd. I had NO problems accessing my Paypal account from my laptop when travelling in Europe and completing transactions. Why not suggest she pop into an Internet cafe for $1 per hour and pay from there? See what the buyer says. If she says it's a good idea, you know she's serious, but if she claims there aren't any internet cafes (is there anywhere on the planet without them now?) then you know she's stringing you along.
 
How odd. I had NO problems accessing my Paypal account from my laptop when travelling in Europe and completing transactions. Why not suggest she pop into an Internet cafe for $1 per hour and pay from there? See what the buyer says. If she says it's a good idea, you know she's serious, but if she claims there aren't any internet cafes (is there anywhere on the planet without them now?) then you know she's stringing you along.


That sounds like a good idea I'll try that thanks
 
from her email she sounds nice & honest. Why don't you give her the time but if you don't want to you can tell her you are going away and you needed the money by a certin time if she can't get to a internet place or whatever they are called out there then you will relist. What is her feedback like?
 
Stylefly, while I think an internet cafe is a good idea, she might very well be someplace where there are no internet cafes to pop into. Notice, she's on Peace Corps training, not a continental vacation ;) She might be in Africa or India, or any one of a number of quite remote places. There are plenty of places on the planet, especially places the Peace Corps might send you, where there's no internet, no indoor plumbing, and quite possibly one or two telephones for a hundred mile radius.


I would have to give this one the benefit of the doubt, personally.
 
Yes, I'd definitely cut her some slack here. You can usually access PayPal and eBay on a laptop, but not on a blackberry. Being that she's in the Peace Corps she may be in some part of the world where there are no internet cafes. Listen, I live in a big city in Texas where there isn't one internet cafe. I'm thinking about opening the first one! Anyway, if you don't need the money, give her the time. It should amount to glorious feedback for you.
 
Blackberries use a specific type of network to receive emails that isn't found in 'remote places without internet cafes'. Even regular cellphones don't receive services in places with one or two phones per village, they have to use satellite phones. I've found internet cafes in the strangest of places. But maybe she just can't get to one right now.
 
i wouldn't use an internet cafe to do ANY paypal, credit card or banking business -- who knows whether those terminals are secure?? just seems risky to me.

and doesn't ebay require you allow 7 days for payment?
 
I would never use paypal on a public terminal and would never suggest someone else would either. While you have given her three days the ebay regs actually give her 7 days to pay. The 3/4/5 day payment time frame is not enforceable. I'm actually dealing with a seller who had such a timeframe and while I was ready to pay promptly she sends me a million emails all in caps demanding payment so I'm taking my sweet time.
 
I did email her back and ask about the iternet cafe and she said there is not one close to her, butshe would pay on the 1st and I could send the glasses when I get back from vacation. I am just a little leary because I am her first purchase on ebay so she has no feedback as of yet.
 
I would give the benefit of the doubt. She is happy to wait until after your vacation for shipping so it really is a mutually inconvenient transaction that can be kept pleasant with a little patience.