The following items are in ABC order not necessarily in order of importance.  The following items are listed here as follows:

1. Abuse of the System by Seller
2. Appealing Unpaid Item Strikes
3. Return of the Final Value Fee if Buyer Doesn't Pay
4. Seller removes Strike Process
5. To report and Track Disputes

ABUSE OF THE SYSTEM BY SELLER

Complaints and information can be started here http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/fvf-abuse.html

APPEALING UNPAID ITEM STRIKES

If you as a buyer receive toooooo many strikes against them Ebay will not find you valuable to their working relationship with their other members and will take steps to remove you from their membership.  I understand that they do not need to give you warning of removal.  One day you get on the computer and you no longer exist.

All unwarranted strikes need to be removed immediately and you need to file your appeal immediately.  Emotion does not come into play here, you can not sway Ebay by begging or pleading.  If you received a strike that you feel is unwarranted they only want the facts of the case and nothing else.

Get all your ducks in a row.  Here is what you will need:

1. Proof that you have paid - a copy of the money order, cashiers check, credit card statement, check, or pay pal statement.  Before sending your payment you should have made a copy of your money order, cashiers check or check with all the information filled out.  For a check or credit card many companies have the information available to you online.  Pay Pal is an online company so your proof is readily available.
2. You can say you mailed the payment, but can you prove it?  Sometimes Ebay will accept this and sometimes not.
3. If there was a bad illness or accident that landed you or a love one in the hospital, can you prove it?  You should have documentation from the hospital readily available for copying and sending.
4. The seller has already left you postive feedback. 
5. If you emailed the seller and they said any of the following you will need a copy of the email with full headers:

• Take your time
• Don't worry about it
• I can wait
• Send the money when you can
• Just forget it

You need to state your case in letter format, except when submitting online, remember to stick to the facts.  No name calling, no crys for forgiveness - just the facts.

Include you ID, the sellers ID and the auction number on all pages of correspondence and list the items per page.  EXAMPLE:  Page 1 of 5 pages, page 2 of 5 pages and so on.

Each auction must be addressed individually, irregardless of the fact that you paid for them all at once.  If you must resubmit the same thing over and over than this is what you must do.

Having your seller remove the strike is the best way.  If they state they don't know how the information is listed below.  However, if they won't continue on to one of the following.

Online is the best and the quickest response time.  AAll others can take up to 10 days to be reviewed.  For online go here as this is your starting spot:  http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/appeal-upi.html

By mail:  Ebay Incorporated, Post Office Box 1469, Bidder Appeal Department, Draper, Utah, 84020

By Fax: 1 (888) 379-6251

RETURN OF THE FINAL VALUE FEE WHEN BUYER DOESN'T PAY

Disputes can only be opened in the first 45 days from the time your auction closes

NOT FROM THE TIME YOU GET FED UP WITH YOUR BUYERS EXCUSES!

When you have a dispute with your buyer it is very important  for the two of you to keep open the lines of communication.  Without it the buyer has no hope of settling the matter and receiving their item and the seller has no way of being paid for their efforts in putting the item up for auction and most importantly their cost and profit of the item.

This process is for the times when it is time to call in the big guns.  For when you just don't think you can take one more excuse.  When your shaking your hand in dismay.  The buyer may be feeling the same way. But the buyer can't file this - only you can. 

In talking to sellers about problems and excuses they have encountered for non-payment, I have decided to include a few here:

• The payment is in the mail
• I paid by Pay Pal and I don't know what they did with the payment
• Your shipping is tooooooo high
• The shipping is more than the item cost
• I'm broke this month can I have credit?
• I'm broke this month can you wait till the first?

Most sellers tell me that if a buyer would be so kind as to ask their questions before they bid then a lot of these problems wouldn't have existed because they would have their answers to what the seller would and would not do.  Sellers tell me that they feel like they are being boxed in, crated and shipped off to the funny farm by buyers who wait till the auction closes to try and get their way.

Some sellers never hear from their buyers and their could be a whole range of reasons for this like any of the following:

• Their computer broke down
• They have been on vacation and just returned
• They hadn't realized that the auction closed

While these are all good excuses, their is a solution to them.  Most towns have libraries and where there are libraries they have computers that are available to the public.  When I traveled to Texas to see my son I found that from Washington to Texas there were 4 small towns with libraries and they all had computers.  I was able to keep in touch with him through email and let him know how the trip was coming - in that way he didn't worry.  A person could do their Ebay thing as well as I did email.  But, I don't think this is wide spread knowledge.

What ever the frustration is Ebay can step in.  Once you file an unpaid dispute Ebay will send off a firm but polite letter stating that you have filed an unpaid dispute and that you would like to resolve this problem through their special site.

They have 7 days to answer their request for communication and the two of you have 60 days from the date that the dispute is filed to resolve your differences. 

Each and every letter, every word, every sentence, every paragraph is recorded on this site where the two of you can review what has been written and make a decision on whether you want to continue this purchase or not.  It may well be that you will decided to give the buyer time and on the other hand after 7 days more of trying to pound out an agreement you face the cold hard fact that you are both to stubborn to continue and wish to end this entire farce.

If the buyer is no longer a member you can get your money back immediately by requesting it.  You can also leave them negative feedback and know that they can't do anything because as a non-member they are not to leave feedback.  This is like kicking them when they are down & from a purely ethical point of view - I don't recommend it.  Others would say it is bad karma.

Okay lets say you have had it, what are your options.  Here are the 3 outs  that Ebay will allow you.

1. You can agree to end the deal with your buyer.  Say it is a mutual agreement.  Ebay doesn't give them a strike and you will receive your final value fee back.  Your item will also qualify to be relisted or a second chance offer may be put out.
2. You can end the transaction and make sure that your buyer gets a strike and you will get your value fee back
3. You decide to continue the agreement and give them more time.  The buyer will not receive a strike and you will not receive your final value fee back.  Be careful on this one.  You may want to wait till you see if your buyer carries through with their new agreement before you file on this one, as you will be unable to refile again if they don't. 

A dispute will stay open for only 60 days from the date  you first filed it

If you don't close it

Ebay will

Here is where you file for an unpaid item dispute:  http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/unpaid-item-process

TO REPORT AND TRACK DISPUTES

You can keep track of your disputes in My Ebay or by going to this page http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/using-dispute-console.htm

SELLER REMOVES STRIKE PROCESS

Have your seller go here for information on starting the process http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/seller-remove-upi.html

A guide's life with me, depends on the number of votes, it has obtained.  The more people read it, this is a good thing.  But the more people that vote for it as though it were worth while, will continue it's stay.  Otherwise off with it's head, so to speak - and it will be permantly deleted.