"How long do you wait for payment" Topic

I took an order from a customer, filled it and sent out a paypal invoice. After two weeks of waiting and a number of emails a reply comes in, been on holiday which is fair enough. However its another two weeks on and more emails and still no settlement.
Now the buyer could be ill, had an accident or life has delt a bad hand, changed their mind, whatever. When is long enough?

That is way too long to wait for payment. I think 2 or 3 days tops is plenty long enough to be fair. Unless you talk to them and agree to a longer wait time beforehand.

What bashybits said. You are a business? I'd expect payment within a day of sending the invoice. I would never think of delaying payment.

On an eBay sale I had the same issue. After one week I started to send emails every other day. After two weeks entered eBay dispute and after another week closed the sale.

It has only happened once in a few dozen sales.

I felt a little strange thru the whole process.

+1 Bashy

What Bashy said…

+1 Bashy. I make it a point to pay as soon as I see the receipt and I expect others to do the same.

I give ebay sales 7 days then it automatically opens a dispute. People know when they have vacations etc, it doesn't just happen. They should be responsible and take care of stuff before they go. And, unless you are somewhere in BFE with zero cell or wifi service there is no freakin excuse to not handle your business.

+1 to the above.

When I buy stuff i want to get payment sorted straightaway so that I can get my hands on the toys as soon as possible, I would certainly not delay more than a day or two. With modern technology available to most people , it's rare not to be able to send PayPal payments from most places, even if on holiday.

It depends on the size of order etc, in our experience we would wait a couple of months. There are personal reasons why a delay happens in payment, if the order is small, but if large and stock can be dispatched to other orders a month its all to do with customer service, what we supply is a luxury/essential and real life gets in the way. Best to communicate giving a deadline you have waited a month give him another seven days. Customer service is really important the longest we have held an order for is around 10 years, we posted a painting order to a chap, he didn't collect it and it was returned, after numerous letters went un answered we put it on to our stock room shelves and waited, we met the chap buying more stuff years later and realised who it was he had moved previously and some time later that year we handed it over to him

Thanks for all the input everybody. It's a sizable order and yes the money would be welcome but its the lack of communication thats annoying. I've sent three mails asking whats happening, a simple changed my mind would do then I could use the items for other orders. Think I'll give it until the end of the week.

You are spot on – the lack of communications is not only annoying, it's a deal-breaker so far as I'm concerned. Put yourself in the buyer's shoes. If that was you, wouldn't you keep the seller informed, without needing to be prompted and regardless of what your issues were?

Bin him….

Doug

If I go into a shop I have to pay right away, if I order from a shop on line I have to pay right away. So why on earth would I expect it to be different on eBay. Holiday is no excuse as most people have mobile devices. Sorry unless coping with some major disaster, then the customer is taking the mick.

Yup – no pay, no product. Simple.

I believe part of the issue is that I (we) find it inconceivable that someone would agree to buy something and that back out without so much as an e-mail.

It's easier to think "Well, he may have gotten to as accident or is deathly ill" instead of "What a dirt bag".

Still no contact, so I've now sent an email cancelling the order.I can now put the items towards other orders.
Thanks for all the comments.