Have you had the experience when a winning bidder ended up not paying for the winning bid? It’s frustrating when this happens to you. As a result, many of those losing bidders lose interest in the item and decide not to purchase such an item.
Not only did you not get paid for the winning bid, but you also lost other potential customers who might’ve paid for the item immediately. It’s a waste of time, money, and opportunity.
eBay understands the frustration that sellers face with eBay buyers. Therefore, it has enabled the feature that allows sellers to block buyers from making a bid or purchasing an item that is up for bid.
If you’re not aware of this feature on your eBay account, you’ve come to the right place. It would be best if you spent time to learn about this feature to protect your eBay store earnings and to avoid the stress of dealing with a toxic eBay buyer.
And while blocking troublesome bidders keeps your store safe, you’ll also want to make sure your listings reach the right buyers in the first place. That’s where ZIK’s eBay product research tool helps, by showing you which products attract genuine buyer demand, so you focus on listings that bring serious bidders.
Keep reading to discover how to how to block a bidder on ebay.
Setting Up Buyer Requirements on eBay
eBay believes that all sellers aspire to expand their buyer reach to maximize their sales potential on the platform. However, they also believe that certain buyers will act negatively toward sellers, such as refusing to pay for orders or being unpleasant to deal with. As a seller, you can set buyer requirements on your eBay store to make it easier to block certain buyers from your account.
When using the buyer requirements feature, you must be extra careful. You don’t want to limit the number of bids or sales on your account, as it could impact your seller’s performance on the site.
Follow these steps on how to set up your buyer requirements on eBay.
Go to My eBay and click Summary > Account.
Go to Account Preferences > Site Preferences.
Look for the Your Buyers section, and you will have a few options: 1) Managing who can buy from you, 2) Blocked buyer list, and 3) Buyers who can see your VAT number. Choose the first option and click Edit on the right.
Specify your buyer requirements, such as exclude shipping locations (if you don’t ship your items to a particular country), or blocking buyers who have unpaid purchases on their transaction history. You can even set your buyer requirements based on their feedback score.
The process is essentially the same as when buyers choose which seller to buy from. You are filtering your options to ensure you don’t have to deal with buyers who could affect your sales or would be a pain to deal with once you’ve processed the orders.
Click to download your free eBook and jumpstart eBay dropshipping todayReasons to Block a Buyer on eBay
As a seller, you aim to reach more eBay buyers to increase the chances of earning a sale. So, why would you want to block a buyer?
Here are some of the common reasons to block bidders on eBay.
1. Habitual Non-Payers
Non payment is the most common reason to block a buyer on eBay. Many buyers like to bid on items they see on eBay, and when they do get the winning bid, they choose not to pay for the item. Non payment is a serious issue since other bidders are not granted the right to pay for that item, even if they wanted to, for the sole reason that you outbid them.
Therefore, buyers on eBay who fail to pay for the winning bid on an item could end up on a seller’s blocked list. It is essential when the buyer has done this habitually, meaning they have bid on multiple items and never paid for those winning bids. This is one of the buyer’s behavior that many sellers are wary of, which is why they choose to block bidders for non payment so they can no longer participate in future bidding or auction on eBay.
Aside from auction listings, overdue invoices can also cause a red flag for many sellers. Any unpaid orders can cause significant inconveniences to the seller, especially since sellers pay the platform for the listings of their items. It is a waste of time and effort.
Buyers need to understand the payment terms for each item before bidding on or buying it. That way, you won’t have to deal with unpaid purchases and the headaches that come with it.
2. Canceled Bids
Aside from failing to pay for a winning bid on an item, you might consider blocking buyers on eBay when a buyer habitually cancels their bid. Many bad buyers on eBay like to cancel their bids at the last minute, which would be enough to turn away other serious bidders.
As a result, the seller cannot finalize the sale on their bids because other serious buyers have lost interest. Again, these activities involving bad buyers are a waste of time and effort. When a buyer has cancelled bids a few times, you might consider blocking bidders from your eBay store so they cannot participate in future auctions.
3. Fraudulent Activities
Buyers involved with fraudulent activities are another reason to block buyers on eBay. Many buyers are concerned with scams, so it is in the best interest of your eBay business to avoid them.
This is important when the buyer has had a history of scamming reported under their account. You should be wary when dealing with these buyers and block them before they could cause damage to your eBay business.
4. Competitor
If you suspect a buyer is a competitor posing as a customer, it is also a valid reason to block a buyer. But before you do that, ensure you have enough information and evidence to make this decision. It is against eBay’s policy to pose as a buyer when you’re, in fact, a competitor, but many sellers still do this tactic.
If you don’t want another seller sabotaging your eBay store performance, start blocking buyers you suspect are involved in this activity.
Again, you must have solid evidence that these buyers are competitors because you don’t want to risk blocking your business’s potential buyers or legitimate customers.
5. Abusive Buyer’s Behavior
Selling online is a way to make money, whether doing it full-time or as a side hustle. However, certain buyers disrespect sellers simply because they believe they are “always right.” If you are dealing with abusive buyers, you should immediately block certain buyers.
But what qualifies for abusive buyer’s behavior? A few examples would be any of the above, such as those refusing to pay for their winning bids or orders, those buyers who cancel their winning bid at the last minute, or spam you with messages. Buyers who are rude toward you are also not good for your business, so you should block buyers on eBay who exhibit such behaviors. Blocking a buyer who chooses to disrespect you can give you peace of mind in the long run.
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Block a Buyer on eBay
Once you’ve decided to block bidders from your eBay account, the next step is to go to your account to add them to the list of buyers on eBay that you want to keep from bidding or buying from your eBay store.
Step 1: Log into your account.
Input your username and password so you can access your eBay account. Once logged in, go to the “Block Bidders or Buyers From Your Listings’ eBay page. On the Block Bidders page, you can specify which buyers you wish to block from your store.
Step 2: Add the buyer’s username
The Block Bidders page will have a textbox where you are supposed to input the buyer’s names on eBay that you wish to block from your store. Separate each username with a comma. The sellers on eBay can add up to 5,000 blocked users to that list! Hopefully, your store won’t have to deal with that many abusive buyers.
Step 3: Submit your blocked users
If you have added the users you wish to block on the Block Bidders page, you can submit it to allow the blocked action to take effect. This action automatically saves any new names you add to that list. You can reverse the process to unblock a buyer from that list.
Bonus Tip: Block Messages from a Buyer
The Contact Seller option lets buyers contact sellers with queries about your products or listings. However, abusive buyers can use this messaging feature to attack sellers using toxic language. Suppose you believe a particular buyer’s behavior is unwarranted and want to prevent them from messaging you. In that case, you can block messages from a buyer on eBay.
You must go to your Account settings or Site Preferences to do this.
Click on Buyer Requirements.
Click on the “Don’t allow blocked buyers to contact me” to prevent those in your blocked users list from reaching you via message on the platform.
Click on save to apply any changes you’ve made.
This action prevents buyers from sending a message to your eBay account and avoids dealing with abusive behaviors from buyers.
Can You Unblock a Buyer on eBay?
The biggest concern about your decision to add people to your blocked users list is the probability you could block someone you’re not supposed to. For example, you clicked on another buyer’s username different from the user you intended to block.
It can be devastating when such a mistake happens because you could lose sales from that individual you blocked accidentally. Thankfully, adding people to your blocked buyer’s list is reversible; you can unblock someone after you initiated the action to block buyers on eBay.
Aside from blocking someone by accident, there are many reasons to consider unblocking a buyer on eBay. It could be that you’ve updated your buyer requirements or changed your selling preferences. Either way, it is up to you who you add or remove from your blocked users list.
To unblock a buyer on eBay, go to the Help & Contact section of the website. Input block buyer on the search bar and click the Block a Buyer button.
You can delete any buyer’s username you want to remove from the list. You can remove as little or as many as you want. Once you are happy with the changes, click Submit.
Always review any changes you make to the blocked buyers list to ensure you don’t block someone you’re not supposed to.
Final Thoughts on How to Block a Bidder on eBay
As the top online marketplace, eBay puts policies in place to protect buyers and deliver a positive buying experience. However, eBay also provides tools for sellers to protect their rights and maximize their sales potential on the selling platform.
Explore these features and find out how they can help protect your store from fraudulent buyers or stress from buyers with abusive behaviors.
Spot Buyer Red Flags Before They Strike
Dealing with non-paying or abusive bidders? Use the ZIK eBay competitor research tool to check what successful sellers are listing—and who’s buying. While you can’t see private buyer behavior, you can identify patterns like repeat returns or trouble spots in your niche. Block smarter and avoid issues before they start.
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Block a Bidder on eBay
Here are some frequently asked questions on blocking bidders on eBay
Can you block bidders on eBay?
Yes. eBay allows sellers to block specific buyers or bidders through the Blocked Buyer List in account settings. This prevents them from bidding, purchasing, or messaging you. Blocking is useful against problem buyers, fraud risks, or repeated policy violators.
How to block a bidder on eBay app?
The eBay app doesn’t have a direct block option. To block a bidder, open a browser on mobile or desktop, log into eBay, and access the Blocked Buyer List page. Enter the username, save changes, and the block applies immediately.
Do eBay buyers know if you block them?
No. eBay never alerts buyers when you block them. The restriction is silent, so they remain unaware unless they attempt to purchase or bid on your listing. At that point, they’ll see they’re unable to proceed, realizing they’re blocked.
How to block bidders on eBay with 0 feedback?
Go to Buyer Requirements in your eBay account settings. Enable the option to block buyers with a low feedback score or those with unpaid strikes. Save changes, and eBay will automatically prevent 0-feedback buyers from bidding on your listings.
Can you block a bidder?
Yes. eBay lets sellers block specific bidders by adding their usernames to the Blocked Buyer List in account settings. Once blocked, that person cannot bid, purchase, or message you. This helps protect sellers from problematic or suspicious buyers.
Can I remove a bidder on eBay?
Yes. Sellers can cancel a bidder’s offer under certain conditions, such as incorrect amounts, suspicious activity, or upon buyer request. Navigate to eBay’s Cancel Bids page, provide the item number and bidder information, confirm cancellation, and the bid will be removed immediately.
Can blocked eBay bidders still message you?
Yes. Blocking bidders only stops them from bidding or purchasing, not from sending messages. However, you can adjust settings in Buyer Requirements to prevent blocked users from contacting you. This gives sellers extra protection from unwanted or harassing communication.
Can a buyer see if I blocked them?
No. eBay does not notify buyers when you block them. The block is invisible, and they only realize it when attempting to bid or purchase. At that point, the system prevents checkout, revealing they cannot complete the transaction.
How to tell if blocked on eBay?
A buyer cannot directly see they’re blocked. The only sign appears when they try to bid or purchase and the action fails. eBay won’t display a detailed explanation, only preventing the transaction from proceeding, signaling a block.