Question for Ebay sellers out there

[Horse with no Name]

I am curious.
I have had a hard time with NPB. A really difficult time, especially lately.
I find that they most often occur with very low number of feedbacks.
So the latest one. Used "Buy It Now".
My auction terms are pay within 3 days via Paypal.
So after 3 days, no response whatsoever, I emailed this buyer.
No response.
5 days, emailed, no response.
7 days, emailed, no repsonse.
Today is now the 9th day post auction. I filed a NPB dispute.
I then check this buyers feedback. It appears she bought AND paid for the exact same book 2 days ago from another seller.:wtf:
I have 100% feedback--and also very good feedback regarding fast shipping, etc. so it wasn't that someone else had a better feedback rating.
Indeed, the person she purchased from had a 97%.
So anyway...when I saw this purchase feedback, I left negative feedback and decided that I didn't want to deal with this buyer at all, but since you have to wait for them to respond, my hands were tied.
She paid for the item tonight. I refunded her money then proceeded to close the dispute console.
But I am curious. How do you handle these types of situations?
A couple of times I have had buyers lead me down this path and gave them multiple chances to pay for an item they decided they really didn't want, then they either don't leave feedback or want to return the item saying it wasn't as described--or simply never pay for the item. Personally, I don't need the grief.

[deadparrot]

1. Don't know, but I'll

:kick: this for you!

:hi:

[pitohui]

2. don't allow people w. less than 10 pos. feedbacks to bid

i don't know what else to tell you, it didn't use to be this way, but the smart responsible people were noobs on ebay in 1997, if they're a noob in 2006 it's probably because they are a bum who has had multiple accounts -- because half the time they don't pay or they make your life a misery before they finally pay

[SoCalDemGrrl]

3. File a NPB claim as soon as possible don't wait...

usually the threat of it and ebay's "gentle prodding" gets them to

pay up. I sell about 100 items a month and I've only had one non-payment

since I got really aggressive with the NPB emails.

[grasswire]

4. I look at it this way...

I've still got the merchandise if someone doesn't pay. I'm out very little in eBay fees for an NPB, and I consider that a cost of doing business. Remember, I'm not paying for a brick and mortar store, so costs are very low considering the fact that eBay is open 24/7, it reaches buyers worldwide with no marketing effort from me, and I can work whenever I want, from home. I just let the deal go with one reminder. No NPB complaint, no bad feedback. It's much easier on my blood pressure that way.

[grasswire]

5. I should add...

....that I've only had a dozen or so NPB in eight years of selling.