I wait 7 days, If their is no communication and I check to make sure it didn't go to the spam folder, I give them 24 hours to CALL me or I leave negative feedback and ask for a re-list credit and block them from further bids.

Some times bad things happen or a hunt of a life time comes up and their auction they won goes to the way side, But in my opinion a quick E-mail is not that hard to send (even to say "get pumped").

I think 7 days plus 24 hours final notice is more than appropriate (for me)

I was told one time that a buyer had gotten into a car accident, got cancer, son died, got cancer again, And hurt his hip over a months time and thats why he could not pay for his $3.50 auction he won from me.  Call me gullible but I bit on the first three excuses but when he told me that he got cancer again and would not call me to talk personally I then figured it was BS.  I still gave him about a week to pay me and sure enough after another week and after I had already left negative feedback and all, I received a check from him for $7.50 a dollar short of what he had owed me!  Needless to say I sent it right back with a nice little note. 

Did you specify a time limit in your auction description?

I usually state in my auctions that "Payment is required within 7 days of auction closing or next bidder will be notified and appropriate feedback left."

If they have been communicating with me, I do not stick to the '7 days' stuff. I do not set a time limit if the buyer seems to be honest and communicates what is going on. Sometimes people need a little extra time and I can understand that if they just let me know... Do what you got to do to make the customer happy and all...

I like to put my goofy '7 day' notice in there to cover my ass in the case of dead beat bidders. IMO, If they have not contacted you after 2 weeks - They are not likely to complete the sale and you should report them.

Stefowl, the phone works both ways. If he doesn't contact you whats wrong with a quick call to him??? I do that for almost all sales.     Trapper

Note: I already made a phone call/ left message on voice mail. I can understand a delay in payment, but in a week I have received no acknowledgement back of any of my contacts

I also do the 7 days, then email additional invoices each day for 3 more days with the last email stating "I will be filing with ... to refund my selling fees and relisting this item if I do not hear from you in 24 hours". This is done on other sites as well.

While I am certainly not a big seller on Auction Arms I have only had 1 deadbeat on this site. 

Inthe auction terms I give a 72 hour initial contact window to let me know how they are paying for it, who the FFL is coming from, etc. If no contact in 72 hours I send reminder invoice and call with a deadline. If I get a contact and they are mailing payment I will wait a week to allow for our Pont Exp.....er Postal System.

In my mind a reasonable time is 7 days. Apparantly in most bidders minds it is 2 to 3 months.

Shunt, Most bidders is a mighty  strong statement. I have had one deadbeat in my sales here and elsewhere. most bidders are in fact quite fast with their payments. They want the gun in their hands as fast as you want the check.     trapper

From the AA "Terms and Conditions":

As a buyer, I generally send the seller an email thru AA the same day, something to the effect of "Yippee Yahoo YAY I WON!  Where should I send the money, and how do you want the money order made out?"  If you are going 7 days, with no contact from the buyer, I would feel that you have been generous, and the buyer is a slug. 

Here is what works for me!!I have about a 2/3% deadbeat buyer rate.

On my invoice i ask for a return contact to confirm that they have received my invoice,payment options and contact info.Most respond within two days,some instantly, and if not i send another e-mail requesting a reply.nothing by the end of the third day,i relist- request a relist credit-drop a feedback- and move on.If you don't receive a reply within the three days you can almost bet you have a deadbeat on the other end.

I request that payment and /or FFL arrive within ten days after auction closes,after eight days i send a heads up e-mail stating nothing has arrived(in case it's lost) after ten days i send one more e-mail stating i need a reply ASAP and if none,then relist it and post the feedback.If i get a e-mail requesting a little more time,over the ten days, i almost always agree to it,if i feel the buyer is sincere,unless the buyer has a feedback history of stalling.