How Much Do No-Shows Really Cost You? [Free Calculator]

Most marketplace sellers know no-shows are annoying. But few realize just how expensive they are.

Let's do the math on what those ghosting buyers are actually costing you—not just in time, but in real money.

The Hidden Costs of No-Shows

When a buyer doesn't show, you lose more than just that sale:

1. Direct Time Wasted

• Waiting for the buyer (average: 25 minutes per no-show)
• Follow-up messages trying to reschedule
• Relisting the item
• Screening new buyers

2. Opportunity Cost

• Could have scheduled a reliable buyer in that slot
• Could have been working, earning income elsewhere
• Item sits unsold longer, potentially depreciating

3. Mental Energy

• Frustration and stress
• Reduced motivation to list new items
• Burnout from constant disappointments

4. Lost Sale Velocity

• Items that sit longer sell for less
• Seasonal items may miss their peak value window
• You may eventually sell for lower than asking price

Use Our No-Show Cost Calculator

Answer these questions:

1. How many items do you sell per month? ________
2. What's your average sale price? $________
3. How many buyers ghost you per month? ________
4. How long do you wait before giving up on a no-show? ________ minutes
5. What do you value your time at? $________ per hour

Your Results

Time wasted per month: (No-shows) × (Wait time) = ________ hours

Monthly cost: (Hours wasted) × (Hourly rate) = $________

Annual cost: (Monthly cost) × 12 = $________

Additional lost revenue: Delayed sales often mean price reductions. If each no-show delays a sale by an average of 3 days and causes a 5% price drop:

(No-shows per month) × (Avg sale price) × 0.05 × 12 = $________ per year

Real Example: High-Volume Furniture Seller

Let's look at Marcus, who sells furniture full-time on Facebook Marketplace:

• Sells 40 items per month
• Average sale price: $250
• Experiences 12 no-shows per month (30% no-show rate)
• Waits 30 minutes per no-show
• Values his time at $30/hour

His monthly costs:

• Time wasted: 12 × 0.5 hours = 6 hours
• Direct cost: 6 × $30 = $180/month
• Lost revenue from delays: 12 × $250 × 0.05 = $150/month
• Total monthly cost: $330
• Annual cost: $3,960

After implementing ShowdUp with deposits:

• No-shows dropped to 2 per month (83% reduction)
• Monthly cost: $60
• Annual savings: $3,240

ShowdUp costs $49/month ($588/year), so Marcus nets $2,652 in savings while completing more sales.

How Different Seller Types Are Affected

Casual Seller (1-5 items/month)

• Average no-shows: 2-3/month
• Time wasted: 1-1.5 hours
• Estimated annual cost: $360-$600
• Best solution: Free scheduling + manual reminders

Active Seller (10-20 items/month)

• Average no-shows: 5-8/month
• Time wasted: 2.5-4 hours
• Estimated annual cost: $900-$1,800
• Best solution: Automated reminders + phone verification

High-Volume Reseller (30+ items/month)

• Average no-shows: 10-15/month
• Time wasted: 5-7.5 hours
• Estimated annual cost: $2,400-$4,500
• Best solution: Full automation + deposits

What's Your Break-Even Point?

To calculate if ShowdUp saves you money:

Break-even if you're wasting more than: $49/month on no-shows

Most sellers waste this much if they have just:

• 3+ no-shows per month at $30/hour time value
• 2+ no-shows per month at $50/hour time value
• 1+ no-show per month at $100/hour time value

The Compound Effect

Here's what most sellers miss: reducing no-shows doesn't just save time—it unlocks growth.

When you stop wasting hours on flaky buyers:

• You can list more items
• You complete sales faster
• You build momentum and motivation
• You can scale up your operation

Real story: One of our sellers reduced no-shows from 8/month to 1/month. She reinvested those 3.5 saved hours per month into sourcing new inventory. Six months later, her monthly revenue increased from $3,000 to $5,200—a 73% increase.

How to Reduce Your Costs

Based on thousands of sellers' data, here's what works:

Tier 1: Free Strategies (30% reduction)

• Screen buyers better
• Send manual reminders
• Use specific time slots
• Confirm day before

Tier 2: Phone Verification (50% reduction)

• Require verified phone numbers
• Text-based confirmations
• Contact-based accountability

Tier 3: Deposits (80%+ reduction)

• Collect deposits when booking
• Apply to purchase price
• No-shows forfeit deposit

The ShowdUp Difference

ShowdUp combines all three tiers:

What you save:

• 4+ hours per week (16+ hours/month)
• At $30/hour = $480/month saved
• Minus ShowdUp Pro ($49/month)
• Net savings: $431/month or $5,172/year

Plus:

• Less stress and frustration
• More completed sales
• Better buyer quality
• Time for business growth

Calculate Your ROI

Simple formula:

1. Current monthly cost of no-shows: $________
2. Minus ShowdUp cost: $49
3. Your monthly savings: $________
4. Annual ROI: $________ × 12

If your monthly no-show cost is more than $49, ShowdUp pays for itself immediately.

Try Our Free No-Show Cost Calculator Tool

We built an interactive calculator that shows your exact costs and savings potential.

Calculate your no-show costs →

Just enter:

• Your sales volume
• No-show rate
• Time value
• Average sale price

Get instant results showing:

• Current annual cost
• Potential savings with different solutions
• ROI timeline
• Break-even analysis

Take Action

Now that you know what no-shows are costing you, what will you do about it?

Option 1: Keep doing what you're doing and lose thousands this year Option 2: Implement manual systems and reclaim some time Option 3: Let ShowdUp handle it automatically and maximize your savings

Start your free 15-day trial and see your actual results. Most sellers see a noticeable difference within the first week.

No credit card jokes here—we do require one, but you can cancel anytime during your trial if ShowdUp doesn't save you time and money.