auction cancelled on me

[iggers]

Bad Faith

Bad Faith

Sure the seller CAN shut down an auction, but there is an element of bad faith involved. Ebay could perhaps prevent a seller from closing an auction during the latter stages of an auction. While it is true that the seller has paid fees, etc., the bidders have "paid" by making a legally binding commitment to buy if they end up the high bidder, in return for the seller's commitment to sell at the high bid price. When the seller who has not put on a reserve decides to take his marbles and go home, he is acting in bad faith, in a sleazy manner.

I do not know how "experienced" you are with eBay but please always remember - it is a SELLER'S auction/listing site. It is a true marketplace where "Caveat Emptor" rules apply!

I both buy and sell on eBay and can assure you that the tools available to sellers are designed to ensure that they can control their listings. I have an item listed right now that received a bid from a buyer I am not comfortable with. I both cancelled his bid and "blocked" him (at least his ID) from ever bidding on anything I ever list again!

These are the tools available to sellers - and there are others.

BTW: This is NOT unfair.

The seller is paying all of the fees to both list on eBay (upfront fee) and also a commission to eBay if the item sells (variable based on selling price). So, since I as a seller am carrying all the costs (and they are quite "pricey") you are darned sure I want to control my sale.

Sorry you got "bounced". But after all, as you yourself said, it was a "play" bid. And after all, you could have just used the "Watch This Item" if you just wanted to see how much it sold for! 😀

 

[wierdcollector]

Hi Dan, I agree 100%. I have approx. 1 auction every 3 weeks that I'm bidding on where some seller to avoid proper fees uses no reserve then backs out within the last 24 hours or so. After you've been buying on eBay for a while you notice some of the same sellers perpetually doing this. I've been tempted to file a fee avoidance report on at least two sellers who have done this repeatedly.

 

[Poptart]

I had a really negative experience with eBay years ago when I bid on and won a Viv VI enlarger from a seller in Canada. He then emailed me telling me that it would cost $200 to send it to the US. It was all nonsense, of course--he just thought the final bid was too low and he wanted to make more on the item. I told him to forget it. Later I bought the same enlarger w/ B&W head from a woman in CA. Shipping? $20. Then I bought the color head from a separate seller and received a brand new unit. Anyway, the point is, you'll find the same equipment elsewhere if yoiu keep looking.

 

[ch1]

What seems to have been lost here is that the original poster said he put in a "play" bid. He had no interest in purchasing the gear - he just wanted to "see some action".

eBay has a "Watch this Item" option for folks who are simply "window shopping" or trying to determine what the market price of a given item is for future reference. When I was a more active eBay'er I regularly tracked 50 or more items that way to determine what the bid/ask spread was.

As to the claim that a seller would rather pull an item after putting it up with no reserve price and being disappointed at where it is selling - this is BOGUS. The reserve price option costs a few pennies.

And, in fact, eBay encourages sellers NOT to use a reserve price!

When you list an item, after putting in your details, eBay will generate "suggestions" to improve your chances of maximizing your price. One of these is to consider lowering or eliminating a reserve price if the seller had opted for one.

eBay does this because the WANT items to sell. Listing fees to seller are just the upfront cost. As is the case with any auctioneer, eBay makes its real $$$ on the sales commissions.

It would be interesting if some of the "experts" here chose to list a few items for sale on eBay. Maybe they would then have a clearer understanding of the system - because right now - most of you "just don't get it".

 

[stet]

hey, copake, it's the original poster here, to point out that if you read the third paragraph in the original post, it's inferred that I would've paid had I won. I also explicitly clarifiy this in the ninth post in the thread. I think somewhere after that, you fly off the handle about people putting words in your mouth, but that's something else.

Yes, it was a play bid and, in *your* words, I wanted to see some action. And if I'm at a casino and I feel like throwing away a nickel on a hard 10, I'm prepared to lose it. If it comes up, I want my $40. But I don't expect the casino to call the game before easy 10 or 7 shows.

 

[jan normandale]

Quote from copake_ham "Maybe they would then have a clearer understanding of the system - because right now - most of you "just don't get it"."

I'm not in Ebay U. I don't think it matters if you are the smartest Ebay'er in the world. This is miles off topic. I also think you are now putting down some RFFers in this thead.

I'm surprised because your other posts elsewhere are nothing like this thread.

 

[kiev4a]

I often make "play" bids -- bids that I don't expect to stand up but would certainly honor of they came out on top. That's what an auction is about, trying to get a bargain. A seller who cancels an item because the bids aren't as high as he or she hoped is not playing the game fairly.

Yes, Ebay is turning the screws on the cost of listings. That doesn't justify canceling a bid because it doesn't reach the level you desire. It's an auction. If you don't want to sell an item for less than a certain amount then include a reserve price.

Don't worry about me bidding on anything you offer. Given your attitude on this thread it's pretty obvious who's the real whiner.

Also, looking looking at your ebay feedback from buyers, it appears that your selling experience is rather limited for all the carrying on you are doing.

What seems to have been lost here is that the original poster said he put in a "play" bid. He had no interest in purchasing the gear - he just wanted to "see some action".

eBay has a "Watch this Item" option for folks who are simply "window shopping" or trying to determine what the market price of a given item is for future reference. When I was a more active eBay'er I regularly tracked 50 or more items that way to determine what the bid/ask spread was.

As to the claim that a seller would rather pull an item after putting it up with no reserve price and being disappointed at where it is selling - this is BOGUS. The reserve price option costs a few pennies.

And, in fact, eBay encourages sellers NOT to use a reserve price!

When you list an item, after putting in your details, eBay will generate "suggestions" to improve your chances of maximizing your price. One of these is to consider lowering or eliminating a reserve price if the seller had opted for one.

eBay does this because the WANT items to sell. Listing fees to seller are just the upfront cost. As is the case with any auctioneer, eBay makes its real $$$ on the sales commissions.

It would be interesting if some of the "experts" here chose to list a few items for sale on eBay. Maybe they would then have a clearer understanding of the system - because right now - most of you "just don't get it".

 

[Goodyear]

What seems to have been lost here is that the original poster said he put in a "play" bid. He had no interest in purchasing the gear - he just wanted to "see some action".

Dude, that's funny.

He explicitly stated he was ready and willing to back his bid and pay up.

So what's the problem (aside from your comprehension)?

 

[Laika]

What seems to have been lost here is that the original poster said he put in a "play" bid. He had no interest in purchasing the gear - he just wanted to "see some action".

copake_ham I mean this in the nicest possible way... but you are wrong here.

From what I and many other user here can read from "stet" first post is he put in what he called a "play" bid, meaning he thought he didn't have much chance of winning at his low bid but if by some chance he did he would be more than willing to pay for it.

I have done the same... saw a lens I'd like but couldn't justify paying what I thought it "should" sell for so I bid very low since no one else had bid, I had nothing to lose. Next morning I wake up to find I've won a near mint lens for $6. Sweet I thought. Now if the seller was unhappy he should have set a start price he could live with or use a reserve price ... not rocket science right? In my case the seller was fine about it.

stet while in this case you may not have grounds to take it further with ebay don't buy this rubbish that ebay always back the sellers, if you think you got a raw deal get in touch with ebay. A couple of weeks ago I took issue with a seller who had his wife using another account upping the bids on his items and when she became the high bidder she would retract her last bid leaving me in this case at my max bid price. The short version is I didn't have to pay and both seller and wife are now banned from ebay. 😀

 

[P C Headland]

copake_ham, you have misread the original (and subsequent) post.

His "play" bid is a low-ball bid, quite a common practice that you will see in both online and normal auctions and very common for items not listed or categorised properly.

In other words, you put in a bid well below what the item is worth, fully expecting not to win. If you do win though, you pay up and end up with a bargain.

A think you owe some people an apology.

Paul

 

[iggers]

I think too much was made of the expression "play bid". I make play bids all the time, like when I bid a maximum of $300 on an M2 that I know will sell for much much more. But play bids are for real in the sense that the bidder has every right to expect the seller to close if the "play" bid unexpectedlt turns out to be the high bid.