posted on May 8, 2003 12:58:36 PM new
I wouldn't have much of a problem with bid retraction per se except for one thing: The situation with the under-bidder, who goes on on to bid on another identical item, secure in the knowledge that he'd been "outbid" for the first.
I actually have two hot-curler sets right now because of this. I like a particular style of curler set. Mine burned out, meaning I needed a replacement ASAP. I bid on one, watched a shades-bidder push it up past the WalMart price and moved on to another. "Shady" retracted his bid (giving a completely bogus reason) but since both auctions ended while I was at work, I had no chance to respond myself. Both auctions ended with me as the official winner.
I didn't really mind ... eventually, this model will probably be discontinued and I'll have a spare (which I will need unless unless I get a big-screen TV*. ) Because I've been around a very long time, I understood that I was taking a risk of ending up the winner in two auctions. But I'd be willing to bet that a large number of eBayers never really consider that.
The other problem I have with bid retraction is the bidder's "reason" is visible to anyone who looks. One of the reasons requires the bidder to criticise themselves (wrong bid amount) and the other two are criticisms of the seller (item not as described, can't contact.) That doesn't cover all circumstances - like "My dog got hit by a truck and I suddenly have a $1400 vet bill" - and there's no way for a seller to refute a bad reason.
*If I get a big-screen TV, I will buy the Chicago DVD and watch it a lot. Each time, my desire for Catherine Zeta Jones' haircut will grow a little more until I can no longer resist it. If you see a lot comprising one new and one slightly used set of Conair ProStylers, you will know that my living room has been drastically rearranged.
posted on May 8, 2003 01:08:53 PM new
:: I think I may have retracted 5 bids in a year and one of those was because the owner was shilling, another was because the item description described what I was looking for but the later added photo showed that the description was false. ::
That's what I sais - somehow you turned it into 5 retracted bids because I couldn't afford.
::You are one angry person!::
Actually - I have been giggling all morning at your arrogance and shocked at your holier than thou attitude. You know nothing about me or the items that I purchase yet you have made numerous judgements based on your incorrect assumptions... I just add that one to the list. You think I shoud be thrown off ebay and yet the sellers I deal with on the items that I collect (including ones that I have retracted bids on) obviously don't mind my continued presence.... they email me to let me to give me a heads up on new finds in my line of interest. I get a chuckle out of you feeling that you know more about my worthiness as a buyer than they do.
isn't that what the watch item is for? i place an item in my watch list and look at it several times before actually bidding unless it is something i am sure about.
that would be better for all and much easier than doing a bid retraction.
posted on May 8, 2003 01:18:56 PM new
No, I know nothing about you as a person. I am only commenting on your bidding behavior, which you have explained here. You can try to justify bid retractions all you want, but it comes down to there are only 3 valid reasons to retract a bid. They aren't because you don't have the money, or that you think the condition of the item is different. Can't do anything about the first reason, the second reason you can contact the seller to discuss the condition of the item.
The "angry" comment is because you automatically go to "can't you read" type comments, when you specifically said that you retracted 5 bids in a year - My arguments have not been intended as a personal attack on you specifically, because I don't know you from a stranger walking down the street. This is going way off topic, so I'll respond to comments about the subject, but I don't think there is a need to turn this into a 2 person war that just sinks to low levels...
posted on May 8, 2003 01:18:58 PM new
::Please know that overall I do enjoy your posts and you've helped many since you've been here.::
Kiara - don't sweat it - I very rarely take things personal.
I gues my point is ... Why bother getting so worked up about a retraction?
1) You can't do anything to stop it
2) It did not cost you ANYTHING. True, the high bid drops once they pull out but no lower than it would have been if they had never bid. If on the other hand hey deadbeat - you do lose time and the listing fee.
3) The "A bid is a binding contract" thing is nice but its pretty much completely unenforcable. You are not going to successfully force anyone to buy anything from you.
1) Yes... I can do something to stop it... I can report bid retraction abusers to ebay!
2) It CAN cost me as a seller.... (bidder sees you bid on it... thinks its a good price at that amount... but not for the next increment and passes it by) PLUS it CAN cost me as a fellow bidder (like msincognito's post!)
3) What's the sense in having a user agreement if you don't abide by it? Believe it or not... eBay WILL hold you to their user contract. If you breech your binding contract of a bid, sellers can file FVF's which will eventually get you kicked off eBay.
posted on May 8, 2003 08:59:20 PM new
I don't understand bid retractions?
Well I am back after a long day. This is interesting. After I wrote this I sat down and did my packaging for the day. Then I realized that I recognized the eBay user name and my bidder who cancelled her retration had won an auction from me last week. Go figure. It is not 21 in a week it is 21 over the last 6 months and I don't know why they did it. I know there isn't another item like it on eBay but I didn't check on what she was bidding on as I don't care. She did pay immediately for the auction she won last week and was very pleasant. I do have a bid on the item and her's only raised it 50 cents. The only reason I said I didn't understand bid retractions because the reason was the description change, which I didn't make any, but ebay wouldn't let them put anything else.
In Wisconsin when we buy a major article we have 3 days to cancell. It's sort of a grace period to make sure you can pay for the article. So I guess this is ebay's way fo doing that. Better to back out than not pay.
posted on May 8, 2003 09:27:26 PM new Go figure. It is not 21 in a week it is 21 over the last 6 months
Wrong! I checked this again and it is 21 in the last week. If this was over the last six months it would show the amount from six months and the last 30 days and so forth and would have a 0 under the 7 days.
posted on May 8, 2003 09:48:09 PM new
Libra - that would mean that all 21 are in the past 7 days. Since they have been within 7 days, they have also been within the past month and the past six months. If the have been around long enough to rack up the feedback you are talking about and with that rating have not retracted any bids but suddenly etracted 21 in a week I would check to see if there is anything that they are actively bidding on right now. From what their numbers look like and what you say about them being a previous buyer with quickpayments it sounds like they have had some type of event in the past few days that caused them to need to second think their cash expenditures.
