posted on September 14, 2002 09:35:19 PM new
I recently bid on several items from a certain seller who has zero feedback. Well, anyways, he emails me to let me know that he is ending his auction early & cancelling my bid because "it is not meeting the price quota". What quota? He never put a reserve on this auction? Does he have a right to end this auction just because? He's really pissing me off! This is the 5th item that he has cancelled on me because the amount of the sale is not what he was expecting to get for it!!!! Can I report this guy to eBay?
posted on September 14, 2002 09:51:21 PM new
Hi all,
I forgot one thing! When he emailed me that he was canceling my bid and closling the auction early he offered me the same item for a higher price. And from what I read up on eBay's User Agreement my bid was a binding bid.
I hope you all can help me make this very ethical decision.
posted on September 14, 2002 09:58:43 PM new
Oh well, that is a differnt horse, now that he has offered it to you at a higher price.
That falls under fee avoidance:
Ending a listing early to sell the item at a higher price to the winning bidder
Depends on how bad you want the item... and you must realize that unless he is going through eBay's "make an offer" you would have no recourse if he stiffs you.
posted on September 14, 2002 10:02:33 PM new
HE IS BRAND NEW FROM THE 0. KNOWS NOT HOW THIS WORKS. DON'T UNDERSTAND AN AUCTION. THINKS YOU ARE THE ONLY HIT HE WILL EVER GET. CANCELLS.
TWELVE,,,HE AIN'T THE WINNING BIDDER YET. SO,,,,
I DOUBT IF HE KNOWS WHAT A RESERVE IS.
BUT KILLING IT AN OFFERING IT FOR A HIGHER PRICE,,,,,,,,HMMMMM.
posted on September 14, 2002 10:11:36 PM new
Canceling all bids and ending an auction early is perfectly within eBay's rules. The seller being able to do this is why bids are not a "binding contract".
Offering the canceled item to the canceled bidders would be considered fee avoidance.
The bad thing is that no one can leave feedback about this to warn future bidders.
posted on September 14, 2002 10:53:01 PM new
I would try to avoid any seller with a ( 0 )rating unless you really, really want the item(s). Many new sellers try to win a few auctions to get a few feedbacks before starting to sell. It's almost in a class with buying new laptops from Romania, why do it al all?
posted on September 14, 2002 10:54:03 PM new
Hi all,
He just closed the auction.
This seller just signed up 9/9/2002 and he lives in TX.
I don't want the item at the higher price that he's asking for it. SO I wouldn't do it off eBay.
Boy I wish they had a way to leave feedback for situations like this for the seller. And if you think about it, this seller just lost 5 feedbacks to show that he is doing good business!
UGH!! Anyways, it's all water under the bridge. I emailed the seller and fumed at him told him pretty much where to go.
Thagnks so much for your help everyone. As always it is appriciated!!
-Lori
[ edited by UmIman on Sep 14, 2002 10:54 PM ]
posted on September 14, 2002 11:18:28 PM new
Umlman-eBay is big enough that another item just like it will come along. Just be patient. I have seen auctions where they say rare and right underneath is another of the same rare item. This seller will probably not be around long unless someone writes and tells him how to do auctions. Wouldn't it be nice if sellers and buyers had to take a test before selling and buying. Would eleminate 50% of the hassles the other 50% I don't know what to do with.
I guess block them.
posted on September 15, 2002 04:49:11 AM new
I THINK SOME OF YOU ARE BEING TO HARSH ON THE NEWBY. I THINK THIS IS JUST A BEGINER WITH LACK OF KNOWLEDGE. I REALLY DON'T THINK "TURNING" HIM IN IS GOING TO SOLVE ANYTHING. THEY WILL MOST LIKELY FWR HIM HELPFUL INFORMATION PAGES TO HELP HIS SELLING AT E BAY A MORE PLEASANT EXPERIENCE.
GEE, I SEE YOU DID GO TO HIS SELLER I.D. PAGE. SAW HIS SIGN UP DATE. TOO BAD THERE WAS NO ZIP CODE THERE, THEN YOU WOULD HAVE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. (JUST FUNNING !!!! ) A CHANCE TO GET A WORD IN ON THE ZIP CODE.
I DO BELIEVE E BAY IS COLLECTING FEES EVERYTIME HE LISTS. HE KILLS HIS OWN AUCTIONS SO THERE I S NO REFUNDS. E BAY IS STILL MAKING MONEY OFF HIM. CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG.
WHAT IS THE APPROX. REAL VALUE OF THE PRODUCT YOU ARE BIDDING ON? IF IT'S RATHER INEXPENSIVE, LEARNING. IF IT'S HIGH VALUE. HE KNOW WHAT HE IS DOING I WOULD THINK.
AFTER ALL IT IS HIS BUSINESS HE CAN DO THIS ALL DAY. CRAZY BUT TRUE.
posted on September 15, 2002 06:18:41 AM new
libra 63: Some time ago I was on a mission to get ebay to "certify" ebayers, by guiding them through the tutorials, quizzing them, and then placing a "diploma" icon by their id. A pink thought it a good idea and wanted to promote the idea. Since then ebay has put in place all the mechanics to do it except the quiz and the diploma. It would at least show that a potenial buyer or seller had read and (possibly) understood ebay basics.
posted on September 15, 2002 09:47:54 AM new
Jack, this seller is smart enough to cancel the bids before ending the auction.
I am curious, did this email come through eBay's "make an offer"?
Or just straight from the seller. If straight from the seller, then he is using the auction to gather email addy's to contact potential buyers off of eBay...
Ain't Life Grand...
posted on September 15, 2002 10:31:15 AM new
Umlman: How close to the end of the auction is this person canceling? Is it midway or very close to the end. In my experience the serious bidding usually comes close to the end of the auction.
I usually place ten day auctions. I find the most bidding is in the first two days and the last one or two days. In-between the item picks up potential bidders and last minute or second snipers. I don't think it is ever a smart idea to stop an auction unless it is something you can't live without in which case it shouldn't be up for auction anyway.
Face it, the reason auctions are so attractive, is we are looking for a good deal.
posted on September 15, 2002 03:18:45 PM new
Some of you people who have been around here awhile help me out on this one, will you?
At one time we had a respected poster on this board who told us he had it in his auction descriptions that he encouraged bidders not to wait until the last minute because (and I can't remember his exact wording, but it was very careful and inoffensive) if an auction hadn't reached a certain expectation by a certain time, he would cancel all bids and end the auction early. And he told us that he did exactly that when merited.
Funny - at the time everyone thought it was a great idea. Of course, the bidders were forewarned though, and I'm under the impression he didn't get a lot of flack from the ones he cancelled. Face it - clicking a button to bid is not making a major investment in time, and zero in money, while the seller might have a lot to lose.
Before everyone jumps me, I tend to 'ride them out' - as I have learned to begin my auctions with my very minimum acceptable bids, and have been pleasantly surprised in the closing moments too many times.
But let me hasten to add that as a 'newbie' (in eBay's "heyday" I was much too frightened to list without a reserve; in time, I came to decide they were self-defeating and only rarely use a reserve now - preferring the method I've already mentioned.
posted on September 15, 2002 09:05:15 PM new
Hey!! This Newbie needs to learn what is right & wrong. He needs to be turned into eBay, they will issue a warning & he can go on from there. We are not a policing force for eBay, but we need for our own sakes to aid in getting everyone to abide by the rules. This makes it a level playing field. Any arguments with this??
posted on September 15, 2002 09:21:57 PM new
My advice:
Offer to purchase the item AND not report his actions to ebay at the price you had placed as your high bid. Let this newbie know that what he/she is doing is called fee avoidance and that if you report him, he could lose his brand spankin' new shiny account with Ebay....
posted on September 17, 2002 04:45:07 AM new
HELLO ALL, HONESTLY, I DO NOT THINK HE CAN DO THIS AND I WOULD REPORT HIM TO EBAY...I AM ALSO A SELLER AND AT ONE TIME I NEEDED TO CANCELL SOMETHING ON EBAY,,,I WENT IN TO CANCELL IT AND THERE ARE RULES YOU ARE SUPPOSE TO FOLLOW TO END AN AUCTION WITH BIDDERS ALREADY ON IT....I BELEAVE A COUPLE ARE, THE ITEM MUST BE LOST, DAMAGED, OR NOT FIT FOR SALE...ALSO, DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO REMOVE A BIDDER FROM YOUR AUCTION,,,SAY IF HE HAS 10 NEGATIVE FEEDBACKS, ECT.. AND YOU DO NOT WANT HIM TO WIN AND HAVE TO DEAL WITH HIM? ANYWAY OF GETTING JUST THAT ONE PERSON OFF YOUR ITEM???
THANKS AND HAVE A GREAT DAY!
posted on September 17, 2002 06:48:29 AM new
GO TO THE BLOCK BIDDER FUNCTION ON THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SELLING PAGE.(MANAGE BIDDERS) WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING ABOUT A BIDDER YOU DON'T LIKE, KILL HIS/HER BID AND BLOCK THEM OUT.
HAVE A GREAT E BAY DAY.
AND THE BEAT GOES ON.......
[ edited by JACKSWEBB on Sep 17, 2002 07:34 AM ]
) A CHANCE TO GET A WORD IN ON THE ZIP CODE.
[ edited by JACKSWEBB on Sep 17, 2002 07:34 AM ]