krayonne
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posted on January 5, 2003 07:36:20 PM new
I'm interested in any advice you more experienced sellers have with this. I've been approached several times to do this, and have never ended an auction early.
Now I have a widget up for sale (it's my son's and he has the proceeds slated for another purchase). Starting bid is low, and the first bidder wants me to end it early and sell it to them at a significantly higher price, approximately what I figured it would sell for. My son wants me to do this. If this item has received only one bid at the very low starting price, what is my liability as a seller? I only have an email from this bidder (low feedback) stating they want to pay XX.xx. Their true bid is a small fraction of their offer.
My thought is that this is not a good idea, and I should just let it ride. When people have approached me before, the closing price has always exceeded their offer. Plus, I don't really believe in ending auctions early. (Not really an auction IMO...)
Opinions/advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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nufsaid
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posted on January 5, 2003 07:51:35 PM new
As long as no-one else has bid and/or the person that wants to buy it is the highest bidder, I wouldn't feel too bad about it. However every single time this has happened to me (I don't end auctions early) the item sold for more than I was offered. If there are several bidders you will have to cancel all those bids. I generally reply that I don't feel comfortable ending the auction early and the person usually understands.
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tooltimes
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posted on January 5, 2003 08:32:15 PM new
You gotta wonder what the buyer's intentions really are. Merely impatient? Is a few days wait that terrible. It may be to a young teen. 
Also, there's now guarantee the bidder that emailed will go through with the off-site deal.
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dadofstickboy
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posted on January 5, 2003 08:39:11 PM new
I would cancel his bid.
Add a BIN for the price he wants to pay.
Let him buy it that way!
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hotcupoftea
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posted on January 5, 2003 08:50:35 PM new
krayonne, it is against eBay's rules to cancel an auction to sell to a person who contacted you through eBay. It is a violation for the person to make contact with you.
This is direct from eBay's Spam Policy Update of December 6, 2002.
+++++++++++
Below are a few examples of what we do not allow:
·An email sent to active bidders in an open listing offering the same or similar items;
·Adding email addresses to your mailing list without first obtaining permission from the members involved (this includes past bidders and sellers);
·Sending a direct or stand-alone email invitation to members to join your mailing list;
·Soliciting a seller to sell a listed item outside of eBay, including using the "Ask seller a question" link to solicit a seller.
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Libra63
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posted on January 5, 2003 09:06:43 PM new
Sellers and Buyers come into this board because people are doing things they don't like. Now here is a seller that was asked to end his auction early and comes here for advice and someone says do it.
Now there are times I don't follow the rules but this is totally against eBays rules and most of us know that. You say it has a bid then you can't revise it to a BIN so in my estimation you let it ride out to the end. I have done the BIN thing but I don't end auctions to sell off of eBay.
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tooltimes
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posted on January 5, 2003 09:25:12 PM new
Like I always say at least 20% of the ebay auctions are breaking some kind of a rule and ebay is losing millions every day with side deals made on the site.
When there's almost a zero percent chance of getting caught the rule breakers will be there in force.
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Roadsmith
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posted on January 5, 2003 11:31:19 PM new
I"m with the folks who suggest you NOT end the auction early. However, in turning down the buyer I would ask if there's some reason for the hurry and urgency with the sale. Is it for a gift, for example? And I'd reassure him that his payment via PayPal or BidPay would get him shipment the same day.
And then I would ride it out. By the way, your son needs you to be an example of NOT breaking the rules, IMHO. We have too many young men bidding on ebay now and wanting the rules to be bent; let's not teach one more how to do that!
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feasibleenterprises
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posted on January 5, 2003 11:44:33 PM new
There is a way to do it without breaking the rules - you may bend them, though.
Cancel the exising auction and relist with BIN and with your buyer as the only asuthorized bidder.
That way, eBay still gets there cut.
Although I have to agree that waiting usuually brings as good or better prices.
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dadofstickboy
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posted on January 6, 2003 12:41:55 AM new
The way I suggested above is not breaking any rules!
If the person who wants to buy it is the only bidder, just cancel his bid.
Then you'll be free to add a BIN.
Since there won't be any bids on it.
Then if he really wants it he can go in and use the BIN.
If not he,or anyone else is free to bid.
It's not off Ebay,and it's not breaking any Rules!
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tooltimes
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posted on January 6, 2003 07:56:17 AM new
dadofstickboy has a good legal method there. The other method which is to cancel all bids and relist with a BIN involves a bit of gamble ( at least 35 cents worth ) that the buyer with the request to buy will change their mind and they are under no obligation to actually buy.
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nufsaid
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posted on January 6, 2003 08:39:43 AM new
I really think you're throwing money away if you end it early. The person that wants it will help drive the bids up. Like I said before it always sells for more than they offer.
[ edited by nufsaid on Jan 6, 2003 08:40 AM ]
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krayonne
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posted on January 6, 2003 07:12:52 PM new
Thanks to all of you for your feedback. I decided not to end the auction early. It received 3 bids last night, and is almost up to what the initial offer was.
I personally don't feel good about cancelling bids. As a bidder, I usually watch auctions until the last bit of the auction - that's part of the fun for me. If an item were suddenly no longer available, I know I'd be disappointed. The eBay system as it is set up works for me the vast majority of the time.
Thanks again - I appreciate that there's such a knowledgeable bunch of people out there that are willing to help!
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pointy
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posted on January 6, 2003 07:31:56 PM new
I must have seen at least 100 threads on this issue over the years. Don't end the auction early. The seller's always come back and tell us that the item wound up bringing 3 times what the initial offer was. I've yet to see one seller come back and regret NOT accepting the offer and ending the auction. These sleazoids that are trying to get you to end an auction early are nothing but thieves. They know the value of what you have, and they're trying to circumvent Ebay rules to steal it from you for less than it's fair market value. This is how they make their living.
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