posted on February 27, 2003 12:04:10 AM new
Sellers....please, please, please, DON'T end your auction early unless you have a valid reason.
During the last week alone three of the four items I was planning to bid on were ended early...and undoubtedly sold directly to a buyer who waved some bucks in front of the seller's face.
I can't imagine what would happen to eBay if every seller nipped at the opportunities to end auctions early. The whole system would collapse. It's horrible for buyers. I don't even feel like browsing for items....what's the point?
As a seller also, I've had numerous contacts from buyers wanting me to end early and sell to them (some with tempting amounts)...but as a matter of principle (plus it's not allowed on eBay) I turned them all down. You know what? Every time the item sold for MORE than I was offered. Usually when a buyer wants the auction ended it's because they want to get a bargain and have you, the ignorant seller, close it early before the other knowledgeble buyers catch wind of the auction and drive the price up.
posted on February 27, 2003 01:46:34 AM new
I agree with you but IMHO if bidders would bid instead of watching until the end, maybe it would stop some of that...
many sellers get scared when there are no bids and figure they might as well get what they can...
My experience has been the same as yours though, in all but one instance the item went for more than I was offered and the ones wanting me to end early didn't even bid in most cases.
posted on February 27, 2003 03:34:20 AM new
I put an auction on last Sunday and hadn't received any bids. Lots of hits but NO bids. A seller asked me if I would take a certain amount for it, I said I would. I went in a put a BIN on and she bought it. If buyers are going to wait until the end of the auction to buy then this is probably what will happen. I happened to get a good price so why not? What I did was legal and eBay will get their fees besides charge for the BIN. I would never end an auction and sell off of eBay.
posted on February 27, 2003 03:38:16 AM newa buyer wants the auction ended it's because they want to get a bargain and have you, the ignorant seller, close it early before the other knowledgeble buyers catch wind of the auction and drive the price up.
I take offense to this paragraph. I am not an ignorant seller. I know what my items are worth and what I want for them. Maybe I could have gotten a few more dollars but buyers that don't bid lose out. If my item had bids I would not have sold it like that.
posted on February 27, 2003 04:01:23 AM new
A couple of years ago I would have agreed about not ending them early due to no bids. But now, there may be a last second bid, but it will probably just take it at the start price.
Selling antiques, which are more-or-less unique, can be a real crap-shoot. There can be demand for an item that was ignored two weeks ago. I have ended auctions where there was no interest. Bidders won't bid with a reserve or high start, so I list accordingly. And I don't mind if they get a good deal on my items, but sometimes I just don't feel like going to the trouble to pack and ship an item I am "giving away".
Oddly enough, I have only gotten one email from someone saying they were going to bid. I told them I would notify them if/when I relist.
posted on February 27, 2003 11:32:33 AM new
Well that is your idea and eBay gives us the opportunity to end it and I took advantage of it. I would never end an auction that had a bid. This auction had no bids and I chose to put the BIN on.
posted on February 27, 2003 11:39:32 AM neweBay is an auction and if bidders would do just that I as a seller would not have to end the auction. There are many sellers that end an auction a day before so that they don't lose their money. I don't do that but I will sell if someone offers me a price I think is fair and I will go in and put a BIN on. Why do bidders snipe? I have no idea. When I find an item I like I bid with the amount that I am willing to pay for the item. I don't wait until the end to bid and then hope I can get the item because I know the snipers that don't want to bid the auction wait until the end. I hope I said this right.
[ edited by Libra63 on Feb 27, 2003 11:40 AM ]
posted on February 27, 2003 11:50:53 AM new
"Sellers....please, please, please, DON'T end your auction early unless you have a valid reason."
And who are you to tell me how to run my business?
If bidders would learn to use eBay properly (those pesky proxy bids), sellers wouldn't have to end auctions early. Period.
I have not to date indulged in the early-end practice but I am considering it quite seriously.
--
Because of their courage and daring and idealism, we will miss them all the more. --George W. Bush, 02/01/03
posted on February 27, 2003 12:03:35 PM new
I don't ever end auctions early. I am selling several things as an ebay assistant One piece of equipment is quite expensive, it is used in the HVAC ibdustry. I had an email yesterday asking if I would end the auction early. There was already a bid on it so couldn't do a BIN. Told him sorry, not my policy.
posted on February 27, 2003 02:22:49 PM new
I ended three auctions early this week which I have never done before. I had listed them at my cost and they had no bids. I had some other items that were the same thing just different styles and colors so I wanted to list all of them together as a "lot" in wholesale. With bidding being so slow I thought I would have a better chance this way just wish I had thought of it sooner so I hadn't lost the other listing fees. Oh well.<p>
I have never had anyone ask me end an auction early. I have had several emails after an auction ends to ask if they can buy it. I tell them I will relist and email them the auction number so they can bid on it the second time around.
posted on February 27, 2003 02:50:55 PM new
I ended early once with a bidder - she had bid and won 3 other items and there was a problem with one so I offered to end early to let her win at a lower price - she was the only bidder.
I got a 5 page email from someone telling me that they had planned to bid at the last minute and that I should not have ended early etc etc etc. I should be ashamed of my selling habits etc etc etc.
While I don't make this a practice to end early (only did it once) - I don't THINK anyone has the right to tell me what I can or can not do with my item. Pay my fees and then we'll talk??? I told her that instead of telling me to change my habit - that perhaps she should reconsider changing her BIDDING habits and not wait till the last minute.
If you are going into the last day with no bids - chances are you aren't going to get but one or two bids.
I wish ebay had a feature that Yahoo has that shows the seller if the item has been added to a watch list. At least with that you know bidders have some interest.
posted on February 27, 2003 07:50:55 PM new
Fluffy - per your amazingly nasty comment:
"And who are you to tell me how to run my business?"
Actually I find the above amusing as I've seen you in this forum before giving hot-headed advice right, left and center.
Please note that I expressed my dismay at auctions being cancelled without a VALID reason. I was referring to auctions with bids, ending early, ostensibly for the seller to make a direct sale offline. This, of course, violates a few of eBay's policies. I guess if that's the way you want to run your business (by breaking rules) it IS between you and eBay.
Between auctions being yanked, misdescribed items (don't even get me started on this one), overinflated shipping, etc., etc., it's a wonder that eBay sales aren't down even more. I used to spend thousands on eBay every year...now I spend a fraction of that. Not worth the head and heartaches.
posted on February 27, 2003 08:18:24 PM new
"Please note that I expressed my dismay at auctions being cancelled without a VALID reason. I was referring to auctions
with bids, ending early, ostensibly for the seller to make a direct sale offline. This, of course, violates a few of eBay's policies."
VALID as defined by your precious self. We all understood that, root vegetable. VALID means "Don't end any auction that I may want to bid on at the last minute, you bad bad seller!"
So don't buy on eBay. We won't miss you. There are 51 million other bidders. See you later, rutabaga!
--
Because of their courage and daring and idealism, we will miss them all the more. --George W. Bush, 02/01/03
posted on February 27, 2003 11:27:40 PM new
"VALID as defined by your precious self. We all understood that, root vegetable."
Fluffy (Kiara, Fetish)...After I got through laughing about your inane response (i.e. your uncalled for hostility) I was going to respond...But you know what Fluffy?...you've obviously got some psychological problems...and just as I would avoid in the real world...so shall I have nothing to do with you here. As someone once told me, absolutely ANYONE can buy a computer. Alas, so true.
posted on February 27, 2003 11:54:09 PM newFluffy (Kiara, Fetish)...After I got through laughing about your inane response (i.e. your uncalled for hostility)
Rutabaga, You find a dancing fruit and vegie gif "hostile"?? Sheesh!! I think you are reading a lot more into it than I ever intended as I have no hostility towards anyone here.
Have you tried putting in a minimum bid on the auctions that you want? Then maybe the seller would see some hope in their item and not yank it on you.
I buy, I sell, I see both sides of this issue. Several times I have seen sellers pull listings that I was interested in. I got over it and moved on to someone else's stuff. There are about 10 million listings out there and always something else to buy.
I don't end auctions early but some day I just may be in the situation to do that.
I think you just wanted to scoop something for a cheap price and now you are the hostile one.
posted on February 28, 2003 09:27:18 AM new
Anger? Nah. I just ended an auction early, moments ago. First time I've done that in years.
I can save a ton of money this way, and silly me, I've been so focused on selling that I hadn't thought about cutting out the deadwood.
Thanks, rooty! Wotta guy! Think I'll have a veggieburger for lunch.
--
Because of their courage and daring and idealism, we will miss them all the more. --George W. Bush, 02/01/03
posted on February 28, 2003 09:55:47 AM new
"I think you just wanted to scoop something for a cheap price and now you are the hostile one."
Heh. Reminds me of the time my partner found some software he wanted listed for $1.00.
The seller was new to eBay and had included some crappy HTML that caused the page to stop loading about half-way down. In other words, no one could bid.
My partner figured out how to mend the code and submit a $1.00 bid, which he did.
The seller cancelled the bid and ended the auction, moments before it would have ended anyway.
My partner was ticked off about it for weeks.
This rooty-rage sounds pretty familiar to me.
--
Because of their courage and daring and idealism, we will miss them all the more. --George W. Bush, 02/01/03
posted on February 28, 2003 10:28:43 AM new
Some buyers spot an item and put it on their watch list and in their minds they think they already own it. Then when it's snatched away they get upset yet they haven't waved any money at all.
It's like going to a yard sale and deciding all the stuff you want is going to be yours and then others grab it out from under your nose because you didn't open your wallet fast enough or you were standing there hoping to get it cheaper.
posted on February 28, 2003 10:52:45 AM new
Wait until the new reserve fees go into effect.
Sellers will list without a reserve and cancel
if the bids are slow or don't go high enough.
posted on February 28, 2003 11:12:18 AM new
ttoby: That's the same thought I had this morning. eBay is driving sellers to resort to early-endings or sell somewhere else entirely.
I personally own a genuine Tiffany sterling repousse tea caddy that I wanted to sell for $1400, but pay a $14.00 reserve fee? No fricken way! Far easier to game the system. Haunt the antique silver listings, identify the big players, contact them directly.
Or wholesale it to another antique dealer.
Or go back to paying for a mall space.
eBay hasn't given much thought to this reserve fee crap, despite what they say.
--
Because of their courage and daring and idealism, we will miss them all the more. --George W. Bush, 02/01/03
posted on February 28, 2003 12:12:04 PM new
Since you have a clear idea of what it is worth, couldn't you list the tea caddy as a fixed price item? As I read the fee schedule, you would just have the insertion fee and FVF (assuming it sells).
posted on February 28, 2003 02:22:32 PM new
The way people bid it is likely no one would bid
on it at auction if you tried to start it at
$1400 or fixed price. Buyers complain about
reserves but they want you to start a $1400 item
at $49.00 then try to buy it with one bid at the
end of auction.
posted on February 28, 2003 05:48:23 PM new
ttoby is right, Damariscotta. Buyers want the momentum, the build-up of excitement, the possibility (however remote) that they're going to get an incredible bargain.
That's why so many fixed-price items go languishing, even though they are priced quite reasonably. Geez, just today I saw an 18 inch 6mm solid sterling silver Omega necklace listed fixed-price for $20. I can't buy it for that wholesale. You'd pay $100 for it in a store.
It is truly a buyer's paradise on eBay, but most fools don't seem to realize it. eBay sellers are having to hone their purchasing skills to a fine point just to eke out slender margins. And if they don't have those skills, they don't survive.
--
Because of their courage and daring and idealism, we will miss them all the more. --George W. Bush, 02/01/03
posted on February 28, 2003 07:53:12 PM new
I was offer $75.00 for a item to stop a auction a month ago and I told her I couln't do it because it wouldn't be fair to my other bidders. She told me just tell them you spilled coffee on the jacket. I told her to go and put a bid on it and price it up top $75.00 and you should win it. She did for $31.00. It was tempting but I held my ground.
posted on March 1, 2003 04:00:01 AM new
I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek about listing it as fixed price. The problem is that buyers are coming to ebay to find an item they can't get elsewhere and/or get a great deal. Reserves that essentially put a retail price on something kill this, and keeping reserve fees low will only encourage more unrealistic reserves.
If bidders ran an item up far above what the seller thought it was worth, you would all probably think that was OK, after all, the marketplace is determining the price. Well, isn't the ebay marketplace doing the same when it doesn't sell?
Most auctions only work when they can create the perception that bargains are to be had. Every antique dealer will tell you the same thing: "They won't pay as much for the one in my shop as they do for the one at the auction".
How about this for an option: Reserve acts like a buy it now; bidders do not know the reserve, but first bidder to hit it automatically wins the item!
posted on March 1, 2003 05:07:37 AM new
"Sellers....please, please, please, DON'T end your auction early unless you have a valid reason."
Valid reason?
Very simple, no bids yet, if seller wants to end auction, that's a valid reason. It's their item so their business what they do with it.
I've had good items where there haven't been any bids for 6 1/2 days, so I end it, and try to figure out how I can get attention at an earlier point when its re-listed.
Personally, once an auction has a bid, I won't cancel it unless I receive information that I made a big mistake in the description.
On the other hand, I do know sellers who simply start things low because they don't want the reserve fees, and I've seen them cancel both bids & auction right up to 15 seconds before it ended, which I don't agree with.
