posted on January 15, 2001 10:13:18 AM new
in this situation? Please?
I am writing this in a hurry...
I have two siblings selling on Ebay. Both have just started and are just selling off a few things from their homes. I sell for others, including my Mom, who is on a fixed income.
My Mom has an excellent eye, and although we are selling items from her home, we will also be selling great stuff that she has found at mid-western estate sales and auctions. This will soon be their only source of income besides Social Security.
Some things she has purchased we have given to my younger sister, instead of listing. On another item, an art deco piece, I told her to find the fair market price & I would sell it to her, giving the money to my Mom. I have told her I do not want her bidding on my auctions, because she had already done that to another relative.
While she was away the past couple days on a business trip she bid on an auction that I had listed! A vintage collectible. It was half way though a ten day auction with no bids, and still only has hers. I couldn't get in contact with her to see what the he** she was doing until she arrived home. Before this hits WWIII level...what would you do on this one?
She used her ID, bidding on something for a group at work to give to someone as a retirement gift. This is something I purchased, not something my Mom owned. She didn't let me know of course before she bid, because I just would have cancelled and given up. She has informed me that she has ask someone else to register & place a bid so that this group will be assured of getting said widget. Geesh. They will not be able to find this item immediately for the gift. I am just as uncomfortable with that.
Can I just email and ask Ebay to charge me final auction fees for the price they bid, and just close the auction? I would give her the stupid thing if it didn't involve Ebay or other possible bidders. She is still the only bidder at this time.
I know there is a huge thread on a family using Ebay as their private auction, with other Ebayers invited to spend of course, but I don't have time to read all 30 or so pages.
After my immediate concern about this, I would like to know how you handle your relatives/neighbors/friends needing or lusting over items you want to list? I have sent pictures of items I am selling for Mom to make sure my sister didn't want them...it is getting to be ridiculous.
Thanks, LabRat4
posted on January 15, 2001 10:31:49 AM new
Cancel your sister's bid, then send a formal email to your sister requesting that she *not* bid on your auctions. Forward a copy to eBay. If she continues to bid on your items, a complaint to eBay will get her account canceled.
Better that than you get accused of using shill bids and have your own rep as a seller damaged.
posted on January 15, 2001 11:03:59 AM new
There's nothing wrong in family members bidding in your auctions, and there's nothing you need do as regards ebay.
You might make it clear to your sister that she, or they, will be treated the same as any other bidder.
posted on January 15, 2001 11:12:59 AM new
just end the auction and sell it to her. is it really worth WW3? After that, tell her not to do it again and if she does, cancel it and change your Ebay ID. Don't tell her the new one. If she questions you just smile sweetly and tell her you have a new policy of not selling to family members and the new, secret ID is a way of enforcing that.
Sometimes I am sooooo glad I am an only child. I find the behavior people tell me about in their brothers and sisters really weird.
posted on January 15, 2001 11:13:48 AM newThere's nothing wrong in family members bidding in your auctions, and there's nothing you need do as regards ebay.
From Ebay's FAQs:
* Shill Bidding, Deliberate - The deliberate use of second User IDs or other eBay members to artificially raise the level of bidding and/or price of an item. Please remember that family members or housemates should not be bidding on each other's auctions. This activity is not permitted.
posted on January 15, 2001 11:43:42 AM new
Go read some more, bk. This is not deliberate shilling as presented. It always amazes me how some people can find ways to distort the ebay rules to their purposes.
Your mother in Kansas is free to bid on your auction in Nebraska, so long as there is no evidence of collusion between the two of you.
posted on January 15, 2001 11:52:09 AM newShill bidding - Using secondary User IDs or other eBay members to artificially raise the level of bidding and/or price of an item. Additionally, to avoid the appearance of being involved in this activity, family members and individuals living together, working together or sharing a computer may not bid on each other's items.
posted on January 15, 2001 11:54:07 AM new
If you value your family relationships and you value your seller reputation - don't mix family and business.
posted on January 15, 2001 01:31:35 PM new
Wow! Gotta say I'm nearest to Ken on this one. However, labrat is clearly uncomfortable with the situation. Whether this is for business, personal, or a mix of reasons, there are unresolved issues. Perhaps if they would specify some concerns, responses might be more targeted.
Good to meet you LR. Adore the handle! You've come to the right place if you want a range of opinion.
posted on January 15, 2001 01:53:02 PM new
I have a widget that my sister-in-law covets. It might be worth alot, it might not. It is from a category that I do not know alot about. Anyway, I have told her that when I list this widget I will tell her and she is welcome to bid on it. I think that would be fair. I then would treat it exactly like any other auction. She could pay me like the others (except I won't hold her check for clearance....)
I would sell the item- eBay would get their listing fees, and no one would feel slighted. I noticed after I began to buy items to sell that some people think I should give my finds to them. This is how I deal with it.
If you are worried about shill bidding, keep a copy of the check once you are paid. That is, if she wins the auction.
posted on January 15, 2001 02:10:06 PM new
Reputation is not the reality of honesty, it is the PERCEPTION of honesty.
If a high bidder finds out that their bid was pushed up by a relative of the seller, how likely are they to believe the seller (a complete stranger to them) is honest?
posted on January 15, 2001 02:15:49 PM new
What ARE you talking about, Irene? You would assume dishonesty, believe that bid prices were pushed up artificially by a person who endeavors in good faith to win an item at auction, and who happens to be related to the seller?
posted on January 15, 2001 02:37:25 PM new
PERCEPTION, Ken, PERCEPTION. It's strange not to sell outright to a family member and instead take the auction route to make sure they pay the maximum.
posted on January 15, 2001 02:42:33 PM new
Not at all. I often have entreaties from the daughter-in-law-from-hell to sell her something that we have at auction. She always wants a special price, because it's FAMILY (HA), and I always tell her that she's free to bid away for it. Should she win, I would ship the thingy same as any other as well.
posted on January 15, 2001 02:45:38 PM new
Gees, did I start something here too, Ken & Irene? (smiley face-that I don't remember how to do)
Thank you for all your help. My sister retracted her bid. I left the widget listed. If it doesn't sell I'll probably send it to her. If she has someone else from her company
purchase it, that is okay. I can't imagine giving my sister feedback!
We both have IDs that could be recognizable to people in our hometown area. I sell to quite a few people around there and I would hate to have someone feel that I was being
dishonest when I am trying so hard to be honest in my descriptions and dealings with customers.
posted on January 15, 2001 02:50:59 PM newIt's strange not to sell outright to a family member and instead take the auction route to make sure they pay the maximum.
If I found that my sister was bidding on one of my items, I'd be sorely tempted to round up a few other bidders and shill her bid.
edited for clarification...
There isn't a member of the family who doesn't double-check the location of their wallet or purse when she is around. It seems the only time she shows up is when she wants something. Such is life...
[ edited by mrpotatoheadd on Jan 15, 2001 02:54 PM ]
posted on January 15, 2001 02:53:23 PM new
When my mom bid on one of my items, (and she knew it was me) I cancelled the auction and gave it to her.
I would do almost the same if it was another family member. Cancel the bid, cancel the auction and offer to sell it at my cost. If my family member kept it up, doing what I consider interfereing with my livlihood or hobby (whichever applies), and refused to quit bidding, I'd open a new ID for current business, leave the old one lay fallow for a couple of months then merge the feedbacks later.
I would not give anyone in the family my new name, because somebody always tells. I would let them know that this was my best solution for keeping the peace.
posted on January 15, 2001 03:16:56 PM new
I would have gladly shut the auction down and given it to her for cost for their party if I had known she was going to bid. Apparently the coworkers will be looking for something else tomorrow.
I recently had to cancel some auctions because I hit the upload buttons on AmPro by mistake when I was tired and had to carry those cancelled auctions around for awhile. I hated to add another one to my list. So I am not going to cancel this one.
We all live in different states so it is hard to communicate what is being sold. I was in high school when my sister was born, so I don't really know what she considers important I guess. I have had to stop readying a few things for auction because we found out that they were important to her. Problem is, items just purchased are reallllly important too...like 10 American Fostoria glasses! Oh well! LabRat4
posted on January 15, 2001 03:26:39 PM new
Labrat4gmos: You seem almost be in the position of feeling obligated to seek permission from your family before you place anything for sale on eBay (in case they might want it). That's an awkward way to run a business.
posted on January 15, 2001 03:58:54 PM new
Hi Irene,
Probably I am, but just with my Mom's items.
My siblings weren't there when I packed three carloads for the trip east. I feel a little guilty that something may go on and be sold that actually belongs to them. Three of us have already taken our items to our own homes, but my sister still has some (alot) of her things at my Mom's. I have already gotten "but that belonged to me" a couple times, luckily before I listed. I know my sister watches my auctions like a hawk. I have been selling some little widgets that we loved to go through as kids. But, these were not ours, they were given to my folks. They wish to sell them and they are doing quite well. And I have hundreds more to go!
