E-Bay, again. What is wrong with E-Bayers

[Range Rover Blues]

As if I couldn't work this one out myself, I thought I'd let off steam.

I'm moving out of our unit so I'm selling loads of stuff at the moment, I also bought John's written off Disco to strip, it's at home because the unit has flooded so I need it gone quick.

I've listed a few lots on our favourite 'auction' site.

Well a couple of the better lots attracted loads of interest, NOT A SINGLE BID, but loads of watchers.  Probably hoping to win a bargain with a last minute bid.

Anyway, I had a guy come to look at the seats and he made me an offer on the spot so I ended the auction, still not a single bid.

Well I've had about a dozen people send me messages asking for my 'phone number so they can ring me about the seats.  IDIOTS, I ended the auction as "item no longer available".

E-bay really gets my goat at times, it's not a proper auction and seems to be populated by snipers, it annoys me when I'm bidding on stuff and it's nothing but hassle when you are selling, the auction should end when there is no more interest, otherwsie it's not an auction is it :-k

Anyway, if any of you were watching, sorry but you should have bid.  Halfway through the auction and no bids, if someone waves money at me I'm not going to say no am I?

[mike142sl]

Snipers - I've seen this, I've even had a go on a couple of items but I can't help thinking that bidders must be made to indicate their interest with a bid at least 1 hour before the end of the auction.

[lightweight-love]

Ebay does attract some idiots, when i say NO buy it now it means that! i had a few people ask how much it would cost to post a series 3 to them!

[carbore]

Not sure about the "bid up front" approach?

I have never used sniping software, but frequently only ever bid in the last few seconds. Some people say thats killing the bidding idea, but at the end of the day things will only ever go to the highest bidder so if someone only bid £60 and I come in with 3 seconds to go and bid £65 then I won it fare and square.  Likewise if I find out they put  a bid on for £70 ages ago and I dont have time to re-bid then its my loss and If I was happy to pay £70 then I should have bid that in the first place.

I do think you were fair to sell to the bloke who was there, as there is some winning bidders dont collect (has this from a bloke who lived 4 miles away once!) but equally sometimes things get de-listed then re-listed due to time wasters so somtimes a mail does not hurt although if the auction said it was advertised elsewhere I would not bother.

Also re times/intertest, I work away form home so dont allways get the chance to bids immediatley, even if I wanted too thefore I like my sunday afternoon  ebay sessions.

Id be more concerned about the fact that ebay are no longer letting you leave feedback on Buyers according to the Metro. My only bad ebay experiances have been with BUYERS not sellers and id like other ebay sellers to see that.

[Disco Matt]

I've become thoroughly fed up with the snipers, rather feel that automated sniping software is cheating! What's worse though is when you find a "must have it at all costs" bidder is after something you want to buy. They seem quite happy to push the price up to stupid levels for some reason, even beyond the point at which a sane person would give up and wait for the next one.

[V8MoneyPit]

I've become thoroughly fed up with the snipers, rather feel that automated sniping software is cheating! What's worse though is when you find a "must have it at all costs" bidder is after something you want to buy. They seem quite happy to push the price up to stupid levels for some reason, even beyond the point at which a sane person would give up and wait for the next one.

Well, that's where snipes come in. They stop the price being artificially inflated with a bidding war. As said earlier, if they have bid some stupid figure early on, then you will never get the item. But it stops people keeping increasing their bid when you bid over them. Conversely, the seller loses out.

[Dr Strangeglove]

I often watch things without any intention to buy!  A lot of the time it is because I want to know how much things are going for before I decide if I can afford it and get funds together.  This also goes for when I want to buy something and you get outbid at the last minute.  I will probably watch about half a dozen different items and then as I lose on one bid on the next.

I have only ever sold one item on eBay.  I had a few watchers but their were not many bids.  I had put the price at the lowest I would be prepared to accept and then just let it run.  I put a price on of £20 and it went for £68 so I was happy but if it went for £20 then so be it.

I have also bid in the past where I loose something for a pound or so.  I now decide what is the most I am prepared to pay and bid with as short a period left as possible - if I get outbid then OK, if I win I prefere it to be as low as possible but if it goes to what I am willing to pay then OK.  At least doing it this way I don't keep bidding over what I want to pay as it is so easy to keep bidding a bit more, then a bit more......

If you are happy selling it for a certain price then put a buy it now on it or tell people it is for sale elsewhere and reasonable offers accepted.

I won a esab welding helmet a couple of months ago.  I was happy to pay £45 for it so that's what I put on it.  I ended up loosing it to a bid of £46 and then got a second chance offer.  It may of been someone bidding as a ghost bidder for the person selling so my bid may have been over other legitimate bids - but I got my welding helmet for £45, its in good nick, spot on for tig (and mig welding) with a clear screen, I am chuffed with my purchase and have no complaints.

As for people bidding then not paying etc - not got a good word for them - but at the same time you can't blame someone for turning up for an item then walking away if the description was incorrect.  The only problem then is when you get "re-listed due to time waster " you don't know who was really to blame.

I will not buy anything off eBay without seeing it unless I am prepared to have bought something that is duff and write it off to experience.  Saying that I have bought two range rovers (£800 and £560) - but I went to see them, and a conservatory for £720 - and this I just had to hope it was OK.  Thankfully it was and I now have fitted it for about £1200 fully kitted out (hard work fitting it at weekends/evening mind).

I have also had the dreaded experience of putting a bid on something then wishing I hadn't and winning the chuffing thing!!!!!

Good luck with your sale!

[Range Rover Blues]

"ghost bidders", or shill bidders are I'm told illegal :-k

But I think a lot of people do it because the E-Bay fees are so expensive otherwise.

[lee celtic]

I put a small bid on things I want then wait to the last second to place the second if it is still within the limit I have set myself .

if I win great if not then there will be another along later..

Sniping .... Not bothered to me it's still the highest bidder wins and if they pay over the odds then thats their problem ...

most anoying is when you want somthing and there is a reserve you bid but no one bids against you so it never reaches the reserve :doh:

Hate non payers , should be strung up by the thumbs and beaten with somthing whippy bought of ebay :twisted:

Hate ghost bidders ,pushing the price up then giving you a second chance offer  :roll: allways say no ;) (unless really cheap)

I have bought and sold for 4 years and had only one non payer for a kids motor bike £250  :x but took it to a local bike shop just before christmas and got £325 :lol:

Love ebay...

[bilge rat]

ive got a car on at the mo , had a guy phone coming to look, then hes running late , ill phone when i get close then guess what no show. cant under stand why people do that ?. gtot 2 bids on it and 58 watchers .2 days left..heres hoping ..alan...

[lee celtic]

Do you want us to push the price up ;)

 :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Ja1983]

i like the satisfaction of putting on my final price, then if i dont get it, at least the other burger had to pay more for it!

[muddymart]

if you look at my post

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270230395397&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=017

i have had several emails stating that the wheels are not standard factory fit, and putting people off viewing.

*******lks !!!! so been a classified add now for 28 days, i can alter it as i wish, as 2 fake bidders have won the car over the last month,so hopefully sold now , i await the genuine buyer saturday !! as iff...

ohh the modulars are for sale on here if anyone wants to make an offer.

[Yoshi]

But on the other side of the scale, i sold one of me cars on ebay on Thursday, the fella bought it within 12 hours of me listing it and had collected it within a further 5 hours from there.

[buckshot]

hi,i had 38 watchers on my truck and never got a single bid ,as soon as auction ended i had 9 phone calls offering swaps and silly offers i,ve about had it with ebay its becoming a joke.

[Range Rover Blues]

hi,i had 38 watchers on my truck and never got a single bid ,as soon as auction ended i had 9 phone calls offering swaps and silly offers i,ve about had it with ebay its becoming a joke.

That's where I got to with the Disco Interior.  In the end I messaged them back saying "there were no bids", but I think that point was lost on some people.  28 watchers all hoping no-one else had seen the listing, dream on.  By the tiome I went in to check my listing had posted 8 people had already seen it and 2 waere watching it, in the space of 20 seconds.

Some people are beyond help :roll:

I'm trying shorter listing now on stuff I need to move.  Sankey tool trailer anyone?

[bilge rat]

Do you want us to push the price up ;)

 :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

yes please.. nah only kiddin funny put on the description no buy itr now price , ive had 3 contacts say do you have a buy it now price . and also put on any one with less than 10 feedback need no bid , got  a guy bidding only joined 2 days ago 1st bid  :roll:. see what happens it runs out tomorrow...alan..

[redhand]

I only ever snipe bid Because most sellers shill bid. Makes it harder to do that if they don't know what people are planning to bid. If offered a 2nd chance buy I always say yes I'll have it for 75% of whatever it went for or my max bid which ever is the lower. so if it goes for £100 and I get the call I'll offer £75 or If I bid less than that I'll offer to pay my last bid.

And remember if you win You paid more, than anyone else on Ebay thought it was worth.

[richo]

I have just sold some landy bits and there guys who have brought them live in yorkshire and london.The guy in yorkshire is coming btomorrow to pick up ,great top bloke but the other has asked me if i can now pack up the bumper so that his courier can collect it in the day time .I work in the day time so tuff matey if he'd had said this at the start i would have told him that i'm only about evenings and weekends.So now he might get funny and give me bad feedback.

[Range Rover Blues]

Non-paying biddder mate, if he doesn't pay he can't leave feedback can he?

[skip2]

Don't sell much by ebay and never a problem but do try to buy, however amazes me how people leave simple information out when selling motors such as has it a mot, when one asks them either by email or phone they don't know the expiry date.

Then theres the secret locations, ask if one can view its suddenly not in the town where they say they are based, but 200 miles away, I mean what planet do this sellers think we live on bidding for a grands worth of truck and hopeing we never view.

[Hangover]

Theres an early series 3 on ebay at moment,has galv chassis,diesel with a aftermarket turbo fitted,tax exempt with overdrive,was originally listed with a buy it now of £500,some bright spark bid and cancelled the buy it now ,what do they want jam on it,theres a raft of questions mostly from people begging to buy it for £500,you know the sort,i will collect tomorrow,pay cash etc.