Very Annoyed with Ebay sellers ending auctions (RANT!)

[carbore]

IN the last 3 days I have been bidding/watching 4 car trailers all of which ended early with no excuse, even ones I bid on.

Now this breeds the "how much to buy now mate, will you take £400 quid" culture that winds people up. If you are worried it may not sell, put a reserve on it. If someone wants to sell quick why not use buy it now or say "advertised locally for £500, Right to end early" or something if they do then its my risk to wait, but if not then its SUPPOSED TO BE AN AUCTION!

I know there are fees for doing this but at least give the honest buyer a clue about your intentions.

[V8MoneyPit]

Oh yes. One of my real pet hates is people asking 'how much?' when I have an auction. My reply is usually rather blunt!

[jjsaul]

why not use buy it now or say "advertised locally for £500, Right to end early"

Do that and ebay usually end your auction for you, don't refund fees etc etc

[mike142sl]

Now that sellers can't leave negative feedback the chance of a timewaster is far greater on Ebay. If someone turns up on the door with a hand full of money, you aren't going to tell them to sling their hook because it's on ebay - then run the risk of selling it for less to a tyre kicker who has bid on more than one trailer and decides he likes another one better than yours.

[v8kenny]

Oh yes. One of my real pet hates is people asking 'how much?' when I have an auction. My reply is usually rather blunt!

Why ??   
I am more than happy to let prospective bidders who ask what my reserve is - that way, they know if it likely to be in their price range or not, and will weed out the pointless watchers/lurkers
If they want to make me an offer then that's fine too - before listing anything I know how much I will be happy to accept for an item
There are far too many idiots on ebay to knock back offers you are happy with to then run the risk of the item not selling
Ebay has long since stopped being an auction site and become no more than a shop window   

[kizz81]

but there are still alot of good deals to be had on it, in the last two months its saved me over £100  :D

[V8MoneyPit]

Oh yes. One of my real pet hates is people asking 'how much?' when I have an auction. My reply is usually rather blunt!

Why ??   
I am more than happy to let prospective bidders who ask what my reserve is - that way, they know if it likely to be in their price range or not, and will weed out the pointless watchers/lurkers
If they want to make me an offer then that's fine too - before listing anything I know how much I will be happy to accept for an item
There are far too many idiots on ebay to knock back offers you are happy with to then run the risk of the item not selling
Ebay has long since stopped being an auction site and become no more than a shop window   

If I run an auction, that is exactly what it is. If want a fixed price, I add a Buy It Now option.

Also, eBay is a service we pay for. If we accept offers outside the site, they don't get paid their commission fees. Sorry, but as a business owner, it would totally pee me off if anyone signed a legally binding contract and then operated behind my back.

I fully appreciate what you are saying and I can sympathise about turning down an offer only to be let down buy some numpty at the end not paying. I've had an auction for a car spoilt by a waster who couldn't accept that I didn't want to sell outside the auction. But I still play by the rules.

[v8kenny]

You can accept an offer and still play by the rules
There is (or was ?) a way of sending an individual a BIN option which obviously went through the ebay system
Must admit I have not used it for a while so it may have been withdrawn by now

[carbore]

I listed a car trailer that I bought with an over optimistic description. I listed it with a very thorough description that was very pessimistic. I was only expecting a few hundered quid but it sold for £570 over £120 more than I paid for it and the buyer was v.happy. So it goes to show that honesty is still a good policy.

Also the "everyone else is doing it so if I dont I loose out" routine is whats making this country go to hell. I am allways honest always give 150% to my work and I like to think thats why im doing ok, other people who do the bare minimum (or less), expect everyone else to be a crook and only want to pay the minimum for anything are driving the words quality and integrity form the language.

[v8kenny]

I listed a car trailer that I bought with an over optimistic description. I listed it with a very thorough description that was very pessimistic. I was only expecting a few hundered quid but it sold for £570 over £120 more than I paid for it and the buyer was v.happy. So it goes to show that honesty is still a good policy.

Also the "everyone else is doing it so if I dont I loose out" routine is whats making this country go to hell. I am allways honest always give 150% to my work and I like to think thats why im doing ok, other people who do the bare minimum (or less), expect everyone else to be a crook and only want to pay the minimum for anything are driving the words quality and integrity form the language.

I hope none of the above is aimed in my direction
I would also like you to explain what is dishonest about accepting an offer for goods that are being sold ?
As for intimating that people who do so may be lazy, crooked and have no integrity, well, as already said - none of that better be aimed in my direction  :x

[V8MoneyPit]

You can accept an offer and still play by the rules
There is (or was ?) a way of sending an individual a BIN option which obviously went through the ebay system
Must admit I have not used it for a while so it may have been withdrawn by now

I've not seen that one. You may well be right. I'm just not aware of it.

[TDi90]

if someone offered me an amount i cant refuse then i would be an idiot not to end it early.
similarly, i recently bought something off ebay where i asked him how much he was looking for, i offered him that ended it early.
jobs a goodun.
 :P
sometimes i end early, if the price is right, why not? its my auction! i would be daft not to!
 

[v8kenny]

You can accept an offer and still play by the rules
There is (or was ?) a way of sending an individual a BIN option which obviously went through the ebay system
Must admit I have not used it for a while so it may have been withdrawn by now

I've not seen that one. You may well be right. I'm just not aware of it.

I was only made aware of it as someone I made an offer for on something sent me a BIN now - it looked just like the auction page with a BIN option that apparently only I could see - I seem to remember I only had so long to respond before it lapsed
Seemed a good way of doing business at the time but as I say, not sure if it is still an available option - maybe worth looking into ?

[redhand]

I would also like you to explain what is dishonest about accepting an offer for goods that are being sold ?

it's not a sale it's an Auction and as such subject to strict rules and regulations. An item can only be withdrawn from an auction if it fails to reach it's reserve price. ending an auction early for any reason other reason is illegal. If you want to enter an item in a forsale site with a fixed price there are plenty of websites around for you to do this. If you use an auction site then you should be prepared to accept the full terms of an auction. Not just the bits that suit you.

[mentalmoshio sophs V8i]

the rules our silly have to admit . u find a rare part bid then next  day auction over  or its silly money  for stuff at times

[V8MoneyPit]

the rules our silly have to admit . u find a rare part bid then next  day auction over  or its silly money  for stuff at times

But that, unfortunately, it the name of the game with auctions. Be it eBay or a traditional auction.

[carbore]

My comments are not directed at anyone in general. Its just that lots of people think that they are getting one over on ebay by avoiding fees but they are ending up disappointing genuine bidders. Also I know there are people who never turn up etc and appreciate that its a real pain, but it undermines the entire concept if its not run as an auction till the end. Its no that I want cheap ill pay the going rate, I just want a chance.

I think ill stick to the local paper/specialist press and popper auctions for this kind of thing.

[pux]

im sorry but if someone offers me the price im after then its sold im eyes!!! But i always put in the Auction advertised else were but then ebay being them decided they dont like this no more.

[V8MoneyPit]

....... But i always put in the Auction advertised else were but then ebay being them decided they dont like this no more.

But that's the point. It's always been against eBay rules. They are just choosing to enforce it more now. Bottom line is that the seller is using the eBay service and then not paying them the full fee for that service. It's like placing a weeks ad in the local paper, then only paying half the fee because the item is sold to someone half way through the week.

No disrespect intended to anyone, but I don't understand why eBay is treated as fair game to break their rules when people would never consider it with other advertising methods.

[v8kenny]

I think the problem with ebay is it has lost all credibility - there are far too many scammers and con men on it these days
Also, between listing fees, final value fees and paypal fees it aint cheap to sell larger items
Rightly or wrongly I personally don't have any issue with making/accepting offers - I am not trying to rip anyone off as my listings are always accurate and I just don't want to take the chance with no shows/ non payment
It won't be the first time that I have refused offers over my reserve only for the 50 or so watchers (or time wasters as I now call them ) not to bother bidding and having to relist the item !

Can everyone who has commented on this post HONESTLY say that if they had a car listed and a viewer arrived and offered £100 over what you expected to get for the car in hard cash, on the spot, that you would turn them down ?

[V8MoneyPit]

I think the problem with ebay is it has lost all credibility - there are far too many scammers and con men on it these days
Also, between listing fees, final value fees and paypal fees it aint cheap to sell larger items

Can't argue with that! It's not the greatest way of buying or selling stuff. But it does have a huge potential audience.

Can everyone who has commented on this post HONESTLY say that if they had a car listed and a viewer arrived and offered £100 over what you expected to get for the car in hard cash, on the spot, that you would turn them down ?

That's exactly what happened with a Mercedes we were selling for Sarah's family after her gran died. It had got to above our reserve on the auction and before it had ended we were offered cash from someone else. Then, when we refused, they signed up with a new user name and spoilt the auction by bidding stupid money. So I can fully sympathise with you accepting solid offers, but if everyone played by the rules you wouldn't need to. In the end we sold in on a buy-it-now only listing with immediate payment required.

[JumboBeef]

About 18 months ago, I put my SeriesII V8 on eBay.  I'd bought it privately for £400, did a bit of tiding up (not a lot) and stuck it on eBay at 99p, no reserve.

I was expecting £1,500.  Someone offered me £1,500 but I said no, thanks.  He then came back with £2,300 cash and would I stop the auction.

I had to think about it for roughly three seconds.......... :lol:

EBay fees are too high, so I will not lose any sleep over them missing out on a few quid.

[Sider]

About 18 months ago, I put my SeriesII V8 on eBay.  I'd bought it privately for £400, did a bit of tiding up (not a lot) and stuck it on eBay at 99p, no reserve.

I was expecting £1,500.  Someone offered me £1,500 but I said no, thanks.  He then came back with £2,300 cash and would I stop the auction.

I had to think about it for roughly three seconds.......... :lol:

EBay fees are too high, so I will not lose any sleep over them missing out on a few quid.

So what you are saying is that you are happy to use their services, as long as you don't have to pay for them. I have to agree with Carbore: that kind of behaviour equals to a breach of contract, and is at the very least, inmoral.

Also, I find it quite funny that most of the people who complain about ebay's fees, services, etc... are the ones who gladly admit they are willing to defraud it. Me, cynical as I am, would say that the aforementioned people are actually guilty of ruining ebay for those of us who play by the rules.

[JumboBeef]

So what you are saying is that you are happy to use their services, as long as you don't have to pay for them. I have to agree with Carbore: that kind of behaviour equals to a breach of contract, and is at the very least, inmoral.

Also, I find it quite funny that most of the people who complain about ebay's fees, services, etc... are the ones who gladly admit they are willing to defraud it. Me, cynical as I am, would say that the aforementioned people are actually guilty of ruining ebay for those of us who play by the rules.

EBay have made hundreds from me over the years so, no, I will not lose sleep over it!  Anyway, it costs money to list something so they are making money from you anyway.

[pux]

i agree jumbo they get money out of no matter what :roll: and also the stupid paypal fees really bug me too :roll:

[redhand]

EBay have made hundreds from me over the years so, no, I will not lose sleep over it!  Anyway, it costs money to list something so they are making money from you anyway.

Presumably then you have made Thousands out of Ebay as well. As has been said earlier If you don't like Ebays rules and charges then don't use it.  If you use it then do so legally and not with intent to commit fraud. or obtain monies by pecunary advantage. Both are illegal. I doubt you would go into a shop and swap pricetags or otherwise attempt to deprive the shop keeper of their rightful money. So why do it on Ebay.

[pux]

i say get over it.......... for the first couple of years of using ebay i stayed with in the rules and got stung several times and ebay did sod all about it so in my view dog etc dog  :roll: they deserve all they get.

[JumboBeef]

If you use it then do so legally and not with intent to commit fraud.

You're missing the point a bit Redhand.

In an auction, the item is your until the hammer falls.  Before that, you can sell it else where, keep it, or take it outside and set fire to it.

Take house auctions: it always says 'for sale by auction, unless sold beforehand' or some such like.

EBay have stuck in a rule, which is to their benefit, and their benefit only (it might even be illegal...?) which says you cannot do with your property as you wish, because they might lose out on some money.  If you are happy with that then fine: most people aren't.

[carbore]

Hello

If i posted a message on the For Sale here saying "FREE TO GOOD HOME, Winch bumber and winch of LR 90 (will deliver)

And then when I had replies said, sorry its actually £500 quid and £3 per mile form Cornwall, dont you think people would be annoyed? its not like I have taken any money form anyone but its the principal, If I said Free then it shoudl be FREE, If I say Auction then it should be Auction, if I says £500 ono othen £500 ono.

If people want it that way then thats it but if you brake one rule for your benefit  then dont be surprised if someone breaks another for thier own, look at professional footballers and how thier attempts to get away with unsporting play affect young kids the pros shout at the ref so 7 year old boys do and thats why I think that the general lack of moral discipline is not a good thing and why I will continue to abide by the rules and expect others to do so.

[Sider]

If you use it then do so legally and not with intent to commit fraud.

You're missing the point a bit Redhand.

In an auction, the item is your until the hammer falls.  Before that, you can sell it else where, keep it, or take it outside and set fire to it.

Take house auctions: it always says 'for sale by auction, unless sold beforehand' or some such like.

EBay have stuck in a rule, which is to their benefit, and their benefit only (it might even be illegal...?) which says you cannot do with your property as you wish, because they might lose out on some money.  If you are happy with that then fine: most people aren't.

Actually, some auction houses will allow you to withdraw items from auction for free, and some will charge you for it. It depends on the terms and conditions. When you put something up for sale, you are agreeing to said T&C.

You uses the service, you pays the charges. No one forces you to sell through a particular website/auction house/magazine.... If you are not happy with what ebay charges, use someone else's services. If you use ebay and then do a deal behind their back, you are acting, at the very least, inmorally, in my eyes.