Is it bad business to?

JY93

If a sellers coin on EBAY does not sell and the auction ends is it bad business to email the seller and make an offer to buy the coin for a lower price? There have been many occasions where the opening bid is just too high for me to bid and if the price was a little lower I would bid. Has anyone out there had success doing this?

Thanks, John

FC57Coins

John:

I don't know if it's bad business or not, but I've done that several times, especially if it's a high end coin and the price is a little out of reach. Sometimes if I see a particular coin that I'm interested in, I'll keep an eye on it and if it doesn't sell after the first or second time, I've emailed the owner with an offer, and at least 2 or 3 times I've been able to get the coin for several hundreds off the original sales price. I don't think this is bad business really, all you're doing is tendering an alternate offer that can be accepted or rejected with no feelings hurt.

Regards,

Frank

PhillyJoe

No harm in contacting the seller. He wanted to sell. The market did not support the price he wanted. He may lower his sights if he REALLY wants to sell. The ebay listing ran its course. He incurs no selling fees from ebay and may be receptive to another offer.

Joe

dorkkarl

heck no, i've probably picked up 1/3 of my ebay pickin's that way.

K S

BigD5

The worst thing that can happen is the seller turns your offer down. Not much of a downside. Good luck!

Dog97

I see no problem with it either buying or selling.

wayneherndon

It is, of course, against eBay rules and if they find out about it they'll let you know! That said, it happens a considerable amount (and even before the auction ends, too) and they rarely discover it.

As a seller, I welcome such offers. I'm in business to sell coins. The fact that it has just ended without a bid or without meeting a reserve may make me a little more willing to discount too. I accept many of the offers and politely decline many more. Overall, I'd much rather have them than not.

WH

Outhaul

That's how I got this one

keets

wayne

is it really against eBay rules? i know it's against some eBay rules for the seller to contact underbidders in such a manner. but once an auction has run it's course i see know way that eBay can have any say in a two party transaction. what i always suggest to people is that they make contact off the eBay system just to make sure. it wouldn't surprise me that they try tostop things like that, though, since it takes money outa their coffer!!

al h.

UncleJoe

I get e-mails all the time to buy coins off of eBay that I have for auction as well as e-mails to sell me coins off of e-Bay that I have bid on but was not the high bidder.

I decline all such offers both buying and selling. I like conducting business within the confines of the eBay system. For me, it is the right thing to do and I sleep very well at night.

However, I am also not in this for the money. So I don't need to buy or sell anything as a necessity. It makes my life and decision making easier.

Joe.

Petescorner

I decline all such offers both buying and selling. I like conducting business within the confines of the eBay system. For me, it is the right thing to do and I sleep very well at night.

UncleJoe, Just a friendly suggestion: Rather than turning down the offers, you can always start a new auction (or, if you're the buyer, ask the seller to start a new auction) with a Buy It Now price set at the agreed upon amount. That way, you still have the security of going through eBay, and the seller won't have to pay for new Listing Fees (if it's a re-list.) Since most eBay listings don't show up in catagories for the first few hours, it gives you plenty of time to complete the transaction without someone else jumping in on it.

NoviceKris

Has anyone else gotten the "eBay Second Chance Offer"?

I was bidding on a low grade coin I didn't really need but it was so dang cheap, lower than the
slabbing fee I put in a low bid, then it went for maybe a buck higher than my high bid. A few
days after the close I got an email from eBay (not the seller) asking if I wanted to buy it for what I had bid.
The email said there was some undisclosed problem the seller had with the buyer so I was given
a chance to get it at my highest bid. I did. But that had never happened to me before. Didn't
know it was an option with eBay.

Kris

merz2

I too have done this on occassion.I don't see anything wrong with it.

tsacch

Nope, its not bad..........its an offer that can be accepted or refused. I think it would be bad business not to reply to the offer with a reply iether way.

vam44

No.
I think it`s wrong to make an offer before the auction closes,and the only thing more wrong,to me,is when the seller accepts it!(and ends auction early.)
I see many here do not agree with me.

TWQG

Ebay offers a second chance option for sellers to contact uderbidders if the first deal falls through or if you have duplicates. I've tried it a few times with some success. I can't figure out a way to change the picture or the details for the private relisting that is sent to the underbidder(s) of your choice. No listing fees.

ursabear

Ethically, I think it is fine to offer on a coin after eBay has run its course, and if reserve/minimum bid was not met. eBay gets their listing fees, and sometimes they would not have gotten a re-listing fee. I don't really want to break the eBay rules because I depend upon them to help me supplement my family's income.

If someone offers me a price before an auction is over, if there are bids present, I tend to politely say no and thank them very much for being interested in something I sell. I don't want them to go away, I just want to play by the rules while the ball is in play.

I almost never use a reserve (some base price, 7 days, let the auction take its course to market price...), so I don't tend to have non-met reserves.