What is it about ebay that makes people do this?

Tonelover

A few days ago I had an 1878-S PCGS MS-64 Morgan sell for $91 on ebay. I have three more of them in my regular inventory that are nicer and they're priced for $10 less than that one, so I used ebay's "second chance" offering which allows you to offer the underbidder an identical piece at his max bid.

I wrote the guy and told him that although his max bid was $90, I had even nicer ones that he could have for $81 if he was interested. Even though he bid three times in the last few minutes in a desparate attempt to snipe mine, I guess he wasn't interested because my offer apparently wasn't even worth the courtesy of a response. Not a "no thanks", not a "I already got another", nothing, nada, zippo.

Let's see, someone offers you a nicer coin for less money than the one you just bid on 10 minutes earlier and it's just not a good enough offer. What is it about the ebay experience which makes people act like that? I really don't get it.

kranky

Assuming the underbidder isn't someone who's done business with you in the past, he probably doesn't believe that the coin is nicer than the one shown in the auction.

Or, he likes the thrill of the snipe hunt more than he likes a normal transaction.

BigE

Maybe you made him feel like a fool by offering him a better coin for less when he just thought he had the opportunity of a lifetime-----------BigE

roadrunner

He probably realized he got carried away and bid too much...and was lucky to get outbid. Trying to be a "winner" at auction does strange things to one psyche. Remorse sets in after you realize you paid way too much to be the "winner." I've bid stupidly on some generic Saints at times just to piss off people who have sniped me at times. I see how far I can run them up on coins they are high bidder on. And in the end, they usually still outbid me and pay too strong. It's often just about egos, even on the auction floor.

roadrunner

DCAMFranklin

What Kranky said.

keets

hey Jon

it's a common dilemma in my life-----the poor guy doesn't know who you are or what you can bring to the table!!!

eBay can sometimes be strange and wonderful at the same time, can't it??

al h.

1907Quarter

all answers correct here; though it's hard for me to get past the first mistake. Knowing or rather not knowing the buyer is the real matter here. The auction experience can be a thrill but it fades quickly when it comes to the fact that one wants to get a good coin at a fair price.

rainbowroosie

If I do not recognize an email address, I delete it before reading...Too many computer attacks for me, so I take as few chances as possible.

Loki

He might be a type collector, not interested in other coins of the same date. Also, he could have bought one coin as a Xmas present. Maybe he thought he was being ripped off by the offer of a cheaper price. "Wow, he is offering these for $10 bucks less?! I got ripped! ARRRRGGH!"

There are many possible and plausible explanations as to why he didn't take the second offers.

Mrpawn

As an occasional bidder on eBay I have been offered a second chance by sellers a few times but have yet taken any up on it. Number one reason is that my coin buying is somewhat on a budget and when I have been outbid I usually move on and spend the money elsewhere. A few times I have felt that I had been shilled only to be offered the coin at my highest bid after the original bidder "backed out".

If a second chance offer came from a seller that I know and trust then I might consider it if my funds have not been spent elsewhere.

SarasotaFrank

<< <i>originally posted by tonelover:
nothing, nada, zippo. >>



I know the feeling, I keep visiting a certain website looking for a couple of Morgan dollars and I find the same result.

quattrocoins

Jon,

That '16 MS67FH is too much! Can I have a "second"(or maybe third or fourth) chance?!?

Don

(fifth, sixth....)

Neptune

I have made several sales, by offering the same item to the 2nd, and sometimes 3rd highest bidder. Some folks are happy to be contacted while others may not reply, or at least say no thanks. It just depends on the item, the bidder, the timing, and the wording of the email you send to them.

stman

Perhaps the person thought you were just another slimy dealer that used eBay to get folks to check out your web site. Or so you could offer more coins as you did, after auction ends. Just hypothetical on my part of course.

hoardmonster

I've only been offered a 2nd chance one time and I took it. But at first, I thought it was some kind of scam like the emails telling you to log into your account and then it steals your password and info. So what I'm saying is that maybe he just thought it was a scam and deleted it.

Tonelover

Thanks all for the perspectives and opinions.

stman

Glad to help.

SeattleSlammer

Maybe he just hasn't read your e-mail yet?