Unethical behavior by Ebay seller Pauljas or just plain stupid?

RonBurgundy

It appears that Ebay seller Pauljas's zealousness with regard to buying and selling 1957 Topps cards has hit a new low. He is offering the same card (or is at least using the same scan) in two different listings. See the links below. The question is, is this unethical, stupid (because he's paying 2 listing fees), or both?


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8796975932&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8800622783&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1



Stay classy,


Ron

handyman

NO
His item is about to end in 5 hrs so he listed it again at a lower price.
So no

RonBurgundy

So it's ok to mislead buyers, yes? FYI the second listing has been up for 3 days while the BIN listing was still there. He didn't just relist it.

handyman

How is it misleading? If someone pays the 50+ for it when he will take 40 whos fault is that?

mikeschmidt

<< <i>So it's ok to mislead buyers, yes? FYI the second listing has been up for 3 days while the BIN listing was still there. He didn't just relist it. >>



I'm with Derek on this one. If someone pops the BIN for $55, he can just end the other listing. If someone bids on the other listing, he can just cancel the BIN, or it will end by this afternoon anyway. I think the seller is perhaps a little stupid - but I don't see what he is doing that is unethical or wrong.

Obviously if someone hits the BIN right now and someone else bids on the other auction, there is a predicament, but it seems like the odds of that are pretty low.

~ms

RonBurgundy

Well, it's against Ebay policy for one thing. What if I bid on the newer listing, while you go and buy the card now from the older listing? I've been denied an opportunity to win the card because he abused the system with 2 listings. How is that fair? Would you like it if that happened to you?

mikeschmidt

<< <i>Well, it's against Ebay policy for one thing. What if I bid on the newer listing, while you go and buy the card now from the older listing? I've been denied an opportunity to win the card because he abused the system with 2 listings. How is that fair? Would you like it if that happened to you? >>



Ron - I think you're overreacting. It is definitely possible [over the next five hours], but as long he ended one of the auctions, there is no worries. I can't see/understand why someone would hit the BIN that has been sitting there all week in the next five hours. Theoretically - I concede that there might be an issue, but the scenario by which it would have to arise seems extremely unlikely.

1989FleerBillRipkencollector

I hate when I buy something to find out it is not available. Like taking 5 girls to a date at once and taking home the best one. We all wish we could do it but its wrong.

jojowest

Ron,

I'm with you on this one. I can't figure out why anyone would ever bid on his auctions. He buys nearly every 8 and relists them a short time later at a huge mark up. I wish he would move onto another set.

jojowest

mikeschmidt

Ron:

First one didn't sell - you can sleep better now ;-)

Lothar52

he just plain sucks..anybody ever bought off of him??? where does he live???

mealeworm

His name has been a topic before on the 57 thread. I will never purchase a card from him regardless if it is the last card I need for my set. I have just learned to look right past his overpriced and misleading auctions.

gstarling

he also is involved with the current set I'm working on '51 redbacks. I've bought from him, no problems. In fact, I bought every 9 he had (about 10) at a reasonable price (about SMR +5%). Seemed like a good enough guy.

RonBurgundy

I love it when he lists a card as PSA 8+++++ and claims in the description it should be a 9, when one look at the card's centering tells you right away why it's nothing more than a low end 8. Also, judging by his listings you would think that nearly every card in the set is "ULTRA TOUGH". Ridiculous.


Stay classy,


Ron

bxb

Paul J has the #1 ATF 1950 Callahan set. I have purchased several from him, and have found him to be an ethical person in his dealings with me. His ads are overly aggressive and hyperbolic, but I could say the same about many ebay sellers. I would just ignore his descriptions and look at the card and decide its merits for yourself.

With regard to the 1957s, as annoying as his behavior is, he has just as much right to buy those cards as anyone else. Once he owns them, he can do whatever he wants with them. You have an equal right not to buy his cards if they are overpriced. I could point to a few other people who pull similar stunts on other registry sets, and they are a thorn in everyone else's paw, but that's the free market system.

$0.02

NewJerseyMeatHook

Common practice. I am sometimes tempted, but don't bid.

baseballjeff

He does the same thing with outbidding everyone on Callahan's and then goes to try and sell the cards for more then he bought them. I think he's up to 3 registered sets!

baseballjeff

I wonder, at any point does this practice ever make people not want to collect a set?

RonBurgundy

BXB - you raise fair points, and he may deal ethically on transactions that actually occur, but the original post was that he listed the same card twice, which I don't find to be ethical. By the way, once his BIN listing expired, he raised the minimum bid on the other listing from $39.99 to $49.99.

You are right, if I don't like it, I don't have to bid. And I won't.


Stay classy,


Ron