Interesting ebay experience

Bruggs

Was a scarce date seated coin offered on ebay. I happened across it while the auction was only a few hours old. No buy it now but auction was started at 99 cents and no reserve. I emailed seller asking if he had a buy it now price for this auction. He writes me back in a few hours and says he would take $250 for it because it was a "rare date". I respond that $250 was OK and where should I send the money. No reply. The next day I again email him and say I would take the coin at your asking price of $250 and where should I send the money. No reply. I check the auction and it was bid to $150 or so dollars 3 days into the 7 day auction. I now know that he is not going to honor his word and is not going to reply to my emails. Auction ended last night and hammered somewhere around $305. What you guys think? Is this guy a dirtbag for not honoring his word?
Thanks.
Bruggs

doh

Well...not a dirtbag...but he should have told you he changed his mind. I guess as soon as he figured out he could get more than $250 he decided to bail on the deal and just never tell you. Maybe he's a newb. He's certainly not professional.

guitarwes

Sounds like he got cold feet thinking it was worth more when you replied "yeah, I'll take it for $250" without haggling. Maybe you should have said, "would you take $235 for it?". That way, if he didn't really know it was worth more than $250, he would've said "No, but I'll take $245 for it." Then you pounce.

Of course this scenario doesn't always work.....psychoanalysis of eBay sellers is difficult sometimes.

And too, you can't blame him for not wanting to end an auction early.....it might make people stop buying from him....

wes

braddick

There is a school of thought among some that any seller who kills an eBay no reserve auction that has bids in play to sell it off-line is already being somewhat shady.

tincup

Yeah, his handling of the offer was not the most stellar. But, it could be argued that neither was yours.... you made an offer to purchase the coin when there was no Buy it Now listing..... so both of you would have been violating? eBay rules by using their format to arrange a private sale without eBay getting their proceeds. So don't sweat it.

Don't get me wrong.... I'm not passing judgement on this type of transaction. I'm sure this scenario happens frequently.... sometimes the offers work out smoothly, and sometimes they don't. This is one that didn't, but should be no big deal. Better luck on the next one.

Bochiman

He should have replied to you but I wonder if, sometime between when he actually got your reply, if there were bids on the auction?
If there were none, he should have honored it or told you he was backing out. If there were bids by then, he should have told you "sorry...there are bids and I am not canceling " for whatever reasons.

AskRaq

<< <i>He should have replied to you but I wonder if, sometime between when he actually got your reply, if there were bids on the auction?
If there were none, he should have honored it or told you he was backing out. If there were bids by then, he should have told you "sorry...there are bids and I am not canceling " for whatever reasons. >>



I've had that happen.... where the delay in eBay message communication led to a bid being placed, which negated the possibility of a BIN.

BlindedByEgo

I have always declined offers to end no reserve auctions early. I wouldn't call the guy a scumbag, but he didn't IMO handle the situation well.

FilthyBroke

I've had the Ebay message system take up to nine hours to deliver, I recieved email confirmation on same message in minutes. It could've been that bids came in before he could end it.

Just a thought.

cullenbryant

if your gonna go outside ebay and make an offer, it ought to be good money, not chisel money

cullenbryant

nevermind, i see rereading that was HIS buy it price. yeah, he waited it out and saw he could get more..
not a good thing, he should have lived up. ebay antics.

sinin1

I did that recently - offered to buy alot higher than start (gave my number for them to put in a BIN) and the seller replied 'No, he is selling for a friend' and posted it in the question and answer

the friend (I am pretty sure) bid it up to my number - I got out sniped at the end anyway - 40% higher than my offer

PerryHall

Bruggs---You should file a complaint against this dishonest dirtbag with eBay.

Bochiman

<< <i>Bruggs---You should file a complaint against this dishonest dirtbag with eBay. >>



Wouldn't work...seller didn't do anything so it all stayed within ebay