Why eBay Sellers Drink, Part CCCCXXXVII

airplanenut

CaptHenway can let me know if my numbering is off.



I sold a raw coin a week ago. A buyer emailed me during the auction to ask if it was real or a copy. After the auction, he emailed me some more...



"I just missed this coin of I just got home couple minutes ago,but if your buyer want to step back from this coin I will sure buy it for the Highest bid $XXX dollars right away!

Let me know asap,if anything change with the buyer!"



No problem. I'll let you know.



A few hours later...



"I real hope the buyer will step back from the coin,so I can buy it!"



Jump forward 4 days...



"Would you please give me a favor to ask the buyer of the XXXXXXXXXXX eBay item number:

XXXXXXXX Please ask him, if he would sell the coin for me for $XXX dollars or what's the price he asking?"



The price he offered was a small amount above the final bid. On occasion I'll pass along offers, but because I can't vet out the buyer and don't want to put myself in a position to be blamed if a transaction goes awry, I often don't. The buyer of this item was a bit difficult (he could have his own thread), so I definitely wasn't about to add any more elements to the sale. I explained to the offerer (is that a word?) that I couldn't pass along the offer. He came up with a brilliant idea:



"Ok, I understand! What about you give me his contact info and I will ask them without mention you of course,so this way you won't be in the middle of the transaction? This way is correct deal!"



Yes. Great. I can't think of any solution that could possibly be better than that. Because it wouldn't be traced back to me in 5 seconds, nor would a buyer mind if I just divulge his contact information. Here's what the guy got back... over/under that he'll come up with another solution?



"Absolutely not. That would constitute a massive invasion of privacy. I will never release the identity or contact information for a buyer without explicit permission."

ms70

Wow wee...... So what are we drinking tonight?

amwldcoin

LOLOLOL!

seanq

So why not send a note to your buyer and tell him you were contacted after the auction, offering to put him in touch with the interested party? You would give the inquiring party's contact info to your buyer not the other way around, then it is up to him if he wants to sell. If the buyer was difficult I can see wanting to be done with the transaction entirely, but that is one way to handle it without compromising anyone's privacy.



Sean Reynolds

hchcoin

If he wanted the coin so bad, he should have bid on it when it was available. From what I read, he contacted you while the auction was still live and could have placed a higher bid.

Pokermandude

After my recent bad experience being a middleman (thread from a few days ago re: a gold sovereign), the situation would have to be very right for me to try my hand at that again. As Jeremy alluded to, there is no upside at all for him to work as a middle man here.

airplanenut

Originally posted by: seanq

So why not send a note to your buyer and tell him you were contacted after the auction, offering to put him in touch with the interested party? You would give the inquiring party's contact info to your buyer not the other way around, then it is up to him if he wants to sell. If the buyer was difficult I can see wanting to be done with the transaction entirely, but that is one way to handle it without compromising anyone's privacy.

As I mentioned, there are times when I'll do it (in fact, I did it just a few weeks ago). But the situation has to be right--a massive offer, a buyer I know. The fact is, once I stick my neck out, there's a lot more that can go wrong than right. Suppose the buyer starts getting tons of emails trying to get him to sell after he declines? Maybe the second guy never pays after saying he's going to. All of these will come back to me, because I opened up the channel, and that could spell bad news. It's often just not worth it.



In this case, with an original buyer I just want to move on from, the last thing I want to do is add more to the transaction, especially if it isn't required in my fulfillment of it.

jayPem

Gotta Hall and Oates guys like these..."I can't go for that, No can do ! "

TwoSides2aCoin

Beats a dead horse breeder tale.
Make mine a double.

PerryHall

Let's not overthink this. Why not just get the guy's name and phone number? Tell him you'll pass it on to the buyer with the understanding that the buyer may or may not wish to call him especially if he has no desire to sell it. This way you are helping this guy without getting caught in the middle.

CaptHenway

Originally posted by: airplanenut

Originally posted by: seanq

So why not send a note to your buyer and tell him you were contacted after the auction, offering to put him in touch with the interested party? You would give the inquiring party's contact info to your buyer not the other way around, then it is up to him if he wants to sell. If the buyer was difficult I can see wanting to be done with the transaction entirely, but that is one way to handle it without compromising anyone's privacy.

As I mentioned, there are times when I'll do it (in fact, I did it just a few weeks ago). But the situation has to be right--a massive offer, a buyer I know. The fact is, once I stick my neck out, there's a lot more that can go wrong than right. Suppose the buyer starts getting tons of emails trying to get him to sell after he declines? Maybe the second guy never pays after saying he's going to. All of these will come back to me, because I opened up the channel, and that could spell bad news. It's often just not worth it.



In this case, with an original buyer I just want to move on from, the last thing I want to do is add more to the transaction, especially if it isn't required in my fulfillment of it.

This^

TopographicOceans

I'd just say
Sorry, but under the eBay rules I'm not allowed to do that.

asheland

Originally posted by: ms70
Wow wee...... So what are we drinking tonight?

asheland

I prefer to be a buyer on ebay and leave it at that.

nencoin

"Ok, I understand! What about you give me his contact info and I will ask them without mention you of course,so this way you won't be in the middle of the transaction? This way is correct deal!"

LOL!

ricko

I agree with you Jeremy.... just stay out of it.... no upside possible. Cheers, RickO

mustangmanbob

Just tell him the buyer's name, phone, and address are all on the internet.

And the phone book, for the paper crowd.

guitarwes

So what was the coin?????