Word to the wise: Don't ask questions on eBay if you have skeletons in the closet
airplanenut
Posts: 22,341 ✭✭✭✭✭
I get plenty of ho-hum questions on eBay. Sometimes, though, even an innocent question makes me think for a second, and when that happens, I usually go see what information I can glean before I reply. Here's one of those instances...
Potential buyers sends me this note: "Nice coins but you should have staggarg the times so we can bid on more.oms like I can only bid on one"
Now, my items are spaced by a minute (go beyond that and my listings end over too long a period of time), and if that's not enough time to snipe, there's always placing an earlier bid or using an outside sniper. Anyway, the comment isn't much, but somehow it still rubbed me slightly the wrong way in that it's a bit on the curt side, so I checked the buyer's feedback. More specifically, the feedback left.
Oh, well would you look at that! If the buyer hadn't emailed me, I'd have been none the wiser. But he did, and I am, and now I'm a bit skeptical. Besides, of all the coins I had up, because they're not spaced enough, he already told me he's only bidding on one, so I can simplify it and make it none. My silent reply to the buyer was simply to block him.
Not surprisingly, I get some messages after the listings end:
"I cannot bid on your coins? I am a AAA rated eBay buyer. Have we done business in the past?"
A few more messages tell of all the items of mine he would have won (after originally telling me he'd only bid on one...) Would that have happened? Maybe. Do I regret blocking him? No. One thing I've learned over the years is that when I haven't listened to that spidey sense, I've gotten bitten. Moral of the story? If you want to buy something and you don't have a golden track record yourself, stay quiet.
Comments
It was a wise move to block him. Problem buyers have a way of exposing themselves through what they write and the way they write it.
Jeremy, while I’ll understand if you don't want to do this, if I were in your shoes, I’d let the bidder know why I blocked him. Maybe, just maybe, if phrased just right, it would have a positive impact on him.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
That is a nice idea but I think it has a very small chance of having any sort of effect on this type of person and has a much higher probability of backfiring. This falls under the category of no good deed goes unpunished. I would move on.
What if he has friends to dole out some revenge? Best just to be quiet IMHO.
@airplanenut ... I agree with what you did... research and blocking. With a track record like that, it would probably end poorly if allowed to continue. Internet dealings can be a great business for many, however, they are prone to problems beyond what is encountered in public dealings (which have their own problems). Cheers, RickO
Some people are never happy unless you send them a $50 coin for a $3 bid. Good detective work there. He does not have to wait until the last second to bid. Sniper services are available to bid for him.
I agree here. In a perfect world, yes, I'd explain what went wrong and he'd learn from it. The problem is there are too many next possible steps, and the more fired up the buyer may get, the more likely one of those could be employed rather than he forgets about things and moves on. I do often keep notes about why I block a buyer (just so if something looks normal later on I don't unblock them without considering all the details), but it's a very rare day that I share that information.
Think about it like this: you know me well enough to tell me why I shouldn't have bought a certain coin (or to tell me ahead of time I shouldn't buy it). You also know that I'll take that to heart and learn from it. If I had a track record of being a hothead, and there was a chance that next time you gave me sound advice I come here and put up a post "Mark's a jerk who doesn't know anything" you might think twice about helping me. Or, in your case, you might help me anyway, then sit back and have some popcorn while reply after reply praises you and calls me an idiot, but that's beside the point.
I had the guy who hideously gassed coins in the slab and then reholdered with trueviews message me on ebay asking me to change my settings to allow him to bid on a coin. I was thrilled to let him know I knew of his work and despised him and how glad I was to not sell him my coin.
Not too many problems from my experience, but I am a bit more lenient on knuckleheads and PM's
Timing was an issue when bidding on multiple spots in a sports card case break for example.
I make sure mine are 5m apart.
But I am only listing 10 items max per night to keep my sanity.
Some may not know, but for 10 cents you can choose the time. Set it and forget it.
BST: KindaNewish (3/21/21), WQuarterFreddie (3/30/21), Meltdown (4/6/21), DBSTrader2 (5/5/21) AKA- unclemonkey on Blow Out
On Ebay? never saw this one.
My listing software does the scheduling for free, so that's not the issue. On the occasion that I have just a few pieces going up, I'll sometimes make it a few minutes, but when I have 40-150 pieces going up, anything more than a minute means they take all night to end, and that becomes untenable, too. If I have to list when I'm away (and can't trust my computer won't restart itself to give me some updates I didn't know I need), I go the schedule on eBay route just as you've described.
Seems like an eBay problem child. I wouldn’t let him bid on any of my things either just for the simple fact he seems like a 💩
BHNC #248 … 130 and counting.
I too had that message about 6 months ago. Don't know if it was the same person but it did make sense. I remember my questioneer was from Higby Island or such in the PNW. I too was putting them a minute apart. I've changed to 3 minutes apart to allow for the same buyer to bid on the next coin of mine. So, I thought it was a legit comment and positive. Your guy seems a bit on the new to coins side or.........?
bob
Look in the area you choose auction vs BIN and set price.
BST: KindaNewish (3/21/21), WQuarterFreddie (3/30/21), Meltdown (4/6/21), DBSTrader2 (5/5/21) AKA- unclemonkey on Blow Out
What software are you using? Just curious. Thanks... Rob
BST: KindaNewish (3/21/21), WQuarterFreddie (3/30/21), Meltdown (4/6/21), DBSTrader2 (5/5/21) AKA- unclemonkey on Blow Out
More bizarre than the array of negative feedback is the Positive he left for one person with a negative comment attached to it, as if he wanted to leave a Negative but was too incompetent to figure out how to do that. Look at his Scottsdalewholesalers feedback. Just a contradictory mess.
Lunatic!
After reading the feedback he’s left for others I’d block him in a heartbeat.
Well done👌
Sixbit. I had used TurboLister for years, but when it got retired, I had to find something else. Sixbit has been really good for my needs (with great tech support when something goes awry), namely I make my listings in an Excel spreadsheet, import them, and I can batch print invoices and shipping labels. The downside is that it's $70/month, but for my needs, I think it's the best option and I get way more than $70 in time value every month, so it's well worth it.
By no means am I arguing for the blocked bidder, but I can see why this might not work. Suppose the OPP has 20 coins I like and suppose I can only afford to spend $5000. If I win the first ten coins at $500 each, I'm not going to want to bid (snipe or otherwise) on the last ten.
Good move Jeremy.
You didn't owe that seller any explanation. Your diligent sleuthing tells you he's gone up the river so to speak.
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso
There are sniping services that allow you to make groups and they bid on items until you've won X number or $X cost.
Good move. I would have done the same.
There are WAY too many good buyers on eBay to put up with folks like this. Time is money.
Dave
Dontcha just wish for a mere moment, to see a screenshot of the person on the other end - probably some gross, and unbathed dude with nothing better to do than harass eBay sellers.
C'mon @SaorAlba wipe that post
I understand that. I'm betting there are a lot of people on eBay who don't, or at least don't trust they'll work as designed.
Easiest block you've ever done!
@basetsb_coins on Instagram
Or, more likely, well dressed and affluent.
Sadly, not even close
I'm surprised others have not asked for the name to block for their own accounts
That's what PMs are for
For only having a feedback total of 210, that buyer has had an inordinate number of bad experiences.
Curious.... What happens if a bidder gets blocked who already has a bid on an active auction? Does their bid get cancelled?
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
No, it will stand unless separately canceled. Of course, they can't bid again. In the case that this needs to happen, I either wait until a buyer gets outbid or cancel their bid. Last thing you want is them winning and also realizing you blocked them and them getting angry... which means they can leave feedback while upset.