eBay second chance offers

ProfLiz · February 7, 2016 7:01AM

Recently, I have received eBay second chance offers that follow a pattern:

--I bid on an item that has an opening bid very close to its typical selling price. There is one bid at the opening price, and I am the second bidder.

--My maximum bid is immediately outbid by one bid increment. I don't bid again.

--As soon as the auction closes, I am contacted by the seller with a second chance offer at my max bid.

I just wanted to ask those of you who sell a lot on eBay, are non-paying buyers very common? And how many of them confirm that they will not pay within a couple of hours of the auction close?

Am I being paranoid that this seems like a shill situation?

Thanks for enlightening me!

AUandAG · February 7, 2016 7:07AM

Hmmmm, I cannot say that a buyer backing out that quickly is normal. Sure would raise a red flag with me unless it's a modern issue and then that would be even odd.

Seller has acceptable feedback that is not low in numbers?

Item is inexpensive?

Chance of multiples owned by this seller?

Can you contact the seller via phone? Is that even possible?

Not much risk if he sends you not as described.

If it is a newer seller likely a mistake sending you a 2nd chance offer.

Hmmmmmm

bob

drwstr123 · February 7, 2016 7:16AM

"Am I being paranoid that this seems like a shill situation?"

Could be...the question is do you want it at that price?

ebaybuyer · February 7, 2016 7:18AM

something is amiss, would you mind posting of the listings ? is this an item that the seller could conceivably have multiples of ?

ProfLiz · February 7, 2016 7:28AM

These have been reasonably high feedback eBay dealers selling slabbed coins. I am not concerned about not receiving the item or item not as described.

I know I can decline the second chance offer without any negative repercussions. I'm not out anything. It's more the niggling suspicion that the opening bid was just there to expose my maximum bid. So that a coin I could have won at opening bid, I'm now being offered at my max bid.

ms70 · February 7, 2016 7:29AM

I haven't heard of the second chance thing in ages! Have the auctions been from the same seller or different ones?

Zoins · February 7, 2016 7:30AM

Originally posted by: ProfLiz
So that a coin I could have won at opening bid, I'm now being offered at my max bid.

For me it would depend on how much I wanted it and how unique it was. If I really want it, the max bid would allow me to move on. If not, I have let pieces sell again for opening or lower bid, often, getting it for much less than the original offer.

AUandAG · February 7, 2016 7:31AM

Originally posted by: ProfLiz

These have been reasonably high feedback eBay dealers selling slabbed coins. I am not concerned about not receiving the item or item not as described.

I know I can decline the second chance offer without any negative repercussions. I'm not out anything. It's more the niggling suspicion that the opening bid was just there to expose my maximum bid. So that a coin I could have won at opening bid, I'm now being offered at my max bid.

Hmmmmmmmmmm, a ssssshill????

bob

oih82w8 · February 7, 2016 7:48AM

If you want it grab it, shill or not, this particular shill backfired on the seller. ...or punt, pass or kick your way to a relisting.

jwitten · February 7, 2016 7:56AM

As a seller, I actually just had this happen a few days ago. Had a really good sell, and literally as soon as the auction was over I got a cancellation request from the winner, with no explanation. I sent a few second chance offers, but like you, they probably thought it was a shill bid, so none wanted the coin. Sometimes it really is just a stupid bidder. If you want the coin, get it.

JCMhouston · February 7, 2016 7:58AM

I would guess a shill, but if you wanted it at the max bid before why not now? My guess is they were just fishing to see what the max was someone would bid.

dpoole · February 7, 2016 8:01AM

I was auctioning a low-cost item on ebay recently (first I'd done for years!). The winner emailed me frantically right before the auction ended, saying he'd misread the description, and saying he really didn't want the coin as it was. I told him no problem, I'd offer it to the underbidder if he won. (the underbidder didn't respond, BTW, so I put it up again, and sold it the next time round).

That's one scenario, whereby you might get a Second Chance offer.

PerryHall · February 7, 2016 8:05AM

Originally posted by: JCMhouston

I would guess a shill, but if you wanted it at the max bid before why not now? My guess is they were just fishing to see what the max was someone would bid.

This was my first thought.

derryb · February 7, 2016 8:05AM

OP's situation sounds like a seller shill that didn't pan out. I would have replied, "no thanks, you shouldn't have bid against me." I would also report it as a shill. Ebay will have enough info on his other auctions to see a pattern if there is one.

BStrauss3 · February 7, 2016 8:13AM

I've had 2nd chance offers, but they are from a legit dealer that I know and know he did have multiples (rather than put three auctions up at the same time, he'll put up one and make offers to the underbidders). It works out better for him - sometimes - and not - sometimes...

TigersFan2 · February 7, 2016 8:18AM

Sounds like a shill situation. Like they're trying to entice you to place another bid but when you don't they try to cover themselves and still sell it to you.

TigersFan2 · February 7, 2016 8:19AM

When you click on the userid code of the winning bidder, does the page show 99% or 100% of bids to that seller?

deefree49 · February 7, 2016 8:25AM

My experience is that 2nd chance offers aren't very common. If you are getting a lot of them from the same person, I'd be suspicious. OTOH, if you really want the coin...well...Sometimes ya just gotta take a chance!

OPA · February 7, 2016 8:27AM

Originally posted by: BStrauss3
I've had 2nd chance offers, but they are from a legit dealer that I know and know he did have multiples (rather than put three auctions up at the same time, he'll put up one and make offers to the underbidders). It works out better for him - sometimes - and not - sometimes...

For moderns and common date classic coins, that would be my guess. Not so, for the more rare or high priced ones.

jmski52 · February 7, 2016 8:34AM

It seems like a shill situation to me. See if it's re-listed and at what price.

Pokermandude · February 7, 2016 8:51AM

I've had winning bidders back out shortly after winning an auction. It is annoying. I will sometimes do second chance listings.

My advice would be not to get hung up on whether it was a shill or not. Either way you were at one point willing to pay $x for the coin. Doesn't really matter if it was a shill or not.

Play if you still like the coin at the price, or pass if not.

davewesen · February 7, 2016 9:01AM

What type of things are you bidding on? Is it reasonable that they have 2 or more of them?

Immediate non-paying bidders do not happen, as it takes at least 4-5 days to go through the eBay process as a seller.
A very slim chance of bidder quickly backing out.

291fifth · February 7, 2016 9:22AM

If it doesn't seem right to you just pass. Another coin will come along soon enough.

ProfLiz · February 7, 2016 11:03PM

Thanks, everyone, for your feedback. Sounds like a lot of you have the same suspicion that I do, but I really appreciate the sellers among you letting me know that sometimes the winner does just back out suddenly.

I should mention that this has happened to me twice fairly recently (from different sellers, both of whom seem to be legit) and once about six months ago (yet a different seller, I believe). It could be pure random luck on my part!

Now, as many of you pointed out, all I have to do is figure out whether I want to pay my max bid for that coin or not.

I really appreciate that this board has a huge experience base...it helps put things like this into context.

PerryHall · February 7, 2016 11:18PM

Unless you really need this coin, you may want to wait for the seller to relist the coin. There's a good chance that you could get the coin for less than your maximum bid. Nothing is guaranteed though. He may not relist it and a new person with more money than sense may be bidding against you. It comes down to how badly you want the coin and how risk averse you are. Let us know what you decide.

LindeDad · February 8, 2016 1:46AM

Very few coins sold on eBay are truly rare. If I think a seller is shilling me I just back up and look elsewhere. Trust that feeling.

johnny9434 · February 8, 2016 3:15AM

Originally posted by: drwstr123
"Am I being paranoid that this seems like a shill situation?"

Could be...the question is do you want it at that price?

yeah, what he said and do be careful of the shill.

Cougar1978 · February 8, 2016 4:09AM

Most likely a shill.

eBay second chance offers

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