posted on March 6, 2001 07:26:42 PM
""Call me a capitalist but if my inbox is full of messages from eager back bidders wanting to buy from me I am thrilled about this, report them to safeharor are you nuts?""...........I agree 100%, if you have stuff to move..move it...I constantly get those "just missed it" bidders wanting to know if I have another item left...I have over 200 computer manuals to move, and I move them anyway I can...in most cases the people I sold, bought the item for just a few bucks less than the high bidder did at auction...but it is a deal for me since I would have paid a few bucks in fees anyways.
IMHO...This is no different than online storefronts...you can have your widget on Ebay and still be advertising it in your online storefront. How is this any different? How you sell your merchandise is your decision.
posted on March 6, 2001 07:31:59 PM
Dixiebee -- I am responding only about the potential buyer who contacted you. First of all, because of ebay's changes, contacting you through ebay's system is the ONLY way s/he has of making contact with you (unless you have your email address somewhere in your auction). So naturally that is the route s/he is going to use...
Secondly, it may not necessarily mean that they are trying to make a deal off ebay. I would think it to be highly likely that they found the auction too late and were disappointed to have missed it, so contacted you in hopes that you had additional items just like it. I have experienced that many times as a bidder -- and I have sometimes emailed the seller asking if they might happen to have any more. Even if they asked if you would sell it to them, what they may really be meaning is "Are you going to list another auction?" It is perfectly legitimate, under ebay's rules, to list another item and send the inquiring bidder the URL to the auction. (I would even list it with a Buy It Now price so that they could bid and buy it immediately if they wished.)
Violetta
(Not known by this nickname anywhere but here.)
posted on March 6, 2001 08:00:40 PM
I also do not understand reporting a potential customer to safeharbour because it is against ebay rules. If you do not like to sell outside ebay to a customer and they won't do a buy it now. then just tell them no you do not do bussiness that way.
If you sell a car outright to a private party do you also report that sell to the IRS, according to thier rules you are supposed to.
I am not trying to get personel it just seems like most people have certain rules they think no one should break. But then something else that they do not agree with it's ok to skirt the rules.
[ edited by surfsworth on Mar 6, 2001 08:03 PM ]
posted on March 6, 2001 08:08:38 PM
I really do not understand all the fuss here at all.
The second email I think it kind of funny and I would just delete it.
As to the first,in the 3 years I have been selling on ebaY and having sold over 6000 items.I have gotten many emails over the years asking for specific or similar items.
As always if I have it I take care of the customer if not then they go on my wants list.
To tell a potential customer to take a hike and bid on my auctions makes no sense.If I emailed you about an item and you told me to bid only on ebaY then I would probably go somewhere else.Reason is if you are not willing to take care of me now how do I know you will do so after the sale.
Plus to take care of such a customer as it has done in the past will make them more inclined to bid on your items on ebaY.
posted on March 6, 2001 08:50:00 PM
I find that this "ebay pipe" to contact sellers is a crock.
First it takes days to get a reply. Used to be at most 24 hours to get info back.
Second a few sellers won't give up the priveledge of paying fees to sell to me directly. Now mind you I am not trying to undercut a major sale of a rare item, just want to buy the same thing at the price of the last auction. I give them my email addy so they can email me off ebay. Some are cool, others are nervous.
I feel like a submariner in "Das Boot" waiting until the big ships stop depth bombing me and I can come up for air!
I also have had responses get back to me after the auction is over...have learned that it's a minimum of three days prior to EOA to really get one of those things turned around.
This "contact the seller crap" was implemented on eBay Canada several weeks before it was on the eBay USA site.
I had numerous buyers use the online form via eBay Canada, before most USA sellers & buyers even knew it existed, AND, on average it takes all of 2 minutes for those questions to reach me.
I also have a link for my email addy on all of my auctions, and most buyers use the online form. Go figure?
posted on March 6, 2001 09:54:20 PM
well, I broke the rules, flagrantly, last night.
Found an item that was just what I wanted for a friend's birthday, but it ended in 9 more days---too late for me. I used the Ask Seller a Question function and said, hey, if ya got another one, sell it to me! (I decided to live dangerously. If ebay wants to read my mail, and kick me out because of it, so be it. I'll use mom's account. ;->
Seller emailed back right away and we took care of payment. Seller put the widget in the mail today, and I should have it by the weekend.
Sure, we COULD have done some kind of Buy-It-Now quickie for ebay's benefit, but frankly I'm not interested in making special arrangements so that ebay can get their cut. call me a rebel.
anyway, I'm glad he didn't consider me spam. or my friend wouldn't be getting a REALLY cool present!
posted on March 6, 2001 10:58:48 PM
I too must be a flagrant violator! My auction wasn't due to end for another 6 days, but a woman emailed me needing it like *now*.
I added a BIN to an auction I hadn't really considered as BIN material (too much higher than my opening bid) for the *high* end of what I knew I'd get - she bought it in minutes, has mailed me a money order, and I've got it all boxed up. eBay got it's cut, the buyer got it for her kids ASAP, I'm getting a money order 6 days earlier than expected, and who exactly was hurt by this 'SPAM'?
I wonder if the people that get so outraged by 'spam' stand at their real life mailboxes fuming when yet another advertisement from yet another company 'invades' their reality. At least with email you don't feel compelled to recycle the paper....
posted on March 7, 2001 05:00:16 AM
Why not just end the auction early (assuming it has no bids), then make your sale? eBay still keeps their listing fee so what's the big deal???
An auction listing is really no different than a newspaper classified ad that says "best offer". Once the newspaper is paid for the ad space, they could care less how the item is sold. If the item is sold before the ad runs out, you can cancel the ad and start counting your profits.
Why should eBay be any different (other than the almighty fear of suspension)???
