posted on October 13, 2000 12:39:43 PM
I am new to ebay, I have this buyer who want me to close my auction early and sell the item to them Is this allowed???
posted on October 13, 2000 12:44:05 PM
While it is "allowed", it's not generally wise. Popular opinion here is to let the auction run it's course. You will most likely do better on the final price, and the auction will be "on the books" as far as eBay is concerned.
Buyers who make this request think they can get a deal rather than wait out the bidding and perhaps have to pay more.
posted on October 13, 2000 12:49:32 PM
Search for similar items, and offer to sell it to them at the highest closing price. The chances of you hearing back from them are slim to none. They are hoping that you are an innocent newbie and/or are ignorant of the item you are selling, and hope to get it for pennies on the dollar.
posted on October 13, 2000 12:54:05 PM
I have to agree with Meya...
It's probably best to let the auction run its course...you're likely to get more money that way. Most of the bidding will take place in the last hour of the auction, in my experience.
Why does this person want you to end the auction and sell outright? Regardless of the reason, I would tell the person that he/she is welcome to bid, or if for some reason they can't or won't bid, they can EMAIL you after the auction if the item doesn't sell.
posted on October 13, 2000 01:00:52 PM
unless like me you buy your widgets by the case and cabn sell him one off auction with no trouble.
I had a buyer e-mail me all excited and wanted to buy the item which I did - then
the next day when I listed 3 more he mailed me all irrate that I had not told him I bought them in cases of 50. He didn't ask and didn't seem interested in buying more than the one. What business is it of his where I buy them or how many I have?
posted on October 13, 2000 01:02:27 PM
Don't do it!! In case you need an inspirational story...I once started an auction with a $50 opening bid, $400 reserve. Someone emailed me, saying how cute the item was, and since it had no bids (after being up for only 4 hours), would I sell it to her for the $50? I politely declined and it sold for over $1,000.
Two points to this actually. It sold for more than the opening bid, and much more than I had anticipated, as evidenced by my reserve. Sometimes you just never know what you really have, especially if you are new.
posted on October 13, 2000 01:12:04 PM
Okay, here's mine.... Start auction at $20, guy writes, says I'll pay $700, end the auction early. I decline, the item ends up going for $1850, and the guy who made the offer was 2nd high bidder Let the auction run its course, you may be pleasantly surprised
posted on October 13, 2000 04:10:41 PM
I heard a similar story where this woman sold a bunch of toys in a lot. Hoped to get about $20 for them. One bidder asked her to end her auction for $400. The bidder's mom emailed her and told her that one of those toys in the lot was rare and she would probably get more. She didn't sell even though she had already ended her auction. She relisted it again and got close to $2,000 for the lot. She got negative feedback but she told me it was worth it! Overworked you sound like the same person almost! lol Was your item little plastic figures?????lol
posted on October 13, 2000 05:33:14 PM
Here's my story... I offered the seller $150 to end his auction early. He politely decined. So I bid, and got it for $120.
LOL
It works both ways. And remember, those who say "let it ride" will not reimburse you if it sells at auction for less than the fellow offered to stop the auction.
posted on October 14, 2000 07:58:12 AM
jlb444, how did the seller get negative feedback if they ended the auction, and then relisted to finish? This must have been before the 'transaction related' feedback?
posted on October 14, 2000 08:33:05 AM
We have had a few requests such as this...most recently for an item that the 'buyer' told us he would pay $75.00 for as he was going out of town and would not be available at the end of the auction. We told him NO...that we would let the auction run its course as there were already some bidders and lots of looks. Turns out the 'vacationing' buyer was right there trying to snipe the item at the last second...and lost out to someone who paid more than double the offered price of $75.
One of the most interesting parts of eBay is the "crap shoot" of seeing how much someone will bid....I say let it ride!
The negative was left because the girl who offered her the $400 to stop her auction was the top bidder at the time therefore she left a negative on that auction that the seller closed. When the mother of the girl who offered the $400 emailed the seller to tell her that her daughter knew better and that one of the items in the lot was extremely rare and she should not end her auction...the lady already had ended the auction already, ready to take the offer. Her mother emailed her and told her to please just relist the item that she would get a lot more for the lot (too bad the mothers morality didn't rub off on the kid). So the Seller started another auction which ended up close to $2,000. The seller thought her lot was worth maybe $20. The kid left her negative feedback on the first auction which she closed and she happened to be the last bidder.
