posted on October 28, 2000 04:44:05 PM new
Hi,
I have an unusual situation. I've run over 200 auctions and this is the first time I've had a situation like this one...
I auctioned a book on . Two bidders REALLY wanted the book. Immediately after the auction ended, the winning bidder contacted me to get payment information. The next day underbidder emailed me, saying that if the winning bidder didn't want the book, then please contact him as he was disappointed he didn't have the high bid. I said that I'd already heard from the high bidder but that if I ran across another copy of the book I'd let him know.
Then I heard from the high bidder again, saying that he had found another copy of the book and no longer needed the one he had found. But the underbidder had been in touch with him and they had agreed that he (the underbidder) would buy the book at the final bid price ($26).
So I emailed the underbidder and said, hey, looks like you're in luck! I hear you two worked something out, just send me $26 + shipping and the book is yours.
A couple days went by. The I heard from him, he said his son had found another copy on the internet for less, so oh well, I don't want it anymore.
Okay....So I emailed the original winning bidder, saying well, the other guy doesn't want it after all, I am counting on you to complete the transaction, as your winning bid obligated you to do.
A few days went by. I hadn't heard so I filed a non-paying bidder request and eBay sent him a warning.
A few days later I emailed him again. No reply.
So now that's where it stands. Do you think I should just neg him? Should I keep trying to reach him? His email responses were very fast, up til the time I tried to collect the $ from him. I think he's just ignoring me.
Should I wait til I file for my FVF refund before I neg him? I've only left 2 negatives before, I really hate doing it and never really know how long to wait to do it.
posted on October 28, 2000 04:53:06 PM new
Personally, I wouldn't waste anymore time trying to contact him. It has been almost 2 weeks, I would neg, relist, and move on...
posted on October 28, 2000 05:08:15 PM new
Could it be that the two bidders are really one bidder who decided to have some fun at your expense? It seems strange that the two high bidders would contact each other after the 2nd highest bidder contacted you. But stranger things have happened so who knows?
posted on October 28, 2000 07:37:32 PM new
No, I don't think it's one bidder having fun. The high bidder had cc'd me an email that he had sent to the underbidder saying that he had been in touch with me about the "change in buyer" and there was other stuff in that email where they were discussing the rather technical subject of the book I was selling (they are both collectors of the items that are the subject of the book).
I think the reason the 2nd highest bidder contacted the high bidder after he spoke to me is that he thought he could talk the high bidder out of the item.
You know what really sucks? The high bidder said he was buying the book as a reference for a Scout Troop...isn't he a fine role model!
You know what sucks? I realized after my first post that I have already received my final value fee credit on this item as it ended on Sunday, 10/15 and I requested a refund on all closed auctions that night from eBay due to the site being down. So I can't file a Final Value request for this...and it won't count against him. However, he has feedback of 0, has been registered since 2/00 and this is apparently the first thing he's won, and he will probably just re-register under another name after his very first feedback is negative anyway. But I am still going to do it.
I'm really tired of all the energy I've expended on this, can't wait to be free of it.
