posted on January 3, 2001 06:21:06 PM
Hi,
I received an e-mail from someone who I am assuming is the high bidder on one of my auctions (since ebay is down, I can't doublecheck that). He is asking me to end the auction early and is offering quite a bit more money than I expected this item to bring in. He says he will be out of town next week when the auction ends and doesn't want to miss out. I would think, if he bid the amount of money he offered me, he will be the high bidder, so I'm not quite sure what he's concerned about.
As a rule, do you guys do this? Is it "safe"? Is it against ebay policy? It'd be interesting to let the auction run its course to see if it draws anyone else who is that interested, but then again, if he is the high bidder and is going to be out of town when it ends, I'm wondering if I'll collect from him when it does end.
posted on January 3, 2001 06:23:43 PM
http://www2.ebay.com/aw/announce.shtml
Last week we posted information about Spam and Fee Avoidance policy changes and would like to provide clarification based on questions that some members have posed (specifically regarding the Fee Avoidance policy changes).
* Using member contact information obtained from eBay or using any eBay feature to offer to sell any
listed item outside of eBay
* Canceling a listing to sell the item to anyone who contacted the seller through eBay, or became aware
of the item through eBay
* Ending a listing early to sell the item at a higher price to the winning bidder
* Using member contact information obtained from eBay or using any eBay feature to offer to sell an item
outside of eBay to any of your bidders in a Reserve Not Met listing
* Using member contact information obtained from eBay or using any eBay feature to sell duplicate or
additional merchandise outside of eBay to underbidders
* Listing items in a manner that allows circumvention of eBay fees (for more information please see
http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/png-list.html)
Notes:
* Selling to the underbidder in a Non-Paying Bidder situation is still permitted. However, this
transaction is not covered by services such as insurance or Feedback.
* Member contact information refers to name, email address or phone number.
posted on January 3, 2001 06:28:34 PM
My advice: DON"T DO IT
If he really will be out of town and he is willing to pay such a great amount, let him put in a proxy bid. In the past, I have had several bidders tell me that they would be out of town and would contact me by such and such a date if they won the auction. He can do the same thing.
If you end the auction and he doesn't follow through and pay, then where are you? You'll have to relist and some of your bidders may not bother to bid again after you eneded the auction early and cut them out of it.
Let the auction run and see how you do. Oftentimes sellers are surprised to find the item sells for more than the "great price" that a bidder offered.
posted on January 3, 2001 06:59:30 PMDon't end it!
Last two requests I received to end an auction early, one was at $70 & ended at $245.
The other one was at $150 and ended at $450.
BOTH times these weenies said "I'll be out of town next week when it ends".
Ya, and your point is???
Tell the bidder to place his max, and you'll be happy to square up with them when they return home. Also, almost every major city in the US has a "cyber cafe" or library where the high bidder could get internet access to finalize the deal within 24 hours of it ending, if they wanted to.
posted on January 3, 2001 07:03:46 PM
I've asked to have an auction end early. But I ask they put a buy it now price on it.
So we are both happy!
hmmm...even ebay is happy with that way..
