posted on February 24, 2001 08:53:46 PM new
I'm selling a nice large color comic book single page that was removed from a 1970s comic book. I didn't make any claims it was original art, but apparently some bidders did misunderstand.
So one person places a bid, then after doing that, e-mails me & asks is it original or "a page removed from a publication". I e-mail back & reply, "yes, it is a page that was neatly removed from a comic publication"
So they retract their bid, with the words "didn't realize I was bidding on something torn out of a book"
The pages were neatly & properly removed, I've sold stuff like that before, such as map pages, art pages, and know how to do it!
Geez, that could pretty much slay the sale for anyone who might have been interested.
I strongly think that eBay should not allow bidders to say whatever thoughtless things come into their heads if they want to retract their bid!
Why doesn't eBay provide a drop-down menu with 3 to 5 BID RETRACTION STATEMENT choices, to avoid this kind of stupid action on part of the bidder.
How would one go about petitioning eBay to seriously consider improving the bid retraction feature by implementing several factual non-injurious statement choices?
posted on February 24, 2001 10:17:27 PM new
I would suggest you simply be much more specific in your description of the piece. In the description I would CLEARLY state you are selling a comic PAGE. That would end any confusion. I sell Civil war BOOKPLATE engravings and prints from the late 1800's on Ebay. They are BOOKPLATES from a book. I have never had one single person get confused or retract a bid. Make things CLEAR so those who are bidding understand exactly what they are bidding on. Makes your life so much easier
posted on February 24, 2001 10:31:52 PM new
I think that being confused by a listing between original art vs page-from-book is one of the most defensible reasons to cancel a bid I've ever seen.
I buy photos. It is utterly maddening when people list recent prints as if they had been made in the '40s of contemporary events. It's maddening because lots of original prints aren't listed with any fuss, because their owner thinks that "old picture" means "the print is old", rather than "the picture was taken a long time ago". And coming along to exploit this ambiguity, sure enough, are sellers of "old pictures" which are prints they cranked out last week.
posted on February 24, 2001 10:31:57 PM newupriver --
I agree with you. It's ebay-condoned auction interference. It's ridiculous that the buyer, who is only supposed to retract for several narrow reasons, can retract, say anything they want, and possbily affect the outcome of the auction.
posted on February 24, 2001 10:57:10 PM new
mulberry912 & sg52:
I was real clear. The auction title & very first part of my description had the words "Comic Page" right there, and I said I did not know the name of the publication the page had been in -- and I had no problem whatsoever with the person retracting their bid, I even told them that in a response e-mail to them.
So that is not the issue.
Do people actually READ things anymore?
The issue is that they are allowed to say any old thing they want to, including choosing words that may have a "loaded" meaning & may in fact erroneously discourage other bidding, and that is something that should not be allowed.
Julesy, thank you for reading my post as it was intended.
posted on February 25, 2001 08:49:36 AM new
UPRIVER - I agree totally with your statement. If eBay allows the retractor to make a statement, the Seller should be allowed to respond to that statement.
I have had a few auctions screwed up royally with Bid Retractions and every single one of those bid retractors made a thoughtless & inaccurate statement about their bid retraction.
I have posted many times about how unfair I believe bid retractions are. eBay will never do anything about these. There are both pros and cons to bid retractions, but mostly cons (in every sense of the word).
A drop down list would most likely be appropriate, if eBay is going to allow retractors to place comments you cannot reply to.
Most bid retractors are doing something they shouldn't to begin with. So to save face, they make the seller look bad or worse yet, the item. The comment gives them the opportunity to make them look good.
I know it is frustrating to deal with and I sympathize with you fully.
posted on February 25, 2001 08:55:29 AM new
Here is where retraction goes from annoyance to outright nonsense! A BIN buyer retracts and you still have to pay the insertion and FVF fees, what's with that? A newbie, no FB at all, decides they don't want the item after using the BIN feature. What recourse do we have? Relist and take the hit? Then I will stop using the BIN feature. Too many "zeros" out there. eBay needs to tweak this feature a little so the sellers don't have to keep taking it in the $$$.
posted on February 25, 2001 10:39:22 AM newI was real clear.
Upriver, with great respect intended, it seems that "real clear" was insufficient. The buyer was confused. That's a problem, and it's your problem. Confused buyers aren't happy, and they report their displeasure. That's the reality. The only "liberty" buyer seems to have taken was characterizing the removal as "torn", not obviously over the line. Would you have been happier if it would have said "didn't realize I was bidding on a page removed from a book"? That would have been 100% in line with your description of reality.
I don't buy comics, so I'm guessing here, but, to this buyer, "comic book page" might have seemed substantially different from "comic page". I'd drop "publication" from your vocabulary, everyone knows what a "comic book" is, but "publication" leaves open alternative, confusing, interpretations.
posted on February 25, 2001 10:45:40 AM new
No, people do not read.
And they are very thoughtless, with no care for the effect their actions have on others.
I had the same thing happen once; a bidder retracted his/her bid, with the comment that the "seller had changed description too much after I bid". Now, we all know that you can't change a listing description after a bid, only add on - and I had not added anything on to this description. This person just wanted out of the bid, and didn't really care that he was giving me a bad name.
I think the idea of a drop down menu with a few approved reasons to retract would be perfect!
El
"The customer may not always be right, but she is always the customer."
posted on February 25, 2001 10:50:57 AM new
I would report the bid retraction to safeharbor stating that the explanation this user left is unacceptable per ebay rules.
I would then cancel all bids on the auction, end the auction, relist the auction, and request a listing fee from ebay since the auction was interfered with in such away.
I have done this before and I will do it again if it happens.
If ebay has to start reimbursing sellers for doing what I just mentioned, then they perhaps will start taking action against these bid retractors.
And upriver,
As far as , "Why doesn't eBay provide a drop-down menu with 3 to 5 BID RETRACTION STATEMENT choices, to avoid this kind of stupid action on part of the bidder."
NO WAY IN HELL WOULD I AGREE TO THAT !!!!!
Do you really mean you want to make it that much easier for bidders to retract their bids ???
Think about the consequences a drop down menu would create. These jerks doing this bid retracting would simply pick any excuse on the menu and be done with it and you would have no recourse what so ever due to the fact the bid retractions would all be acceptable !!!!
posted on February 25, 2001 01:06:51 PM new
Get a grip UPRIVER.
Ebay can't have "drop down menues" that just serve your purpose.
Might I suggest being very very clear about what you are selling and where it came from BEFORE YOU POST THE AUCTION. If YOU weren't clear as glass how can YOU fault the buyer?
Wouldn't THAT be simpler, and more honest, than blaming the bidder??
So the buyer said it was torn out of a book and you say it was "neatly removed". It's STILL a page taken out of a book.
If you want to disect the wording of bid retractions perhaps you should try disecting the wording of your auctions FIRST. BEFORE THEY POST.
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!
***********************************
The more PEOPLE I meet.........
The more I like my DOG!!
[ edited by whinecooler on Feb 25, 2001 01:09 PM ]
