posted on March 21, 2001 08:51:55 PM new
I just received this e-mail from a bidder who is angry because of last minute sniping on one of my auctions. I am sure this has come up before but I haven't been selling for long and haven't had this happen to me. What do I answer her?
YES, I JUST TRIED TO PLACE ANOTHER BID ON THE BRIEFCASE THAT I WAS THE HIGHEST
BIDDER ON UNTILL THIS OTHER BIDDER CAME AND PLACED ANOTHER BID AT THE LAST
SECOND THEIR WERE ABOUT 3 MINUTES LEFT AND I TRIED TO BID AGAIN AND IT SAID THAT
THE AUCTION WAS CLOSED, I DO NOT THINK THAT THAT IS FAIR AND I FEEL I AM THE
RIGHTFUL WINNER. THEIR WERE STILL MINUTES ON THE COUNT DOWN CLOCK. PLEASE
RESPOND....JILLIAN
She's saying e-Bay's clock somehow messed up? Please help, I've been reading and learning so much here lately, but this one I am not sure what to do about!
posted on March 21, 2001 08:58:32 PM new
She got sniped. Happens all the time. Tell you're sorry that she wasn't the high bidder but she is welcome to bid on your auctions in the future. And tell her to beware the wicked snipe. They can't really hurt you but they leave a nasty sting.
[ edited by dubyasdaman on Mar 21, 2001 09:00 PM ]
posted on March 21, 2001 09:18:27 PM new
touchofeurope ... echo what dubyasdaman said. Doesn't matter what she thinks or feels, or how slow she was to click the submit bid button. The official eBay winner is all that matters.
Too bad, so sad, welcome to the world of sniping on eBay.
posted on March 22, 2001 12:46:41 AM newTouchofeurope, what may have happened is that she used the "back" button on her browser to get back to the auction page--she should have refreshed the screen instead. (BTW sometimes when I've gone back to my watch list and clicked on an auction again, I get the page that the browser has stored and I STILL have to hit refresh to get the current countdown clock).
I lost an auction this same way one time when I was just starting out and didn't know what the problem was. I kept going back to my watch list and clicking on the auction, but the clock didn't move. I finally got the bright idea of refreshing the screen, and I've successfully sniped any number of auctions since then!!
posted on March 22, 2001 01:30:00 AM new
Tell her it sounds like a personal problem. I can only imagine what she would be complaining about if she actually won.
[ edited by heatfries on Mar 22, 2001 01:30 AM ]
posted on March 22, 2001 01:41:55 AM new
If a person is watching the auction, you have to refresh to see the time. It is not ticking down in "real time."
My resonse would be, "Thank you for your bid on my auction. I do understand your dissapointment. You might want to read the section on ebay about placing proxy bids so this does not happen again. If you feel there was an error with the countdown clock you would have to contact ebay. As another person is the official winner, I am legally obligated to complete the transaction with that person.
Sincerely,
Me
If they resond back, I would just delete the email. This is just a newbie that doesn't know the game, yet.
posted on March 22, 2001 04:55:04 AM new
Thanks all, I knew what had happened I thought, but I didn't know how to word it to her. I remember this happening to me too, but I never went off that way - weird people out there!
Anyway, thanks for the help, I really appreciate it.
posted on March 22, 2001 10:55:00 AM new
I would also mention to her that you have no control over the ebay timer or who bids at the last second and as a seller..you have no choice but to sell to the winning bidder listed.
posted on March 22, 2001 11:00:29 AM new
When you e-mail her, ask her to click on the link for Bidding History. That will give all the times and amounts of bids. It's very possible she did place a bid but the sniper had a higher proxy in that she did not beat.
posted on March 22, 2001 11:38:31 AM new
Tomwii....
LOL
I had a bidder do this to me on an auction in the fall. I get an email from no one I recognize, then realize it was from the 2nd place bidder. It was my fault and he was defrauded. He had no feedback yet, poor dude. I told him about the sniper section on Ebay's bidder help info and Vrane (which I really know nothing about).
Worse, the winning bidder backed out, something about a dead parakeet, mother, I don't know.
So, like a fool, I offer it to Mr. Second Place. I got a lovely email reminding me what a scumbag I was and that he'd never bid on my auctions (Bless you! Thank you!!) and that he was turning me in to safeharbor.
I have never heard from safeharbor or him. Or Vrane come to think of it. Where is my referal fee?
Ah, acrimony for breakfast.
I just relisted it, it sold to a sweet fellow who gave me great feedback.
posted on March 22, 2001 12:55:01 PM new
Ahhh....remember the good ol' days?
Ya'll can't tell me that you don't had a lost auction that haunts you to this day.....the last second snipe, the frozen computer, the ebay outage, the ferret who spilled a *full* diet Dr. Pepper on the keyboard seconds before you were to hit the enter button (ok, so maybe that one isn't all that common).....
I'm still bitter about a Disney bathroom set I lost (i.e., that was STOLEN from right under my nose by some smartaleck, rich, snipe happy, turkey smelling bidder)!
posted on March 22, 2001 01:01:18 PM new
I am still stomping around the house at the sweeeeet macro lens that I could have grabbed for a song...it even had an extension tube...waaaaaah!!!
Walked away from the computer, thinking I had lots of time then sat down and missed it by a minute!!!!!!!!!!!
posted on March 22, 2001 01:39:30 PM new
Thanks all a bunch. I sent her a nice note and used a lot of the tips and ideas you gave and she wrote back a very nice letter saying she had contacted the winner and gotten nasty with him/her too (haven't heard from that one yet!) and he/she explained how it was done - she felt it was dirty but would do it too! Anyway, she felt really positive and was so pleased I actually answered her, so that's worked out really great! Thanks all for helping me with this, it's so nice knowing there's such a great group just a click away!
posted on March 22, 2001 01:40:11 PM new
Lotsafuzz and capriole, my condolences on your missed snipes! I've been there.
Even worse, it happened to me at a real life auction last week! There was a little oak desk hubby and I really wanted for our guest room. It wasn't up until after 200 or so lots and I wasn't interested in much of anything before it so I went late. Well, I guess I gabbed too long before leaving or got stuck in one too many traffic jams, because I arrived three lots late!! I could have just fainted dead away. It was a nice piece, and I learned later that a dealer got it for a bargain price. Sigh....
posted on March 22, 2001 01:41:47 PM new
touchofeurope - I'm glad to hear that your outsniped bidder was pleased with your note and has been newly initiated into the world of auction sniping.
posted on March 22, 2001 03:26:11 PM new
touchofeurope - Why don't you just email her and give her the url to this thread? That should clear things up for her.
posted on March 22, 2001 04:05:27 PM new
Even Rosie O'Donnel (spelling??) talked about her ebaying experience last year when someone was always outbidding her. She even looked into the camera and said, "[ebay id] I know your out there, and one of these days I'm gunna find out who you are!" She even joked about the fact that the bidder had no idea they were outbidding her. Imagine finding out you have been sniping a celeb!
It's all part of the online auction experience.
When the blair witch project was out (the first time) I sniped a bunch of flyers that were used in the promotion for dirt cheap. Well, when I received all the flyers, they were fake. The seller had gone into a print shop and actually made her own! Of course, the picture she used was of a real one. Not only were they fake, she used different fonts, and had spelling errors! I paid her almost $60.00!
She said she had no idea they were fake. I had printed the auction with a pic of the the original flyer, which she quickly deleted. I told her she would have a hard time explaining to the authorities how she didn't know when they were different than the pic in the auction.
I did get a refund, but only after I threatened fraud charges. And even then she was defensive stating that there were other sellers who where committing "real fraud" and ripping off customers to the tune of hundreds, even thousands of dollars. She wouldn't send the money stating that she was just too busy to run to the post office.
I am sure all those bidders that I sniped were upset that day for loosing. They don't know how lucky they were!
