posted on December 16, 2001 12:27:20 PM new
There seems to always be someone out there with just the right attitude to help bring the blood pressure down. Hope they're there today. I'm beside myself on this one. I won an auction last night, emailed the seller right away asking for shipping and total, etc. I really wanted this item. Just got a return email telling me that she had rec'd an email from the "high bidder" who lived near her so she sold it to her and forgot to end the auction. I don't get it. I was the high bidder. She says she's very sorry and it's ok if I leave negative feedback. Honest to Pete...I don't know what to do. I haven't even returned the email yet...afraid of what I might say.
posted on December 16, 2001 12:57:44 PM new
I can't help much, but I wouldn't believe her story. It's seller's remorse, pure and simple. If she is so stupid as to refuse to sell to the winner of the auction, she doesn't belong on ebay. There, I have vented a bit for you.
posted on December 16, 2001 01:16:01 PM new
I'd make sure I reported this to the proper people at Ebay! Listing an Auction and Bidding on an Auction is a binding agreement on both of you!
I'd get this person kicked off, if at all possible. And it sounds like this is grounds for removal possibly more.
posted on December 16, 2001 02:00:15 PM new
I'd be a bit upset also. Perhaps she didn't get the price she wanted? If this happened to me I would report her to ebay and also forward her e-mail and let them take care of it. Maybe it was an honest mistake or maybe she has a habit of doing this and it's time for her to get the boot. Does she have good feedback?
5.2 Binding Bids. Except for items listed in a category under the Non-binding Bid Policy, if you receive at least one bid at or above your stated minimum price (or in the case of reserve auctions, at or above the reserve price), you are obligated to complete the transaction with the highest bidder upon the auction's completion, unless there is an exceptional circumstance, such as: (a) the buyer fails to meet the terms of your listing (such as payment method), or (b) you cannot authenticate the buyer's identity.
posted on December 16, 2001 02:41:30 PM new
kiara, thanks for the link. To answer your question, she does have decent feedback. About 70 off the top of my head with no negs.
The plot thickens...I am now more upset with the alleged (if what the seller says is true) buyer than the seller. I called the seller since I first posted this thread. She has her phone listed in her auction (huge numbers that can't be missed). I was amazingly calm. My lower lip bled a little from my calm biting it (just kidding). She seemed very sorry. Fairly new to selling, etc. Says the person who got it had remained the high bidder for a few days and got hold of her to say she needed the item fast for a present. She could come right over to pick it up. Told seller that would be ok since she was currently the high bidder. Then she forgot to end the auction. NOW.....this item should have gone for considerably more money but the seller misspelled it which I'm sure was not a help. My bid was 4 times what was needed to outbid the other, but it didn't need that much to be the high bidder. My gut says the person who bought it is the one who is really guilty of playing dirty pool and took advantage of a novice. What do you think? Since there were only 2 other bidders, it's got to be one or the other. (Sorry for being so lengthy),
posted on December 16, 2001 02:41:41 PM new
Ok, it is hard to stick up for the seller but I will try...
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She made a big mistake. She should have ended the auction-- she really should have, but who knows what is happening in her life outside of ebay. She apologized and admitted that a neg is warranted. Had she just blown you off without an apology I would think she might be pulling something, but it is entirely possible that she did mean to end the auction and maybe it really did slip her mind. I realize you wanted the item-- is it something that you can still find? I'd take a deep breath and let it go. It is just "stuff". Really.
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I'd leave a neutral-- seller made mistake but apologized-- or something like that.
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I am SO in the minority-- can anyone else back me up?
<br />
:0)
PS-- You posted the update right as I was posting this. It sounds like the person who bought it did take advantage, but what can you do?
[ edited by ashlandtrader on Dec 16, 2001 02:48 PM ]
posted on December 16, 2001 03:00:20 PM new
I agree with you ashlandtrader, it sounds like an unscrupulous buyer taking advantage of a novice seller. The only thing with which I disagree about is leaving a neutral. The seller admits to deserving a negative and should receive one, IMHO. Romantiques can word it so it's not so harsh, and the seller can respond to it explaining the situation, but breaking the contract with the high bidder due to their own oversight is very deserving of a neg in my book.
Romantiques, thanks for posting your experience. This reinforces my standard answer when somebody makes me an offer to end an auction and sell to them: "Sorry, it wouldn't be fair to the other bidders."
posted on December 16, 2001 03:05:24 PM new
Perhaps the seller did make a mistake. Did you tell her that you would have paid much more? Then the seller can sit there and fume at herself for doing what she did and maybe learn a lesson.
And if the person who bought it is guilty of playing dirty pool maybe Santa will even the score and put a lump of coal in her stocking.
Keep looking for the item on ebay. Sometimes buying is disappointing but things always tend to have a balance and the good outweighs the bad.
posted on December 16, 2001 04:41:07 PM new
Perhaps someone notified her that she had a typo and with correct wording and a relist, she could get more for the item. I'd watch to make sure it isn't relisted soon.
Meanwhile, I'd leave the neg - she said she didn't mind. Feedback of 70 is not a novice. Sure, she may have let someone take advantage of her, but there are consequences to all of our actions.
posted on December 16, 2001 04:50:22 PM new
You need to let the seller know that what she did is wrong. If a person sells on eBay, then let the person honor the rules.
I can tell you that buyers try to pull this scam on me every so often. It is usually done when the item is rare and desirable. The collectors all know who each other are, know everyone's multiple ids, and some of them go to extraordinary lengths to obtain something just to keep it away from the buying competition.
The most common story is the "I have to have it right now for a present" story.
The second most common story is the "I am leaving on a business trip in the morning and won't be back for two weeks" story.
Regarding scenario one, I have a funny story to relate. I had purchased a primo private collection from an estate. I won't tell you what it was, but it was not what I normally sell, so in my auctions it was apparent that I was not an expert in this field. I received an outpouring of emails from the collectors, dozens who asked me to sell them everything I had.
One email was from a fellow who said it was his wife's birthday, the item I had up for auction is what she wanted, could I end my auction and sell it to him so he could give it to his wife in time for her birthday. I sent back a polite response, not the one I wanted to send which would have been "Do you take me for an ignorant fool you moron?" but worded nicely that I don't end auctions, please feel free to bid anyway. A few days later I put up another one of these rare things, the same idiot sent me another email, totally forgot he had already contacted me ragarding the first auction, the email was the exact same word-for-word except this time instead of wife he used the word father.
posted on December 16, 2001 07:56:11 PM new
If the person did it to you and has no problems with having done it - ( even suggesting a neg - I would expect her/him to do it again to someone else. Eventually her peeving off buyers might discourage buyers from using ebay to get their goodies - It might even cost "me" a sale or two. Cant tell you what to do But if it happened to me - I would post a simple (Neg)"Seller sold item to Local buyer didnt complete transaction. I would follow up with a complaint to ebay/safeharbour.
Best of luck
posted on December 16, 2001 09:38:56 PM new
i dont believe her story that she sold the item and forgot to end the auction.
she just does not want to sell it.
does she run many auctions??
you are angry because you are in some way taking advantage of her as you spotted her typo,she must have decided she does not want to be taken advantage of and come up with this story.
i am sitting on a repeated order from an overseas customer who bot some items from me for his son's wedding,every item is ordered in quantity of 2.
he said his son really like the items and he is back ordering more,once again in quantity of 2,also for his wedding.
does this guy have identical twin sons getting married at the same time??no one gives his son wedding gifts like that??
well,as long as his money is good,i am not going to ask.
posted on December 17, 2001 06:34:21 AM new
stopwhining...
Thanks for taking the time to respond. In reading my post you may have missed the part where I said that my maximum bid far exceeded what was needed at the time to outbid the prior bidder. My max was a very fair price which I committed to and was prepared to pay for the item...it just didn't get there. Taking advantage of the seller on a misspelled item was not the mission on my part whatsoever. In essence I offered to pay via my bid what I felt the item was truly worth. I'm upset that the rules were not followed, not because I'm not the one who got to take advantage as you have implied.
Thanks to all for helping me through this. I feel less stressed about it today. The voice of the seller on the phone convinced me that she was sorry and had learned from this. It was shaky and scared along with apologetic. I really think she was duped by the buyer. I've chosen to go into this Holiday Season without taking all the possible steps to take her to task for her mistake. A simple neutral will get the point out there that all was less than perfect with this transaction. Yes, it was something I really wanted...Yes, by rights it should be mine by contract, etc... but in the end it's just "stuff" as someone pointed out.
posted on December 17, 2001 08:10:59 AM new
I could tell she's a novice seller because an expert would have come up with a good excuse, i.e. "I accidently stepped on item and it's in pieces." By the way, that really happened once, after buyer sent money, the item was flat as a pancake afer I stepped on it accidently. So don't assume seller is lying in circumstances like this. I also had a ring loss on the day the auction ended due to my visiting niece. Still haven't found it.
Punish this seller for telling the truth. Telling the truth is a big no in this country.
posted on December 17, 2001 08:47:14 AM new
hi quickdraw...thanks for the input. I really don't think the seller is lying. If any lying comes into play here, I'm putting my bet on the buyer. She said she needed it really fast for a gift and was able to talk the seller into it. If she gives these as gifts I wish I was on her Xmas list.
As I stated in previous post, I do not intend to punish the seller for telling the truth. I do think that a kindly worded neutral for an incomplete transaction and rules violation is appropriate though.
posted on December 17, 2001 09:03:37 AM new
i think it is kind of you to leave a neutral,i think she has learned a lesson,running ebay auction is a demanding job.
posted on December 17, 2001 11:52:59 PM new
I wasn't making a case that this seller is lying, I am referring to my example that a wise seller would come up with a better excuse, but buyers shouldn't construe it to automatically mean it's a lie because I've had real accidents occur.
posted on December 18, 2001 04:10:23 PM new
Hi,you seem like a very reasonable person, the key is you taught her something. too bad you did not get the item now,but i would watch & see if that person that got it lists it Bet they do grrr! then if you must have it even have a relative bid on it if you think there would be a problem with them selling to you.
I have found,the karma of a thing like this is, many times if you handle it well & show what kind of person you are,,it may take years but you could find one at a yard sale for a dollar! it has happened to me.good luck & Happy Holidays
posted on December 19, 2001 08:04:49 AM new
i just messed up a buyer pretty bad myself. A week ago someone paid twice for the same item. Offered to refund and they said they would just take another one if I had it. I did but forgot to cancel the auction. It cost me half a day trying to run around and find that same item for the buyer who won my un-cancelled auction (never found it). emailed the winner and told him the situation. he was understanding under the circumstances and asked for me to keep him in mind if i found another one. i'm expecting that NEG anyday now.
posted on December 19, 2001 12:19:46 PM new
A super sleuth would get the info on both the buyer and the 2nd highest bidder. If both addresses are in fact close to each other then I'm sorry you lost the item....all you can do is leave a neg for the bad business practice.
If the seller and the 2nd highest bidder live way far apart then you caught her in a lie and you can push the issue. Then you'd report it in.
I don't remember where you can get the personal info on Ebayers but its somewhere if you dig. Right before you'd file for NPB the link is there when you get to it after getting the sellers info just hit the back button and enter the 2nd highest bidders ID.
posted on December 21, 2001 06:21:14 AM new
We just never know when this electronic stuff is truthful; we go on our instincts. For those who don't trust their instincts, there is the Written Word, sometimes known as a Contract. The Seller made one with eBay and the Bidder. The Seller has to abide by certain standards whether or not they WANT to; spelling is one of those standards. eBay gives opportunities to review a listing before posting and to correct a listing. In this case, the only things which NEED to be addressed are the facts. The Seller took payment before the auction ended and violated the Contract. If you leave NF, you also leave your contact info and others can talk of it with you if they are concerned. One NF out of 70? No big deal, IF THAT'S THE ONLY ONE! 70 certainly doesn't sound like a novice to me: sounds like a culprit caught. And if you abided by the rules when you placed your bid, you have no culpability as to a Steal of a Price.
