posted on December 28, 2004 07:29:01 PM
Hey folks, I've been looking through old posts to see if anyone posted something about the eBay Second Chance offer. So far I've only been able to find a topic related to sending WBNs, which was helpful.
But what I was wondering... has anyone ever had an auction where there was a very large spread in the final bid amounts? I have a few that ended like that tonight. I sent most of the underbidders a Second Chance Offer since I have duplicates of most of my items.
Question is: how does the top bidder feel if he or she finds out someone else got to buy the same item for a lot less? For example, the final bid price was $25. There were four other bidders who bid up to $22, $15, $12 and $9. I know that if I were the guy who paid $25 for my item and I found out someone else got one for $9 I'd be not too happy. I suppose by this point it's too late for them to say anything, and the only way they could find out is by looking through my feedback, incase the other buyer(s) posted feedback. Might also harm future auctions if people see these second chance offers.
posted on December 28, 2004 07:48:11 PM
I would have offered it to the $22 bidder, but not those $10-16 less than your winning bidder. I would have re-listed one again - and let those bidders know you've found another one and listed it, providing the link as a courtesy if they're still interested.
I'd never offer something up for nearly 33% of what the high bidder paid - for many of the reasons you suggest.
I am running through a set of stamps found at an auction and had a sheet go off around $17.50, but the second high bidder didn't take me up on my Second Offer for his bid of $17.00. I think he was betting we'd relist it at the first staring price we had of $5.99 or so. However, I relisted it at $15.95 (around the 3rd high bidder's level) and it had a bid from almost the first hour from a completely different bidder. So, we'll see if that 2nd high bidder drives the new guy up... and he'll probably miss this one, too.
Kind regards,
Wayne
Never explain -- Your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway.
~ Elbert Hubbard
posted on December 28, 2004 08:04:39 PM
Thanks Wayne, that's a good idea, and it doesn't violate an eBay policies as far as I can tell, since there's no offer being made on the side. It would all go through eBay.
posted on December 28, 2004 08:24:44 PMI know that if I were the guy who paid $25 for my item and I found out someone else got one for $9 I'd be not too happy.
Sucks to be him.
Money is money. Send all of them offers if you have the product. A sale is a sale. If you are willing to accept those amounts, then by all means, sell like hell.
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Alive in 2005
posted on December 28, 2004 09:19:58 PM
If you have regular bidders, they may catch on to the fact that you offer 2nd Chance Offers, and in future auctions will not bid as high as they might overwise.
posted on December 29, 2004 06:06:54 AM
I don't really mind getting $9 for that item, I bought them for 75 cents each (bought 300), ages ago, and more than made my money back the first week I auctioned them. Of course getting $25 each is even better! But if I run another auction I might not get that, maybe more, maybe less.
But, this appears to be a niche market and the same people are always checking out the auctions for car parts, searching by the car name. There are about 25 different decals I've got, so I'm sure the same people (and only those people) will be the ones looking at those auctions.
I actually haven't listed any of these decals for about two years, becuase I was noticing the prices were falling. Same group of people, everyone who wanted one had one. But now there's a new group of bidders. The only way they'd notice is if they looked through my feedback and see the 2nd chance offers. Might hurt future auctions, they won't bid high, or at all. Maybe if I just don't post feeback for them and hopefully the buyers won't post feedback for me either!
posted on December 29, 2004 06:45:34 AM
If I have more then one, I do like the Familybiz does.I will make a second offer if the bid is fairly close to the winning bidder.That way if the winning bidder does check he wont be upset. However how many winning bidders really check to see if there was a second offer?? I've been on Ebay over 4 years and I buy almost as much as I sell, and no matter what I win I have NEVER checked to see if there was a 2nd offer.If I win and Im willing to pay the winning bid,what do I care?
The only reason I would not offer a second chance to a really low bidder is,I believe there are people out there who do check,and the last thing you dont want to do is piss off a winner bidder-you want him to come back and bid on your other stuff and thats not the way to do it.
posted on December 29, 2004 07:06:32 AM
How would they find out and who cares if they do? This is your business and you are in it to make money. If they have a problem with that, then they shouldn't bid.
posted on December 29, 2004 03:40:20 PM
Since I have multiple identical items I will want to list some more. Now I don't want to flood the market, but chances are, in this category, the same people look at the auctions every week. They'll see the same item, and they may check my feedback. If the 2nd chance bidders post me feedback, anyone can see that I've sold this item for $X. I may not get as high as price if people think I have lots.
Plus, morally and ethically speaking, I don't want the top winning bidder to see that someone else bought the same item for a lot less. They could also notice this if they post me feedback and just decide to take a look at my other recent feedback at that time. I've got some items that sold for $25 and I could sell to the lowest underbidder for $9 or even $5. Ideally I'd rather get as much as possible, but I've got so many and I only paid 75 cents for each of these items, so if I sell another three through 2nd chance offers then that's fine with me.
posted on December 29, 2004 11:33:17 PM
I send multiple second chance offers when ever I can. I don't really care too much what they think. I've never received a complaint. I've never heard a thing about it... All I know is my pin bag is empty and my bank account is full.
