More eBay Shenanigans

JwRosenthal · Jun 26, 2020

2 items I have bid on in the last 24 hours (neither of which had a MO option), where there were more than 1 bid and days to go have vanished (as in not in my bid history- it’s gone-gone) or auction ended with a .99 ending bid. Clearly a PM with ether off eBay proposal or best offer was made. I was always under the assumption that once bids have been made the auction has to run its course...but I guess none of that matters anymore. eBay is becoming a pit of shit.

Scarecrow Boat · Jun 26, 2020

This happens SO often now. Someone most likely messaged in a "best offer" to which the seller accepted and cancelled the auction. I don't know if eBay enforces it but they at least "threaten" a final value fee for whatever the auction was at, when it was prematurely ended. Maybe the seller can get around that by selecting "listing error" as the reason for cancellation? eBay has been on a very long decline but I don't see it getting better. They make hand over fist in fees and have a far more convenient/user friendly factor over other options that will continue to draw people to use them.

Spruce · Jun 26, 2020

I recently bought a watch on Chrono24. I was a little concerned to see it offered on eBay at twice the price by another seller.

Happily, so far as I am concerned, my purchase went through without a hitch but the alternative seller’s listing remained for a couple of days further.

I have assumed that they were hoping for a buyer and, had they got one, they would have bought the watch from the original seller and made their profit on the resale.

inchpincher · Jun 27, 2020

Spruce
I recently bought a watch on Chrono24. I was a little concerned to see it offered on eBay at twice the price by another seller.

Happily, so far as I am concerned, my purchase went through without a hitch but the alternative seller’s listing remained for a couple of days further.

I have assumed that they were hoping for a buyer and, had they got one, they would have bought the watch from the original seller and made their profit on the resale.

This exists usually in countries where it’s a bit of a closed market - Japan in particular. People will list other people’s items at higher prices on an international platform in the hope someone pays and then they in turn buy from the original seller.

I believe an eBay algorithm does take note of sellers who cancel auctions and can suspend accounts if it happens too frequently but most people are willing to take the risk for a quick buck and a slapped wrist. Infuriating when you’re on the short end and ready to bid.

Spruce · Jun 27, 2020

inchpincher
This exists usually in countries where it’s a bit of a closed market - Japan in particular. People will list other people’s items at higher prices on an international platform in the hope someone pays and then they in turn buy from the original seller.

I believe an eBay algorithm does take note of sellers who cancel auctions and can suspend accounts if it happens too frequently but most people are willing to take the risk for a quick buck and a slapped wrist. Infuriating when you’re on the short end and ready to bid.

Thanks for this. The photos were identical and the movement number a clincher. It was Japan, and I had a few anxious moments until the eBay listing ended and I thought the issue through.

Omegafanman · Jun 27, 2020

Scarecrow Boat
This happens SO often now. Someone most likely messaged in a "best offer" to which the seller accepted and cancelled the auction. I don't know if eBay enforces it but they at least "threaten" a final value fee for whatever the auction was at, when it was prematurely ended. Maybe the seller can get around that by selecting "listing error" as the reason for cancellation? eBay has been on a very long decline but I don't see it getting better. They make hand over fist in fees and have a far more convenient/user friendly factor over other options that will continue to draw people to use them.

I don't have a problem with ending auctions for a best offer.... why?
Ebay has slowly removed all options for sellers to leave feedback for buyers. There are a lot more professional sellers but still also a lot of honest normal people who buy and sell. It is now a buyers market as they make so much money from the transactions and more bids mean higher prices so a bigger fee. I have not sold for a while but a couple of times listings took off and I got good bids... and then some drunk or bored idiot made a higher bid and won, only to realise they did not have the money (or the real household boss told them to take a hike). So they just don't pay and they don't communicate (I would be ok to mutually cancel). I have to raise a case and wait 14 days for the sale to be cancelled before I get fee money back and can re-list - all the time risking negative feedback if I put a foot wrong with the process. I cant leave any negative feedback for the buyers who in both cases carried on regardless buy more sh-t and probably bouncing some of those deals as well. So if I get a PM and a good offer from someone who has strong feedback and communicates well I have no shame in taking the offer with both hands.

rob#1 · Jun 27, 2020

I was watching an item earlier today that had a starting bid of $50 which was then won with a single bid of $120...

I get confused by eBay sometimes - how does that work? Even if you entered a maximum bid of $120 wouldn’t it just sell for $50 as that was the starting price of the auction?

gatorcpa · Jun 27, 2020

Omegafanman
So if I get a PM and a good offer from someone who has strong feedback and communicates well I have no shame in taking the offer with both hands.

I have no problem with this so long as:

1. You complete the transaction through eBay.
2. You take the offer before the scheduled end of the auction (unless there are no bids when completed).

Otherwise you are screwing eBay or the bidder who placed the highest bid in the auction they thought was legitimate.
gatorcpa

Omegafanman · Jun 27, 2020

rob#1
I was watching an item earlier today that had a starting bid of $50 which was then won with a single bid of $120...

I get confused by eBay sometimes - how does that work? Even if you entered a maximum bid of $120 wouldn’t it just sell for $50 as that was the starting price of the auction?

Not sure what happened there but I often put a maximum bid and I have only ever paid the winning price. Also I 100% agree with @gatorcpa - has to be through eBay and has to be during the auction. Another annoyance for me is that you used to know who was bidding so if the winner turned out to be a jerk you could contact the 2nd and 3rd bids and see if they were interested. Now you have to re-list days later and everybody misses out.

WYO_Watch · Jun 27, 2020

gatorcpa
Otherwise you are screwing eBay or the bidder

Or yourself. Some of these sellers are the uneducated ones that sell a watch for way less than it’s worth because some one throws what seems to be a wad of money at them.

My other thoughts are this. The problem will only become more prevalent as now the buyer and the seller have incentive to skip EBAY. The seller due to the 10% fees on everything and the buyer due to sales tax (4-8%?) being applied on everything.

gatorcpa · Jun 27, 2020

WYO_Watch
Some of these sellers are the uneducated ones that sell a watch for way less than it’s worth because some one throws what seems to be a wad of money at them.

That can work both ways. When I saw a watch that was a grail for me, I sent the seller an offer with (what I thought) was a fair price. He politely declined.

I then set up a sniper bid for that same price. Since there was no bidding war for that listing I ended up getting it for 40% less than what I had offered and bid.

You pays your money and takes your chances....
gatorcpa

ras47 · Jun 27, 2020

I walked away from eBay a long time ago. It's become a cesspool of scammers and liars.

At one point I got bitten by the vintage Mac bug. I decided I had to have a nice PowerBook 3400c, so off to eBay I went. Bid on one but lost out at the last second by a sniper. 5 days of bidding, re-bidding, getting my hopes up, only to have them dashed. This same thing happened another 3 times and I was losing my patience. So I bid on 6 of them all at once. Figured I'd have a chance to win one, right? Yeah, well, I won 5 auctions. Oh, snap! I couldn't walk away from all of them and sleaze my way out, so I did the honorable thing and bought them all. And what happens after you finally get your dream machine? You find another one that's even better than the 5 you just bought. Which is exactly what happened to me. So I bought it. I had them piled up in a corner of the living room, getting dirty looks from the wife. I told her they were just computer parts, not complete laptops, and she accepted that. Before long word got out that some maniac was buying up all the old 3400's, maybe trying to corner the market. I began to receive unsolicited emails saying, "You have GOT to see this 3400..." One guy was even right, so I bought my 7th. In the end I just about broke even selling them all back off. I got lucky when Apple announced a "trade in any old Mac on a new purchase for a $100 credit."

Ended up with a PowerBook "Mighty Cat" 2400c instead. There's a moral to this story but I'll be damned if I can figure it out.

gatorcpa · Jun 28, 2020

ras47
There's a moral to this story but I'll be damned if I can figure it out.

Uh, you need some self control?

EBay is nothing more than a virtual flea market. Employ the same rules and you will be fine.

Yes, there are scammers and thieves. No different than the real world. Just use PayPal and your credit card to buy.
gatorcpa

ras47 · Jun 28, 2020

gatorcpa
Uh, you need some self control?

EBay is nothing more than a virtual flea market. Employ the same rules and you will be fine.

Yes, there are scammers and thieves. No different than the real world. Just use PayPal and your credit card to buy.
gatorcpa

I normally have a lot of self control, but this time I just lost it. I got angry at missing out for a month of bidding and I snapped. Poor decision making, but lesson learned.

MikeMan2727 · Jun 28, 2020

I find these anti-Ebay threads very interesting because some of my best watch deals and most uncommon watches have come from and continue to come from Ebay.

I would much rather purchase from Ebay with PayPal protection than buy from dealer scum at a significant markup.

Ebay has made a lot of changes I do not like, but I would never stop using the platform altogether. I just adjust my bidding/buying accordingly. I.E. when they instituted sales tax, I just starting bidding less to account for it.

Omegafanman · Jun 28, 2020

MikeMan2727
I find these anti-Ebay threads very interesting because some of my best watch deals and most uncommon watches have come from and continue to come from Ebay.

I would much rather purchase from Ebay with PayPal protection than buy from dealer scum at a significant markup.

Ebay has made a lot of changes I do not like, but I would never stop using the platform altogether. I just adjust my bidding/buying accordingly. I.E. when they instituted sales tax, I just starting bidding less to account for it.

I also still like eBay - it is just another option to source 'stuff' and I have met a lot of good people (and some bad) on there... I have also met some very nice dealers over the years - everywhere has its sharks (that is probably unfair on the actual marine fish .....but you get my drift)

imagwai · Jun 28, 2020

rob#1
I was watching an item earlier today that had a starting bid of $50 which was then won with a single bid of $120...

I get confused by eBay sometimes - how does that work? Even if you entered a maximum bid of $120 wouldn’t it just sell for $50 as that was the starting price of the auction?

There would have been another bidder who bid something like $119 as a maximum. The reason it only shows one bidder is because bidder 1 put in a higher maximum bid beforehand.

TimeODanaos · Jun 28, 2020

ras47
I had them piled up in a corner of the living room, getting dirty looks from the wife. I told her they were just computer parts, not complete laptops, and she accepted that...
...There's a moral to this story but I'll be damned if I can figure it out.

Erm... not only did Mrs Ras tolerate the computer kit, she even pretended she didn't know what they were, and tolerated you genuinely thinking she didn't know. The moral is, she loves you even more than you realise my friend!

JwRosenthal · Jun 28, 2020

I have no intention of ceasing my eBay use- I trawl it daily with my coffee (and more) and come away with some gems on occasion. I was just venting frustration that an active auction, in which there are multiple bidders, can be cancelled and sold elsewhere. Of course any seller can do what they want with their property and assume any wrist slap eBay may assess- but it just irked me that it happened twice in short order.
As a seller in the past I had sold items that were listed with no bidders for a PM offer that I thought was fair. But once there were bidders I wouldn’t as I thought that violated the terms of an eBay auction, and was unethical in my view....but maybe I’m In the minority.

wsfarrell · Jun 28, 2020

eBay has a new deal (new to me, anyway) where they'll send a notice regarding an item in my watched list to the effect of

"Joe Blow is offering you a discount of 20% on this item you are watching. This offer has gone out to several other watchers as well, so act quickly to snag that [whatever] for a great price!"

I've always had several items in my eBay watched list, and this is the first time I've gotten notices like this. The items are diverse: an ancient Greek coin, a Loveless knife (with nude), a discontinued digital camera. I understand that you can get discounts with the "best offer" option, but I hate negotiating, so this alternative works for me.

More eBay Shenanigans

JwRosenthal

Scarecrow Boat

Spruce

inchpincher

Spruce

Omegafanman

rob#1

gatorcpa

Omegafanman

WYO_Watch

gatorcpa

ras47

gatorcpa

ras47

MikeMan2727

Omegafanman

imagwai

TimeODanaos

JwRosenthal

wsfarrell

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