Re: Minor rant (ebay), partially OT

On Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:44:31 -0700, DJ <dajohnson53@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Oct 18, 5:16 am, Ken Cashion <kcash...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Wed, 17 Oct 2007 22:52:45 -0700, DJ <dajohnso...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Oct 17, 3:17 pm, "Ed Edelenbos" <e...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
It is a guitar I have listed so this isn't totally off topic, BTW.

What is it about ebay? I'm signed up so I know *total* illiteracy isn't a
requirement. I clearly state in the listing I'll accept paypal only, and
there is a min. bid and a "Buy it Now" price and a fixed price for shipping.
I have had 3 requests to pay by other methods, 2 requests to accept lower
than the "Buy it Now" price if they hit "Buy it Now", and 1 person asking if
the "Buy it Now" price includes shipping. In each case I've (I think)
politely gone back and restated what I thought was clear in the listing. If
I were going to be over dramatic, I'd say it makes me fear for the human
race. At a minimum, it makes me shake my head.

Rant off... and no, I would not like some cheese to go with that whine.

On the "up side", there are a bunch of people "watching" the auction and my
Buy it Now price is lower than the starting price for another of the same
thing so I am pretty confident it will sell.
Ed

Being a moderate (in control!) ebay purchaser, a couple of comments.

This is a good post but I see you are an "in control purchaser" -- you
didn't say if you had ever been a seller...in or out of control. I
have been both...meaning all four permutations.

Some of the things you are proposing are not exactly kosher according
to the eBay rules. I have violated some of these rules and it cost me
some time explaining myself to a panel of referees. This was before
there were bids on my items.

I don't know how you went about your questions and proposals, but when
I have asked questions of sellers, I have usually found them very
informed about what can and cannot be done via eBay rules.

All considerations are to be published and considerations to one must
be offered to all...this is generally the rule of most auctions, even
the timed (silent) ones like eBay.

Ken

The way I've always made a proposal is to first specify in my contact
with the seller that I'm not trying to do it outside of ebay, my
intention is to follow rules.

And this e-mail contact is through eBay? The seller isn't supposed to
be going outside the eBay forum once the item is placed for
auction...that is why the e-mail comments and additions are listed for
all to see.

I have never seen an e-mail comment that read, "Hey, Mate, I will bid
$50 for it right now if you will end the auction as soon as you see my
bid. My code is 'bacdoor'. Watch for me!" <g>

The way it's worked for me is I contact
the seller with an offer and if they're interested in taking the offer
and just getting the thing sold, I'll make a bid for that amount, and
they will close bidding and sell to the highest bidder at that point,
which is me.

Why would a seller do that? He has your bid on eBay, the listings are
not for that long a period, and sellers know that Snipers are set for
the closing time.

Of course, if someone outbid me, that person would get
the item, it's not a sure thing.

Yeah...auctions are like that...there have been times when I thought
this idea sucked. <g> It took me forever to get a set of vaudeville
laser disks because of that.

My understanding is that a seller is
allowed to end bidding at any time and sell to highest bidder. Normal
fee is therefore paid to ebay.

Reasons for ending listings are pretty clear...the item is no longer
in the possession of the seller, an error in the starting price or
reserve amount, an error in listing, the item is lost (stolen) or
broken. That's the list.

And even then, EBay states --

Consider revising your listing first if there are aspects of it you
want to change or improve.

To end your listing early:

Type your item number into the End My Listing Early form.
**Choose the reason you're ending your listing early.**
Your listing will end and will no longer be displayed on eBay. If
there were bidders, they will be emailed that their bid will be
canceled.

I do this when I want to get something without waiting a week or so
for the auction to end. I never low ball because I'm generally happy
to pay a fair price just to get the thing I'm looking for
expeditiously without WASTING HUGE AMOUNT OF TIME WATCHING, BIDDING
AND WAITING (you know what I'm talking about!).

Re "fair price" -- You are not paying a fair price until the auction
ends because until it ends, the fair price is not known. That is how
the fair price is determined...highest bid.

Oh, Man!, do I know about that sitting and timing bids business! But
of course, you could bid the fair price you want to pay and not worry
about timing. You'll get it if your fair price is the same as THE
fair price.

And it is common in most every auction that you can have someone do
the bidding for you while you are off playing your guitar in some
sleazy Draper Dive and picking up loose women.

If you are not trying to gain an advantage on other bidders by going
outside the rules of eBay, get a Sniper. Get someone else to do your
bidding. Some are cheap...some are free. You tell your Sniper the
eBay item number and the price you will pay.

EBay is a timed auction but even in other auctions, the bidder is
timing his bidding based on the action of the other bidders...some
present, some not.

Set the price to your Sniper any time after item opens and you can
turn off your computer and not even look at eBay. If you have the
highest bid at the close of the auction, you will get it; if you
don't...well, that is why it is called an auction, I guess. <g>

The idea is that most
sellers have an idea of what they'd be happy getting,

And that should be his reserve bid. Or "Buy It Now" price.

and if I offer
that, they might just want to get it over with. Sometimes the seller
will tell me what they're hoping to get, and we can go from there.

And you think this is not outside the rules of eBay? It is outside
the concept of timed auctions. Indeed, it is outside the concept of
auctions. <g>

Aren't sellers allowed to do this? I thought they were as long as
they take the high bid at the time they close their auction. I've
done it at least a couple of times (as buyer). If the seller stopped
the auction and then sold it to me outside of ebay, I believe it would
be against the rules.

It would be. And to remove it from competition by bargaining with a
potential buyer (outside of eBay) is not kosher...not unless the
seller is doing the same with every person who even reads the item.
EBay is very clear about this. <g>

I've also contacted sellers after an auction has ended without any
bids. It's generally because they've set an unrealistic opening bid
or reserve. I'll make an offer and explain why I think it's fair.
I'll then suggest to them that they relist it with a buy it now, and I
buy it at that price.

If you two agree on the price of a now-unlisted item, why re-list for
the world to see so you can buy it at a prearranged price. You don't
need eBay.

You are going to a lot of trouble and it isn't necessary. You know
what you will pay for an item. Right? Compete for it like the
concept dictates. Get a Sniper and tell it your price. Then forget
about it. If you get it, fine. If you don't, then someone else
wanted it more than you did. Be happy that the seller got top dollar
from someone who wanted it the most. A timed, international auction
is not an on-line flea market. <g>

WIth both of the above, I've found that most people aren't interested
in doing it, but like I said, it has worked out a few times.

I think most people understand how the thing works and goes by the
rules. There is an easier way to go by the rules than all the sitting
and watching and timing and bidding and screen refreshing and ....

As for the shipping, I don't think there's ever a problem with
changing shipping arrangements.

Well, at this point, there wouldn't be, would there?

Remember..."Sniper." I use EZ Sniper.

And now...thanks to you...I am thinking about eBay and realize I
haven't made my tour of my usual subjects in awhile. I will do that
now. <G>

Ken
.

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