Bad eBay experience
#1
Bike Butcher of Portland
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Bad eBay experience
Frame was listed on eBay (one that had been mentioned here) with a reserve. It was a hghly desirable frame (to me and at least one other person). The bidding went up to several hundred dollars. I threw in the towel when I noted that the reserve had not been met. The next day it was relisted with no reserve.
I put in a maximum bid-same figure that I was willing to pay before. Today, I won-and at half the amount as the highest bid in the prior auction! I paid immediately. About an hour later I received an email from eBay as follows:
"We're sorry to let you know that (seller) canceled your order and mentioned the reason as I'm out of stock or can't fulfill the order for another reason."
I replied as follows:
"You should reconsider cancelling this order.
You put a reserve on the first listing higher than the amount that was offered. I know because my bid was for that amount. It didn't meet the reserve, so be it. Then you immediately relisted with no reserve, hoping to get at least the amount previously bid? The risk you took was that you wouldn't get that price. If you had a absolute lowest price you'd accept, you should have either put it in reserve, or put in a floor.
If you still decide not to sell, you are breaking a contractural obligation. For this amount, it's not worth a lawsuit, but I will leave enough bad feedback so that you'll have a difficult time selling here again. All you have on eBay is your reputation and rating, yours is at risk right now.
Think hard about this, and let me know what your decision is."
Seller's reply? "I am sorry. I do not feel comfortable offering this frame for sale under the description listed. I realize I have made a mistake. This frame will not be re-listed. I apologize for the inconvenience."
Before I go nuclear on this person, I figured I'd ask for opinions.
Judges?
I put in a maximum bid-same figure that I was willing to pay before. Today, I won-and at half the amount as the highest bid in the prior auction! I paid immediately. About an hour later I received an email from eBay as follows:
"We're sorry to let you know that (seller) canceled your order and mentioned the reason as I'm out of stock or can't fulfill the order for another reason."
I replied as follows:
"You should reconsider cancelling this order.
You put a reserve on the first listing higher than the amount that was offered. I know because my bid was for that amount. It didn't meet the reserve, so be it. Then you immediately relisted with no reserve, hoping to get at least the amount previously bid? The risk you took was that you wouldn't get that price. If you had a absolute lowest price you'd accept, you should have either put it in reserve, or put in a floor.
If you still decide not to sell, you are breaking a contractural obligation. For this amount, it's not worth a lawsuit, but I will leave enough bad feedback so that you'll have a difficult time selling here again. All you have on eBay is your reputation and rating, yours is at risk right now.
Think hard about this, and let me know what your decision is."
Seller's reply? "I am sorry. I do not feel comfortable offering this frame for sale under the description listed. I realize I have made a mistake. This frame will not be re-listed. I apologize for the inconvenience."
Before I go nuclear on this person, I figured I'd ask for opinions.
Judges?
#2
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It ain't worth it. Move on.
#3
Senior Member
Leave negative feedback, if possible, and move on with life.
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#5
52psi
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Embrace your bitterness. Savor it. Imagine the horrific glory of your cold and calculated revenge.
For like 10 seconds.
There. Wasn't that nice?
Now get on with your search.
Life is short.
For like 10 seconds.
There. Wasn't that nice?
Now get on with your search.
Life is short.
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A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
#7
Senior Member
Yeah some shady stuff goes down with desirable parts and frames. For the longest time a seller was selling time trial Campy carbon levers that was not selling so he dropped the price and listed it as "LAST ONE IN STOCK"! But for the next year he kept raising the price and listing as last in stock for over 10 more pairs, until it was $100 more than the original price. Basically he created false rarity and kept raising the price when he knew he could get away with duping people thinking it was the last set.
#9
Bike Butcher of Portland
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I'd feel better warning others. Alright, that's a justification. You mess with me, I mess with you back. I learned that from my father, a close relative of Hamarrubi.
Original listing
The tres cool Elvish 650b with all the fixin's-appeared in great shape
First listing got to $520-still below reserve
Second listing, no reserve, $228.50 Seller decided not to sell. If this were a brick and mortar store, I'd be in small claims court right now.
seller: mouthfullofdollars, aka, the reneger
If you prefer to do business with those of high character, I'd avoid this seller like the plague.
There, that's 10 minutes. I feel better now.
Last edited by gugie; 04-07-15 at 09:25 PM. Reason: added context
#10
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I need 10 minutes.
I'd feel better warning others. Alright, that's a justification. You mess with me, I mess with you back. I learned that from my father, a close relative of Hamarrubi.
Original listing
The tres cool Elvish 650b with all the fixin's-appeared in great shape
First listing got to $520-still below reserve
Second listing, no reserve, $228.50 Seller decided not to sell. If this were a brick and mortar store, I'd be in small claims court right now.
seller: mouthfullofdollars, aka, the reneger
If you prefer to do business with those of high character, I'd avoid this seller like the plague.
There, that's 10 minutes. I feel better now.
I'd feel better warning others. Alright, that's a justification. You mess with me, I mess with you back. I learned that from my father, a close relative of Hamarrubi.
Original listing
The tres cool Elvish 650b with all the fixin's-appeared in great shape
First listing got to $520-still below reserve
Second listing, no reserve, $228.50 Seller decided not to sell. If this were a brick and mortar store, I'd be in small claims court right now.
seller: mouthfullofdollars, aka, the reneger
If you prefer to do business with those of high character, I'd avoid this seller like the plague.
There, that's 10 minutes. I feel better now.
Crap happens on ebay. If your mindset recognizes that fact, you will save yourself some aggravation.
#11
Thrifty Bill
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I recommend buy it now, fixed priced listings to both buyers and sellers. It eliminates most of this nonsense. Sometimes sellers have an unrealistic expectation of the auction process, assuming their item will go high, really high. Buy it now puts the seller's expectation out in the open, if it is unrealistic, the item will not sell, and either the seller adjusts his price down, or moves on.
#12
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If you still decide not to sell, you are breaking a contractural obligation. For this amount, it's not worth a lawsuit, but I will leave enough bad feedback so that you'll have a difficult time selling here again. All you have on eBay is your reputation and rating, yours is at risk right now.
Judges?
Judges?
And I don't think you can leave negative feedback because a completed transaction never occurred.
Is it shady on his part? Yes. Will there be repercussions? Maybe, maybe not.
As a moderate Ebay seller it really sucks when I make and honest mistake and someone swoops in for the auction because of the honest mistake.
Last edited by miamijim; 04-07-15 at 09:44 PM.
#13
Bike Butcher of Portland
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#14
Bike Butcher of Portland
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What he did is NOT against Ebay rules. Backing out of a sale allows sellers to correct an 'honest mistake' i.e. mis-pricing auction or perhaps choosing the wrong auction format.
As a moderate Ebay seller it really sucks when I make and honest mistake and someone swoops in for the auction because of the honest mistake.
As a moderate Ebay seller it really sucks when I make and honest mistake and someone swoops in for the auction because of the honest mistake.
An example of an honest mistake was when someone sent me the wrong frame. It wasn't a bad frame, it was a similar frame, something I might have bid on otherwise. But shipping it back would double the cost to the seller. We came up with a reasonable price for me to keep it, just a bit of a discount over what I think the market price was. I went ahead and paid for the sellers shipping cost, even though the seller offered it to me shipped for free.
That's the way I like to do business.
Just keeping karma matriculating the ball downfield.
#15
Bike Butcher of Portland
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If the seller decides not to ship, I can't give a bad rating.
Ratings are like gold at eBay. If you buy something and don't rate, there's an excellent chance you'll receive an email from the seller asking for a rating-they clearly value good ratings, and most sellers strive for 100% satisfaction.
#18
Senior Member
-SP
#19
Bike Butcher of Portland
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So, yeah, I'm bitter. I admit it. Damn frame was about 2-3cm too small for me, but it would have been a great build. Probably would have gone for wet paint even, for sure original decals.
I mean, Elvish? It's practically an inside joke on Rivendell...
#20
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Frame was listed on eBay (one that had been mentioned here) with a reserve. It was a hghly desirable frame (to me and at least one other person). The bidding went up to several hundred dollars. I threw in the towel when I noted that the reserve had not been met. The next day it was relisted with no reserve.
I put in a maximum bid-same figure that I was willing to pay before. Today, I won-and at half the amount as the highest bid in the prior auction! I paid immediately. About an hour later I received an email from eBay as follows:
"We're sorry to let you know that (seller) canceled your order and mentioned the reason as I'm out of stock or can't fulfill the order for another reason."
I replied as follows:
"You should reconsider cancelling this order.
You put a reserve on the first listing higher than the amount that was offered. I know because my bid was for that amount. It didn't meet the reserve, so be it. Then you immediately relisted with no reserve, hoping to get at least the amount previously bid? The risk you took was that you wouldn't get that price. If you had a absolute lowest price you'd accept, you should have either put it in reserve, or put in a floor.
If you still decide not to sell, you are breaking a contractural obligation. For this amount, it's not worth a lawsuit, but I will leave enough bad feedback so that you'll have a difficult time selling here again. All you have on eBay is your reputation and rating, yours is at risk right now.
Think hard about this, and let me know what your decision is."
Seller's reply? "I am sorry. I do not feel comfortable offering this frame for sale under the description listed. I realize I have made a mistake. This frame will not be re-listed. I apologize for the inconvenience."
Before I go nuclear on this person, I figured I'd ask for opinions.
Judges?
I put in a maximum bid-same figure that I was willing to pay before. Today, I won-and at half the amount as the highest bid in the prior auction! I paid immediately. About an hour later I received an email from eBay as follows:
"We're sorry to let you know that (seller) canceled your order and mentioned the reason as I'm out of stock or can't fulfill the order for another reason."
I replied as follows:
"You should reconsider cancelling this order.
You put a reserve on the first listing higher than the amount that was offered. I know because my bid was for that amount. It didn't meet the reserve, so be it. Then you immediately relisted with no reserve, hoping to get at least the amount previously bid? The risk you took was that you wouldn't get that price. If you had a absolute lowest price you'd accept, you should have either put it in reserve, or put in a floor.
If you still decide not to sell, you are breaking a contractural obligation. For this amount, it's not worth a lawsuit, but I will leave enough bad feedback so that you'll have a difficult time selling here again. All you have on eBay is your reputation and rating, yours is at risk right now.
Think hard about this, and let me know what your decision is."
Seller's reply? "I am sorry. I do not feel comfortable offering this frame for sale under the description listed. I realize I have made a mistake. This frame will not be re-listed. I apologize for the inconvenience."
Before I go nuclear on this person, I figured I'd ask for opinions.
Judges?
#22
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Find the seller's real name and cancel his subscription to the New York Review of Books.
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#23
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It's not like you can make them send it to you. Just move on with life. It's happened to me many times. You can't let things get to you.
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#24
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Claim discrimination. Stomp your feet.
Call MSNBC, someone in Hollywood, threaten a boycott.
Scream loud and long and clear "it's UNFAIR!"
Someone will probably help you.
Call MSNBC, someone in Hollywood, threaten a boycott.
Scream loud and long and clear "it's UNFAIR!"
Someone will probably help you.
Last edited by RobbieTunes; 04-08-15 at 05:30 AM.
#25
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Have to move on. It almost gets humorous after a while. My favorite seller's excuse after I "won" a desirable frame, "I can't find a box big enough to ship it in."