My EBAY Nightmare

[asteroid-comix]

I've thought about this off and on since I posted this morning. Something that I had done occurred to me and I find it odd. About a month ago there was an auction for a Strasburg rookie card.

 

The card was sitting at 999k. I wanted to place a thrill bid, but obviously didn't have any intention of actually buying the card. Yes, I'm a *spoon*.

 

So I used a buying account that has very little feedback so that I wouldn't wreck my regular account in the event that I actually won the auction and the seller realized what a *spoon* I was for buying into the mob mentality. I placed a bid for $999,999.99. I was never asked to verify anything.

 

How certain is this "glitch" theory? Maybe you're getting shilled by someone that really wanted the book but missed out on the auction close? Is there any actual proof that folks were not able to bid?

 

[cheetah]

I wonder how many people do and don't know who Tempus is.

[taro90]

Where's that ebay employee, Jeffles? Remember he started a thread about what ebay could do better for comic collectors. He was a comic collector first and a ebay employee second. I'm shocked he hasn't chimed in on this situation yet..........

 

Thread Linky:

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=4149277#Post4149277

[Dark Prime 0]

 

To (Hades) with ebay.

 

And some of you have the nerve to wonder why I came down like a ton of bricks on that "eBay representative."

 

 

You think stories like this are unique...? Think again.

 

When you're on good terms with ebay/paypal it's like you're best friends...but one little thing and they can royally screw you.

 

But

 

From the buyer standpoint, he just might think you're unhappy with the end auction result and that you're trying to get the price up. He doesn't know you from Fred...and you're telling him there's been a glitch?

 

BUT

 

I believe you. eBay definitely screwed you.

1 prob with you look on it, he gave him the referance # to call ebay and check if he was lying or not

 

big difference from going this is what happend beleave me or not & here's what happened with a way to verfiy that what i'm saying is true

[Jaymole]

 

To (Hades) with ebay.

 

And some of you have the nerve to wonder why I came down like a ton of bricks on that "eBay representative."

 

 

You think stories like this are unique...? Think again.

 

When you're on good terms with ebay/paypal it's like you're best friends...but one little thing and they can royally screw you.

 

But

 

From the buyer standpoint, he just might think you're unhappy with the end auction result and that you're trying to get the price up. He doesn't know you from Fred...and you're telling him there's been a glitch?

 

BUT

 

I believe you. eBay definitely screwed you.

1 prob with you look on it, he gave him the referance # to call ebay and check if he was lying or not

 

big difference from going this is what happend beleave me or not & here's what happened with a way to verfiy that what i'm saying is true

 

Sheesh...is everyone drinking beer tonight except me?!?!?!?!

[zuckuss2003]

I wonder how many people do and don't know who Tempus is.

 

So, for those that don't know who he is, we should just say, "Oh, yeah, he was screwed, that buyer just needs to deal with not getting the ASM he bid $14,500 for".

[zuckuss2003]

, I keep forgetting I didn't want to post in this thread anymore because I do believe only ebay won in this case...

[FlyingDonut]

 

To (Hades) with ebay.

 

And some of you have the nerve to wonder why I came down like a ton of bricks on that "eBay representative."

 

 

You think stories like this are unique...? Think again.

 

When you're on good terms with ebay/paypal it's like you're best friends...but one little thing and they can royally screw you.

 

But

 

From the buyer standpoint, he just might think you're unhappy with the end auction result and that you're trying to get the price up. He doesn't know you from Fred...and you're telling him there's been a glitch?

 

BUT

 

I believe you. eBay definitely screwed you.

1 prob with you look on it, he gave him the referance # to call ebay and check if he was lying or not

 

big difference from going this is what happend beleave me or not & here's what happened with a way to verfiy that what i'm saying is true

 

Sheesh...is everyone drinking beer tonight except me?!?!?!?!

 

no beer...vikes and percocet

[skypinkblu]

I've thought about this off and on since I posted this morning. Something that I had done occurred to me and I find it odd. About a month ago there was an auction for a Strasburg rookie card.

 

The card was sitting at 999k. I wanted to place a thrill bid, but obviously didn't have any intention of actually buying the card. Yes, I'm a *spoon*.

 

So I used a buying account that has very little feedback so that I wouldn't wreck my regular account in the event that I actually won the auction and the seller realized what a *spoon* I was for buying into the mob mentality. I placed a bid for $999,999.99. I was never asked to verify anything.

 

How certain is this "glitch" theory? Maybe you're getting shilled by someone that really wanted the book but missed out on the auction close? Is there any actual proof that folks were not able to bid?

I don't get shut out either, but it's because I have a credit card on file, have had it so long I forgot about it ...my guess is, you did too.

 

Last night I was at a casino...I got up from a winning machine, figuring I'd just lose the $20.00 I was up if I stayed and the next person won the jackpot. Stuff happens. I congratulated her but it made me think of this thread.

 

John, although I feel for you...and I do...eBay is a gamble. I'm always putting up books with 99-cent start prices...and sometimes I kick myself after, sometimes, I don't...As you said, you made money on a few books. It really does even out.

 

I rarely use fixed price because the fees are higher. I rarely set books at a high starting price because I feel I have the potential to get more IF I start lower. I'm probably going ot have to change that, because with so many books available, it's harder to win my "bets"

 

I think on a much larger scale, you were doing the same thing...but you made that choice.

 

I know none of us are perfect (or were perfect in the past;) but by trying to find a reason not to sell to that guy (he paid too slowly, he was nasty)... these are all ways to rationalize losing a bet.

 

It just might be that the bidder has the same errr.... temper range that you do...you were both upset.

 

Personally, I might have grumbled for a bit, but I would have sold the eBay winner the book. When I sold more, I often got emails from "bidders" who just missed out for some reason (the dog ate their computer, etc) It was always when something went too low, and they wanted to snap up a deal "after" the auction ended. I'd find it frustrating, because we all want to think we did the best we could do...but I'd ignore them (and block them) and just sell to the legitimate winner. I know it's frustrating, but a hurricane or some kind of other problem might have had the same effect.

 

From what I have read, I think Paypal is going to be asking for EVERYONE's SS number next year, so we all need to be prepared for that.

 

I'm sorry for saying it that way, because I like you...but I hope you did wake up happier the next day, because in the overall scheme of things...it's just a minor glitch.

 

I hope you win the jackpot the next time.

 

[bill977]

i have had several instances of auctions ending that i have bid on and seeing the lot go for insane bids. even now,there is a lot of our army at war 237-241,243-311 on ebay that ended(??!!) july 22,2010 that went from 200.00 to over 500.00 in seconds. i wrote it off,seeing as i didnt want to go nowhere near that high. lo and behold the same lot is up again. i sent the buyer a question and yep,its the same lot. i wondered why he didnt offer it to the second bidder,who lost it by less than fifty cents. sorry guys and gals,the linky thing isnt working for me. but i can get your auction numbers as i saved the first auction on my didnt win tab. so nothing suprizes me with ebay

[zuckuss2003]

I fail to see the connection to our discussion.

[bill977]

nothing specific,just chimin in regarding my lack of trust or faith, if you will,regarding ebay

[nochips]

Maybe the seller can add a disclaimer to the auction description:

 

 

In the event computer or human errors not all bids will be honored. This includes power failures, acts of god, and network malfunctions. Basically if we think there's a final bid problem we can cancel you bid.

[hockey&comicsguy]

I know Im new here, but after reading this thread.. I had to throw in my

 

If I was the winning bidder, I too would be furious if the seller cancelled the sale! I'm pretty sure the seller isnt new to Ebay, and understands the gamble you take running a "NO RESERVE" auction. Thats an awful big gamble! It's not like the winner got the book for $200 because Ebay had a glitch. The book went for GPA. Sorry man, I dont know you (anyone in this thread really ), but I think your wrong in cancelling the deal. Regardless of the name calling. There's no ethics or compassion on Ebay. If you wanted that you should have sold it here!! I know you think you got screwed, but a deals a deal!

 

 

Some people just don't get it.

 

Since you mentioned a dollar amount, what exactly would be your position if this "glitch" made it so the ending price of the auction was $200.00? Would you change your "a deal is a deal" stance if this were the case? It ought to be if you really believe what you're saying.

[zuckuss2003]

I know Im new here, but after reading this thread.. I had to throw in my

 

If I was the winning bidder, I too would be furious if the seller cancelled the sale! I'm pretty sure the seller isnt new to Ebay, and understands the gamble you take running a "NO RESERVE" auction. Thats an awful big gamble! It's not like the winner got the book for $200 because Ebay had a glitch. The book went for GPA. Sorry man, I dont know you (anyone in this thread really ), but I think your wrong in cancelling the deal. Regardless of the name calling. There's no ethics or compassion on Ebay. If you wanted that you should have sold it here!! I know you think you got screwed, but a deals a deal!

 

 

Some people just don't get it.

 

Since you mentioned a dollar amount, what exactly would be your position if this "glitch" made it so the ending price of the auction was $200.00? Would you change your "a deal is a deal" stance if this were the case? It ought to be if you really believe what you're saying.

 

Just to ask the opposite question, if you won this book and the dealer tried to cancel the auction on you, it sounds like it would be all fine for you, right? You wouldn't come on the forum here and post about the evil seller who canceled your winning bid?

[hockey&comicsguy]

 

Just to ask the opposite question, if you won this book and the dealer tried to cancel the auction on you, it sounds like it would be all fine for you, right? You wouldn't come on the forum here and post about the evil seller who canceled your winning bid?

 

Obviously it depends upon the situation. If I had no communication from the seller and they just didn't ever send the item or flat out emailed me and said, "I don't like the price so i'm not selling it to you"....well, that's one thing.

 

Something out of the norm happening, be it this "glitch" or whatever, if the seller communicated that to me and I could verify that something indeed went wrong, that it was the ebay's fault and that it indeed messed up the auction, an auction that I may not have one had the other bids gotten through as they should. Why the hell wouldn't I walk away happily?

 

Why? Because I didn't benefit from somebody else getting screwed over? Sorry, I'd rather walk away with my principles than a ing comic book.

[Spider-Dan]

I know Im new here, but after reading this thread.. I had to throw in my

 

If I was the winning bidder, I too would be furious if the seller cancelled the sale! I'm pretty sure the seller isnt new to Ebay, and understands the gamble you take running a "NO RESERVE" auction. Thats an awful big gamble! It's not like the winner got the book for $200 because Ebay had a glitch. The book went for GPA. Sorry man, I dont know you (anyone in this thread really ), but I think your wrong in cancelling the deal. Regardless of the name calling. There's no ethics or compassion on Ebay. If you wanted that you should have sold it here!! I know you think you got screwed, but a deals a deal!

 

 

Some people just don't get it.

 

Since you mentioned a dollar amount, what exactly would be your position if this "glitch" made it so the ending price of the auction was $200.00? Would you change your "a deal is a deal" stance if this were the case? It ought to be if you really believe what you're saying.

 

 

The point i was trying to make is that the book went for GPA. How can you complain about that when running a NO RESERVE auction?? If it did sell for $200, then you would have a reason to come and here discuss the dilema. I think the bidder would believe there was a problem at $200. Since it sold at GPA, I would guess the winner thinks the seller is just disappointed at the sale price and wants to back out.

[plasticide-migration]

I wonder how many people do and don't know who Tempus is.

 

Should we care? Does it make any difference?

[comicwiz]

Maybe the seller can add a disclaimer to the auction description:

 

 

In the event computer or human errors not all bids will be honored. This includes power failures, acts of god, and network malfunctions. Basically if we think there's a final bid problem we can cancel you bid.

 

This, known also as force majeure in legal jargon, is pretty standard. Assuming that this "glitch" was an automated verification process, and a technical problem (i.e. power, hardware or software failure) prevented a bidder from participating, then IMHO it does not even need to be disclaimed as long as it can be proven that something went wrong on eBay's end. The extent of interference that prevented the 17K bid from going through is unknown.

 

If we're talking about a manual verification process that needs to be interpreted and reviewed by a person, and something came in the way of that process finalizing, then it falls under negligence. Using the disclaimer above wouldn't be enough to cover negligence or malfeasance, and the inclusion of text to expand on either of the two would scream "shady" seller. If I were eBay, I'd certainly want to understand completely what happened, and be totally transparent about it because it isn't every day that you have a bidder willing to plunk down that kind of money, especially in this tough economy. Telling a seller (and eBay customer) "Well, that's just too bad for you" is horrendously poor business sense, and the kind of PR that will drive business to alternative consignment and auction sites.

[JH1-migration]

 

Ebay puts food on my table and keeps my family from being homeless. Shame on those who foolishly attack a great company like Ebay.