Ending an Auction on Ebay. Is it wrong?

[USArmyParatrooper]

Is it morally wrong or poor etiquette to pull an auction on Ebay (that already has bids) simply because you changed your mind about selling?

[Shootydog]

yes

 

[Spiderphill]

I say no. As long as there's ample time left on the auction and you don't plan on selling it after you realized you don't really want to sell. If you pull it because you're scared you will lose money and shop it off at other venues then its bad form.

[comicwiz]

IMHO it is a practice that can only hurt a sellers credibility, no matter what the circumstances.

 

That said, some auctions disclaim that the seller reserves the right to end the auction early, cancel suspicous bids, etc, but they almost always mention reasons why.

 

I have also seen sellers disclaim that they are "accepting offers" on auction listings.

 

While a part of me appreciates when sellers disclaim this strictly because I can avoid bidding on their auctions and won't be frustrated over wasting my time, I don't think any approach which essentially bypasses an auction system is a good idea because it violates eBay policy, especially if its because they changed their minds about selling.

 

From what I can remember, ending an auction early is usually allowed for reasons like the item was damaged, it went missing, etc.

[Columbia Comics]

I say no. As long as there's ample time left on the auction and you don't plan on selling it after you realized you don't really want to sell. If you pull it because you're scared you will lose money and shop it off at other venues then its bad form.

 

I agree with this. If I'm going to sell an item on eBay and the price doesn't matter, I'll let it ride and see what happens. If I'm on the fence, I'll just put a high min bid and if someone hits it, then I'm happy.

 

If you start it low and then have a change of heart, if it's early, then I say pull it. If you have a day or so left, you should let it ride.

[chrisco37]

It's eBay. You can do anything you want to. Everyone else does.

[USArmyParatrooper]

IMHO it is a practice that can only hurt a sellers credibility, no matter what the circumstances.

 

That said, some auctions disclaim that the seller reserves the right to end the auction early, cancel suspicous bids, etc, but they almost always mention reasons why.

 

I have also seen sellers disclaim that they are "accepting offers" on auction listings.

 

While a part of me appreciates when sellers disclaim this strictly because I can avoid bidding on their auctions and won't be frustrated over wasting my time, I don't think any approach which essentially bypasses an auction system is a good idea because it violates eBay policy, especially if its because they changed their minds about selling.

 

From what I can remember, ending an auction early is usually allowed for reasons like the item was damaged, it went missing, etc.

 

I ended an auction once shortly after I made it, just so I could re-list it and make a correction to the title. If I remember correctly, "Because the item is no longer available" was an option, which would apply in this case.

 

I imagine a lot of store owners put comics on Ebay, but then also offer them for sale in their shop. If it sells, it's no longer available.

 

In this case I'm asking simply about someone who decided he or she no longer wants to sell.

[miraclemet]

Personally once there's a bid on it, I wouldn't pull it. If there are no bids, then you can pull it without anyone being upset.

 

Nothing annoys me more than bidding on a book and then having it mysteriously become not available. I have a list full of dealers to avoid for that exact reason.

 

The time to decide whether you want to sell something is before you list it in auction. If you aren't sure, as others have said, start it at a higher opening bid.

 

People get annoyed when bidders cancel a bid (which is them entering into contract with you to buy) so its a two way street that similarly a buyer shouldn't cancel an auction (since they have entered into a contract to sell).

 

 

[DiceX]

There's so much of the deck stacked against the seller on eBay I don't behoove them the one piece of red tape remaining that keeps them from taking one up the .

 

 

[lizards2]

It's eBay. You can do anything you want to. Everyone else does.

Absolutely. Ride the auction out, then send the winner a box of rocks in a pre-tampered box

[brendanb438]

If the item is no longer for sale that is a legit reason to end the auction so end it.

 

As mentioned eBay is so stacked against the seller anymore that I say end the auction. It isn't a binding contract to sell until the auction is completed.

[USArmyParatrooper]

It's eBay. You can do anything you want to. Everyone else does.

Absolutely. Ride the auction out, then send the winner a box of rocks in a pre-tampered box

 

I did that once and then for some reason the guy gave me negative feedback. What a jerk!

[Gotham Kid]

It's eBay. You can do anything you want to. Everyone else does.

Absolutely. Ride the auction out, then send the winner a box of rocks in a pre-tampered box

 

[Aces]

Is it morally wrong or poor etiquette to pull an auction on Ebay (that already has bids) simply because you changed your mind about selling?

 

That's the key- It has bids.

 

If no bids then there is no moral question at all, but if buyers are committed then one should go through with the sale unless there are extraordinary reasons. Examples would be: The item was damaged, or the seller may have found out something was wrong with the item (like the Sparkle City eBay auction just days ago). Another might be if the seller had a walk-in buyer with cash in hand and wanted to buy it on the spot. This might be a grey area to some but to a seller a hand full of cash is a good excuse, however I don't think eBay allows you to end in the last 24 hours.

 

For those of you who might object to the walk-in buyer think of them as someone who just hit the BIN and ended the auction.

 

 

[Dr. Balls]

Is it morally wrong or poor etiquette to pull an auction on Ebay (that already has bids) simply because you changed your mind about selling?

 

Do what other people do: shill it up to make it worth parting with!

 

I'd pull it if I changed my mind. But, if your mind got changed because it wasn't getting much action, that's probably frowned upon. But hey - it's your item - do what you want!

[Kevin.J]

Its a bit of a sickener when, your just gearing up to bid and then all of a sudden, its game over.

I understand the reasons but a lot of the big bids can come in the last 10 seconds.

If its got bids, I think ya should takes ya chances and let it ride.

[asteroid-comix]

Is it morally wrong or poor etiquette to pull an auction on Ebay (that already has bids) simply because you changed your mind about selling?

 

It's your item - do what you want!

 

Well said. If the item ends and the seller tries to get out of the deal, that's one thing. However, if he/she ends it before the hammer falls (you can up to 12 hours prior to the listing end), then he/she are well within their rights. It's still their item until the hammer falls, as it does not belong to the "high" bidder. It only belongs to the high bidder after they are declared the "winning" bidder.

[shadroch]

I don't know if its wrong, but it would prevent me from bidding on most of your future auctions.

[hockey&comicsguy]

I collect some rare vintage toys and almost all of them I got through making offers to the seller. It's worked wonders for me in obtaining items I want. Now on many occasions the item didn't sell so I think it's fine. On others the seller ended the item early to sell to me. I believe the latter violates ebay policy. Oh well.

[500Club]

There's so much of the deck stacked against the seller on eBay I don't behoove them the one piece of red tape remaining that keeps them from taking one up the .

 

 

I was going to answer that by listing the auction, you've entered into an agreement to sell the item via auction.

 

However, my festering resentment of eBay/PP's business practices really makes the above resonate with me.