eBay seller ends Batman lot sale mid auction and immediately relists as BIN - will they get more money? 2 2

[MattrixAlien]

The auction below was due to end on the 20/04/22. It doesn't show it now, but there were bids from 4 different buyers and 25 watchers. So there was going to be a lot of competition by the end.

The seller instead ended the auction on the 13/04/22 with more than a week to go and immediately relisted as a BIN or BO. As a prospective buyer I was annoyed but I guess sellers can do what they like. Should sellers be allowed to do this? Will they get more money with this approach?

The new BIN price is way too high based on the condition of the books from what I can judge in the photos. The Batman 251 in particular is low, low grade, IMO around a 1.5. If it's incomplete it might be worse. I think the staples are detached.  Even though it looks like it's been used as a door mat I still wouldn't mind owning one  I only found the listing because I'm interested in getting a Batman 423 to complete my collection of the big McFarlane keys. Thoughts? Batman 386 is a solid copper age key but not one I'm passionate about so I probably wouldn't have won it anyway 

 

[THE_BEYONDER]

Canceling an auction that already has bids is asshattery 

[Sigur Ros]

On 4/13/2022 at 6:43 PM, MattrixAlien said:

The auction below was due to end on the 20/04/22. It doesn't show it now, but there were bids from 4 different buyers and 25 watchers. So there was going to be a lot of competition by the end.

The seller instead ended the auction on the 13/04/22 with more than a week to go and immediately relisted as a BIN or BO. As a prospective buyer I was annoyed but I guess sellers can do what they like. Should sellers be allowed to do this? Will they get more money with this approach?

The new BIN price is way too high based on the condition of the books from what I can judge in the photos. The Batman 251 in particular is low, low grade, IMO around a 1.5. If it's incomplete it might be worse. I think the staples are detached.  Even though it looks like it's been used as a door mat I still wouldn't mind owning one  I only found the listing because I'm interested in getting a Batman 423 to complete my collection of the big McFarlane keys. Thoughts? Batman 386 is a solid copper age key but not one I'm passionate about so I probably wouldn't have won it anyway 

 

According to your dates, the auction would have only been active a couple days, since you're saying it was a 10-day auction.

I don't see a problem myself. 

[MattrixAlien]

On 4/14/2022 at 10:56 AM, Sigur Ros said:

According to your dates, the auction would have only been active a couple days, since you're saying it was a 10-day auction.

I don't see a problem myself. 

But multiple people had already placed bids on it? The eBay guidelines basically say that you should only end an auction early if the item is lost or damaged since listing it or if there have been no bids. I don't know if thinking you can get more money with a BIN type sale constitutes a valid reason for ending a listing 

[shadroch]

It's a scummy move, even if it is allowed. 

[Motor City Rob]

On 4/13/2022 at 9:09 PM, MattrixAlien said:

But multiple people had already placed bids on it? The eBay guidelines basically say that you should only end an auction early if the item is lost or damaged since listing it or if there have been no bids. I don't know if thinking you can get more money with a BIN type sale constitutes a valid reason for ending a listing 

Guidelines are just suggestions. As long as ebay is making $, sellers can pretty much do what they want. 

[sonicyouth1]

At least the seller didn’t cancel a day before the auction ended.

With due diligence you’ll get a 251 in better condition for sure! 
 

take it as a win instead of a loss. If staples were detached as suspected you might have overpaid!

Good luck! When you find a good looking copy in your price range post pics!
 

 

[1Cool]

If bidders can cancel a bid at any time then it's fair that the seller can end the auction also.  I'd think ending it the day it is suppose to end is not cool but this far in advance should just be a minor inconvenience to the bidders.  

[Pat Thomas]

I wouldn't do it. That's a risk you take when you don't set a reserve. Win some lose some. Seller got greedy and won't get asking price.

[THE_BEYONDER]

On 4/14/2022 at 8:19 AM, sonicyouth1 said:

At least the seller didn’t cancel a day before the auction ended.

With due diligence you’ll get a 251 in better condition for sure! 
 

take it as a win instead of a loss. If staples were detached as suspected you might have overpaid!

Good luck! When you find a good looking copy in your price range post pics!
 

 

There’s a copy in the marketplace. Maybe shoot the seller a PM

 

[adampasz]

On 4/14/2022 at 2:43 PM, THE_BEYONDER said:

There’s a copy in the marketplace. Maybe shoot the seller a PM

 

I was going to mention the same thing. Lots of reliable sellers right here. 

[Lightning55]

Ending an auction early sometimes has consequences.  If you don't relist it, eBay thinks you pulled it to make a sale off ebay, and can charge you the FVF that would have applied based on the price at the time it was pulled.  And you could complain about it, but they won't refund you.

EBay also hates that auctions get ended early because it upsets "their customers", the bidders who had their bids wiped.  Those buyers had time invested in finding the listing, reading through the details, comparing other listings, and finally decided to place a live bid.  All undone by cancelling the bids (an action required to end the auction).

EBay can give a seller a defect for too many listings ended early.  I think you are allowed 3 per year, or maybe 1 every 6 months, not sure.  After that, they consider it abuse, and will start assessing defects on your seller record.  Too many of those, and you enter the penalty zone where you pay much higher FVF's.  They can add 5% to your selling fee, which sounds small, but it's not 5% as in 1/20th, it's an additional 5% added to the 13% or so already charged, making it 18%.  That's a fee that is technically 38% higher than standard.  They do the same thing if you sell things you don't have (out of stock, but still listed).