Should Buyer Retract or Should Seller Cancel

[Buythatcard]

Like all Sellers, I get a buyer who retracts his bids during the final hours of an auction. Annoying as it might be but what irks me even more are the buyers who tell me to cancel their bids in the final hours.

Do you feel that it's the Buyer's responsibility to retract his own bid? I feel that when a buyer asks me to cancel a bid, its because they don't want another retraction against their record.

Many times I oblige if the buyer has a relatively clean record but many times I just give them the link to retract it themselves.

[gnaz01]

Buyer should retract, but if by them not doing it, it results in a NPB, it is really moot, IMHO

[bn2cardz]

There is never any reason you should do it at their request. If they want it done they should do it. I can understand letting you know that it is being done, but there is no way for other sellers to set up a blocked bidders with bid retractions, if they aren't getting dinged for it.

[D. Bergin]

They should retract it themselves. Not that it would matter. Ebay doesn't seem to care how many retractions they have on their record.

They may be trying to ask you to cancel because Ebay may not be allowing them to retract a bid, with only a certain amount of time left in an auction, and they missed the cut-off.

I would make them sweat it out, again, not that it will matter soon, when they can just cancel the bid after they win an auction.

[brob28]

I feel they should do it themselves Howard. You are doing enough be forwarding them the link IMO.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by gnaz01

Buyer should retract, but if by them not doing it, it results in a NPB, it is really moot, IMHO

A NPB mark, may actually affect the negligent buyers standing with Ebay. A simple retraction or cancellation will not.

[glchen]

I thought that bids could not be retracted or cancelled on the last day of an auction.

I've never had this happen before, but if someone asked, I would tell them to retract it themselves.

[h2oya311]

I had this happen recently w/ a relatively high dollar auction. I let it ride, then, the buyer asked me to cancel after he won. Can't he ask to cancel the trx? Or does the trx cancellation have to come from the seller?

I wish I had issued a non-paying bidder instead. Now I'm stuck w/ relisting. It had looked so nice grouped w/ others of its kind. For some reason, eBay didn't allow me to make a second chance offer to the underbidder. Go figure!

[glchen]

Cancel transaction has to come from the seller after the auction ends.

[vthobby]

Originally Posted by glchen

I thought that bids could not be retracted or cancelled on the last day of an auction.

I've never had this happen before, but if someone asked, I would tell them to retract it themselves.

Within the last 12 hours of an auction, the bidder or seller can do either but within 12 hours, the auction is basically "locked" until the end.

I just had a high bidder ask me to cancel their bid on a $10 item with an hour to go and told them it was impossible. In goodwill I cancelled the auction after it was over BUT for me to get my fees back, that bidder then had to agree. It took her 3 days to agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was unbelievable that she was online with an hour to go but could not reciprocate the courtesy by agreeing to cancel the auction for 3 days AFTER it ended!!??!!



That was very frustrating.

peace, mike Ebay user name: a-little-of-everything (4000 deals at 100%)

[vthobby]

Originally Posted by Buythatcard

Like all Sellers, I get a buyer who retracts his bids during the final hours of an auction. Annoying as it might be but what irks me even more are the buyers who tell me to cancel their bids in the final hours.

Do you feel that it's the Buyer's responsibility to retract his own bid? I feel that when a buyer asks me to cancel a bid, its because they don't want another retraction against their record.

Many times I oblige if the buyer has a relatively clean record but many times I just give them the link to retract it themselves.

My thoughts on this are that you should never cancel someone else's bid. That is their responsibility. Chances are they will be outbid or even rethink it and keep their bid valid.

I have cancelled bids at my own discretion for various reasons: glaring error, suspect bidders on high value items (I then block them after I cancel their bids), simply changed my mind before the 12 hour rule. All of these are rare but when you do a lot of deals on Ebay, you will have these situations arise.

My 2 cents.

thanks, mike

[earlywynnfan]

A couple of years ago, I put 25 baseballs up for auction, with notation that I was going on vacation. These came with a group auction LOA, which I clearly described. Mid-week, I check my email from the hotel lobby. A guy had bid on every ball, but sent me an email telling me I needed to cancel his bids because he thought they had holograms. I told him I couldn't and wouldn't, I was on vacation, but he had plenty of time to retract since they closed on Saturday. Sure enough, I get home Sat night and he's won 10 of them! He immediately went to ebay complaining that I wouldn't retract and that he wasn't going to pay. Sure enough, ebay let him get away with it and I had to re-list everything (and you know how well that works out!)

[vthobby]

Ken,

I always wondered why when you sell now you can place bid restrictions on bidders that have bid on 10 or more of your auctions recently. Now I know why! Sorry to hear that. Mike