Ending Ebay listings early

[rainier2004]

I dont know guys, I didnt realize how bad this is. Ill admit I am wrong.

Whenever I make an offer to end an auction, and it is rare, I am offering what I think the card is worth and am trying to avoid a pissing match at the end, compter glitches, etc and zach said. Ive also made the offer if I find another of the same card and want to see if I can get one of the sellers to go lower than the other. I dont think its morally correct to try and lowball an unknowing owner though...this seems in the same category as finding a box of pre-war cards in a garage sale and spending $10 on them and calling it good.
I have received offers to end an auction early that was more than I had hoped to receive in the end. I wasn't aware of the problem being as bad as it is though. I feel it comes down to intentions and it is NEVER alright to take advantage of someone, but I feel its perfectly legit to try and buy the card before my compitetion realizes its out there and make a fair offer. Early bird and the worm story?

Jeff - I guess it can hurt just to make an offer....and I agree "well-played".

[bbcard1]

I only ended one early once. i suspected the offer was better than I was going to get if I let the bidding run its course. i could have been wrong, but I am basically a "break even" ebay seller. I sell duplicates and if I break even over the long run, I am happy. This was an offer that tripled my money on the item and decided to go with the bird in hand.

[Jayworld]

eBay states that a seller may end a listing early for the following reasons:
1. The item is broken, lost, or otherwise no longer available for sale
2. You made a mistake in creating the listing

Further, eBay states that if you end an auction within 12 hours or less of the auction ending, your only option is to sell the item to the highest bidder if the item has bids. If over 12 hours, you can end the auction and either do nothing or sell to the highest bidder.

Also states, which I find interesting:
Sellers are not allowed to cancel bids and end listings early in order to avoid selling an item that did not meet the desired sale price. This is considered to be a violation of our reserve price policy. Although there are legitimate reasons for ending a listing early, abuse of this option will be investigated.

I have bought and sold on eBay for 14 years, although hardly at all in the past two years. During that time, I have been asked twice to end an auction early, and both times I politely declined and stated that the auction would run until the end.

[rainier2004]

I see your point Zach and also agree with most of what you said and usually say - I have this story for you.

Im looking for 1915 CJ per norm, notice an HOFer for sale advertised as a 1915 but was really a 1914 with a starting price of 99 cents...informed seller who told me I was wrong, sent another email explaining my logic and reasoning. He ignored me, and I bought the card for about 40-50% of it worth. I felt he needed to know the truth and never understood his defensiveness. I would have thought making him an offer to end early would have been deceptive but we each are responsible for ourselves and actions and this guy obviously didnt know what he had, but nor did he care.
Where is the moral line here? I think we as collectors make our own rules...

[D. Bergin]

I will also say, there have been a few occasions I have continued an auction after getting an offer I believe is probably better then I will ever see by the end of the auction.

Usually on cheaper items. A relative of a subject wants me to end an auction early and offers me more then I expect to get. Generally there's already a bid on the item and I wish them luck in the bidding and tell them there's a good chance they may be able to get it for cheaper then they offered.

[drc]

Several years back I got an offer for a football trophy, told him I didn't end auctions early but if he bid he'd more than probably win it for less than his offer, and he did.

I'm not into hassles, so if something involves end this, do that, jump through hoop, I'll often pass. On a convenience level, it was easer to just let auctions run as planned.

A common phrase of mine in real life is, "If it's going to be a hassle, I'm not going to do it." Personality defect or strength, I don't know.

[Runscott]

Straight auctions run to the end. I used to end them early if there were no other bidders, but my thinking now is that doing that hurts my credibility with bidders in other straight auctions.

I have done this many times. It never hurts to ask and I wouldn't blame them for doing it to an auction I was bidding on either. I made an offer once during an auction and the seller accepted. I thought I paid a fair amount just to get an email a few days later telling me he got a better offer and took that. Part of the game we play

[zljones]

Originally Posted by rainier2004

I see your point Zach and also agree with most of what you said and usually say - I have this story for you.

Im looking for 1915 CJ per norm, notice an HOFer for sale advertised as a 1915 starting at 99 cents...informed seller who told me I was wrong, sent another email explaining my logic and reasoning. He ignored me, and I bought the card for about 40-50% of it worth. I felt he needed to know the truth and never understood his defensiveness. I would have thought making him an offer to end early would have been deceptive but we each are responsible for ourselves and actions and this guy obviously didnt know what he had, but nor did he care.
Where is the moral line here? I think we as collectors make our own rules...

Yup we should not be accountable, unless someone maybe mislabels an auction then emails saying they accidentally priced it wrong then I can see helping them cancel it. But if someone is just ignorant then they deserve what's coming. We all want to save money and collect at the same time and if we can get a deal, why think you are doing a terrible thing? The person selling it obviously will be much happier having "X" amount of money instead of the card.

[zljones]

Originally Posted by rainier2004

I dont know guys, I didnt realize how bad this is. Ill admit I am wrong.

Whenever I make an offer to end an auction, and it is rare, I am offering what I think the card is worth and am trying to avoid a pissing match at the end, compter glitches, etc and zach said. Ive also made the offer if I find another of the same card and want to see if I can get one of the sellers to go lower than the other. I dont think its morally correct to try and lowball an unknowing owner though...this seems in the same category as finding a box of pre-war cards in a garage sale and spending $10 on them and calling it good.
I have received offers to end an auction early that was more than I had hoped to receive in the end. I wasn't aware of the problem being as bad as it is though. I feel it comes down to intentions and it is NEVER alright to take advantage of someone, but I feel its perfectly legit to try and buy the card before my compitetion realizes its out there and make a fair offer. Early bird and the worm story?

Jeff - I guess it can hurt just to make an offer....and I agree "well-played".

I agreed with a lot of what you said earlier in this thread. It should not be considered morally wrong, and cheating a seller out of money. If a seller lets a $500 item go for $100, well that is the seller's fault not the buyer's fault. When selling on ebay, and especially selling a item one knows nothing about it is best to do research first before selling it. I completely agree with you about it not being the buyers fault. Most people on ebay are adults and should take responsibility for their own listings. In this economy there are people always trying to save a buck, so a seller has to protect themselves by doing their homework first, and not accepting low ball offers.

[freakhappy]

Originally Posted by rainier2004

I dont know guys, I didnt realize how bad this is. Ill admit I am wrong.

Whenever I make an offer to end an auction, and it is rare, I am offering what I think the card is worth and am trying to avoid a pissing match at the end, compter glitches, etc and zach said. Ive also made the offer if I find another of the same card and want to see if I can get one of the sellers to go lower than the other. I dont think its morally correct to try and lowball an unknowing owner though...this seems in the same category as finding a box of pre-war cards in a garage sale and spending $10 on them and calling it good.
I have received offers to end an auction early that was more than I had hoped to receive in the end. I wasn't aware of the problem being as bad as it is though. I feel it comes down to intentions and it is NEVER alright to take advantage of someone, but I feel its perfectly legit to try and buy the card before my compitetion realizes its out there and make a fair offer. Early bird and the worm story?

Jeff - I guess it can hurt just to make an offer....and I agree "well-played".

So in order to never take advantage of a seller, if we see a BIN at a low price, should we email the seller and tell him to bump his price up to current market value???

I get that you are honest and don't want to take advantage of anyone, but if someone lists their product for sale, it is their responsibility to know the facts about their item. If someone came up to me with a bunch of HOF rookies or such and asked for info on the lot and I told them that it is junk, that's where integrity and further issues come into play.

It may be against Ebay rules to ask a seller to end an item early, but how hard is it really just to say "no thanks" and move on. I don't blame anyone who tries to get an item for the price they want. I wouldn't insult the seller with a crappy price, but I don't think there is anything wrong with contacting them and asking. Everyone knows that Ebay is mostly like a huge flea market and the only reason they don't want anyone to use their site to springboard sales offline is because it takes away from their profit.

[tbob]

I only make an offer to end early if it is a tough and needed card I rarely find for a set. My purpose is to pre-empt anyone else buying it outright. If a seller tells me that the auction will run to the end, I email him back my thanks and that I will be bidding, which I always do. I have just done this a few times and usually the seller will put a BIN on the card for my bid.
I used to be in the camp that would never ask a seller to end early but that was before I watched it happen for others again and again.
Again, only on a much needed tough to find card for a set and only if there are no other bids already on the card.

[rainier2004]

updated story above to read
"Im looking for 1915 CJ per norm, notice an HOFer for sale advertised as a 1915 but was really a 1914"...that was a point lost there.

Mike I agree with you but I did feel the need to inform them of their error in regards to year...my story was missing that line above. Im completely in favor of making an offer to end things early though...

[ullmandds]

I agree 100% w/Bob...I never used to do it...but lost out too many times. IT has become acceptable practice in my mind as it has become so widespread. I usually offer a fair market price so I don't feel as if I'm taking advantage of anyone and sometimes a seller is happy to get money in his pocket much sooner than waiting for the auction to end!

[drc]

Buyers who ask sellers to end an auction early are hypocritical to complain about sellers who end auctions early.

[ibuysportsephemera]

First let me say that I would never consider ending an auction early if there are already bids...that is bad form and unfair to the bidders.

I will sometimes end an auction early or add a Buy It Now IF I know that the offer exceeds what I am expecting at auction, there are not many watchers or I have re-listed the item. I will only consider offers, I do not set prices to end the auction.

There was a time when I would never end an auction early and it was amazing to me that person would offer....say 2x the opening price but when they were politely told that I did not end auctions early, they never placed a bid and the auction ended with no bids. This happened on a couple of occasions, so I felt that I was costing myself business and customers.

Jeff

[zljones]

Bottom line is, is when I sell items in auction and someone hits me up to end a listing early and it is for a rediculous amount, I do not get mad at them and block them or act like it is a big deal or cry about it.
I seriously find it incredibly upsetting that people actually get mad and bothered by someone making an offer then going to an extreme like blocking them or telling them off. What's the big deal? Just kindly say no to an offer, don't get huffy about it.
Sometimes I feel like some sellers are acting like the "Soup Nazi" from Seinfeld. If you say the wrong thing then "no card for you!, don't come back!"
If I get a silly offer, I just giggle about it and kindly pass on it, I don't jump down the throat of the inquirer or act like my poor feelings have been hurt.

[rainier2004]

[QUOTE=zljones;983664]Sometimes I feel like some sellers are acting like the "Soup Nazi" from Seinfeld. If you say the wrong thing then "no card for you!, don't come back!"
QUOTE]

THats hilarious!

[glchen]

Originally Posted by zljones

Bottom line is, is when I sell items in auction and someone hits me up to end a listing early and it is for a rediculous amount, I do not get mad at them and block them or act like it is a big deal or cry about it.
I seriously find it incredibly upsetting that people actually get mad and bothered by someone making an offer then going to an extreme like blocking them or telling them off. What's the big deal? Just kindly say no to an offer, don't get huffy about it.
Sometimes I feel like some sellers are acting like the "Soup Nazi" from Seinfeld. If you say the wrong thing then "no card for you!, don't come back!"
If I get a silly offer, I just giggle about it and kindly pass on it, I don't jump down the throat of the inquirer or act like my poor feelings have been hurt.

As an ebay seller, I don't block bidders who make reasonable amounts that I refuse. However, I have had a few cases, where buyers keep messaging me with offers that are obviously very low. For example, a $300 card which I have sold at that price in the same condition in the past, they keep asking if I would take $100 for it, and then they do this for 3-4 other cards. And they do this every week. And I see that they also sell cards, so it is obviously they are trying to do a quick flip. These buyers are annoying, and I do block them. Some other ebay sellers may see this much more than I do, which may be why their trigger finger is faster to block buyers.

[glchen]

Putting an early offer in does not always benefit the buyer who puts in the offer. Many times it can benefit the seller. For example, this has happened multiple times for me when I list a card starting at .99 cents, and the buyer puts in an offer for $50. My educated guess is that the card will end at $30, so of course, I sell the buyer this card. On the other hand, the buyer wants to make sure he gets this card, and not have some wacky thing happen where another bidder just happens to want this scarce card at the same time. As a seller that's what you balance, the possibility of the auction price reaching higher than the offer price. I assume that this is what happened w/ the T206 Plank that was recently purchased before it could be auctioned off from Sterling.

[zljones]

Originally Posted by glchen

As an ebay seller, I don't block bidders who make reasonable amounts that I refuse. However, I have had a few cases, where buyers keep messaging me with offers that are obviously very low. For example, a $300 card which I have sold at that price in the same condition in the past, they keep asking if I would take $100 for it, and then they do this for 3-4 other cards. And they do this every week. And I see that they also sell cards, so it is obviously they are trying to do a quick flip. These buyers are annoying, and I do block them. Some other ebay sellers may see this much more than I do, which may be why their trigger finger is faster to block buyers.

That I can totally understand blocking. If someone is being an annoying little mosquito and asking the same question over and over, then I can totally see blocking an idiot like that. You should only have to say no 1 time.
That reminds me of when I used to work at a pizza place and these kids from the section 8 area of town kept coming in asking for free water. The owner was first nice enough to give them the water but then they kept coming back for more asking again and again. When we did not pay attention to them they would pound on the counter and make noises and were very rude. They would not buy anything either. Finally my boss said no more water, but they kept coming back anyway and asking again and again anyway and pounding on the counter till he finally banned them and put up a sign saying "NO WATER."
The moral of the story is, is that people that constantly ask for something for nothing after being told NO deserve to be blocked off, so I empathize with your situation. I just can't stand those grumps that snap at a buyer for making 1 polite offer 1 time.