Think I am giving up on Ebay for the final time

[benhasajeep]

They plaster things all over the place a bid is a binding contract. And although I have never don't it. I know from others if you don't pay they will send you nasty grams and what ever trying to get you to pay.

Well I put a bid on a camera and lens. Ended up being the only bidder on it up to the last hour. Then wham my bid dissapears! I get an email from ebay stating my bid was cancelled and to see the bid history for reasons why. So I go to bid history and nothing, nada.

So, I send ebay an email asking why my bid was retracted without my knowledge. They basically replied the seller chose to retract my bid for one of several possible reasons (they wont tell a specific one). But in any case, NONE of the options to cancell applied to the auction or my account (100% feedback, always paid within 24 hours, and well over 100 feedback score). There was no notice in the auction it may be ended early or requirements on who could bid.

Basically the price was lower than the seller wanted (was a no reserve auction) and ebay let him cancel my bid so he wouldn't have to go though with the low price. :er: Thats BS. I know eBay has always been a sellers market. But thats total BS they a seller can just cancel bids on a whim and not have to say why. Ebay even stated they don't have to tell me why! What a scam!

 

[Garbz]

Errr. An action can be cancelled up until the point of the hammer fall. This even applies to houses sold here, so why should ebay be any different.

A bid is only a binding contract once the bid is accepted (hammer fall), and it really is a binding contract (refer to case where someone bought a yacht for about 10% of it's actual value and sued the seller to get them to hand it over).

 

[ghache]

i never won any ebay auction. everythime i bid on something, bid is not high enought and seller cancel the auction.

i think its a common thing.

 

[Big Mike]

So why not give the seller negative feedback?

 

[TiaS]

I have not had that expiereinec. I have bought things for really cheap too. I have had a bid where I was told that it did not meet the revserve price though. That way I knew straight up that it was not high enough. What you are describing is not professional.

 

[Romphotog]

you cannot give negative feedback to seller if you didnt buy nothing. Only if seller sent item not as stated, damaged, 3 months late, etc.

 

[Big Mike]

you cannot give negative feedback to seller if you didnt buy nothing. Only if seller sent item not as stated, damaged, 3 months late, etc.

I was wondering about that.

Can you possibly make a complaint to E-bay? (not that they would necessarily care).

 

[Flash Harry]

Its full of scam operators and crooks now anyway, apart from dealers with classified ads its not much use as a cheap supplies dept now. H

 

[benhasajeep]

Since there was no bid and essentially the auction ended without a bid. There will be no chance for anyone to leave feedback on the seller.

Also when you click to bid on something, in that little bid window from Ebay it states this bid is a contract to purchase the item! They state by bidding you are entering into a contract to buy the item. Not once you have won! But by bidding and if you win you are to pay.

So how is it they can hold a bidder to a contract, but the seller can just quit when he feels like it? Thats what pisses me off. Especially since the seller did not state the item was for sale locally or requried special seller approvals of bidders (which eBay does allow with a process). I know there are slime bags on ebay and craigs-list. Hell they have basically replaced pawn shops as a way to sell stolen things. But there are good sellers on there as well. It's just I think eBay does a poor job of trying to get rid of the bad sellers, because they still make money off them.

 

[UUilliam]

I use ebay a lot and have never had a problem, always had pleasant transactions, Infact I bought a 180cm 5in1 reflector from a hong kong dealer (didn't realise it was in HK at first) but surprisingly it only took a week / 2 weeks to come through, free delivery (bought my omni bounce diffuser cap from them too.)
(came through today.)

 

[Garbz]

Its full of scam operators and crooks now anyway, apart from dealers with classified ads its not much use as a cheap supplies dept now. H

I would disagree on both accounts. Well actually not quite right, but I'd disagree on one and defend them on the other.

The defence: Any sufficiently popular medium attracts scams, and crooks. Telephones, email, craigslist, all have their share of scams. Fortunately ebay scams are easy to spot and paypal as bad as it is has a very buyer oriented bias on any disputes.

The disagreement: ebay still provides low cost dealers with classified ads. How does this make it not good as a cheap supplies dept now? Just because the specific things you're after don't get sold doesn't mean that it's not the cheapest place to buy Hoya and B+W filters, or that you still get some good auctions (I bought a Nikkor AI-S 50mm f/1.2 for $300AU), and even some rarities (Noct-Nikkor 58mm f/1.2 was sold for about $5000 there only recently).

That and I bought a USB->LPT adapter the other day for a whole $2.30AU inc postage.


It's sad to see such negative remarks for what is essentially just another place to trade. Scams and negative experiences are just another part of a life where you ultimately spend time dealing with f-wits.

 

[white]

I think the seller has the right to cancel the auction if the item is not getting high enough bids. Hopefully in the future that seller will begin with a higher initial bid.

It is my understanding that there is no binding contract until auction's end.

 

[benhasajeep]

I think the seller has the right to cancel the auction if the item is not getting high enough bids. Hopefully in the future that seller will begin with a higher initial bid.

It is my understanding that there is no binding contract until auction's end.

Straight from the ebay bid box -

By clicking on the button below, you commit to buy this item from the seller if you're the winning bidder.

You are agreeing to a contract -- You will enter into a legally binding contract to purchase the item from the seller if you're the winning bidder. You are responsible for reading the full item listing, including the seller's instructions and accepted payment methods. Seller assumes all responsibility for listing this item.

As for the auction price being too low. Thats what minimum bid, and reserve auction options are for. But you have to pay more to list an auction that way. And some feel may not get as many bidders if you start it too high. So, they bend the rules for the sellers letting them get out of too low auctions if they complain to ebay they want to remove a buyers bid. Obviously it goes both ways I am sure alot of buyers don't pay after bidding. If that happens I believe eBay allows the seller to relist for free. So, eBay is out revenue that way. So, they keep the sellers happy and the buyers - who cares!

I am just going to lay off ebay for a while. Wait till I get all my current purchases before I decide to close the account or not. But right now I think I am tired of it. It's getting to be a pain to sort through the cheap china junk, and all the mass listings from mega sellers just to find what I am looking for. Think I will just stick with Keh. Prices really are not that much different between ebay and Keh unless you happen upon a deal where not many bids (like in this case I am mad over). Think I am just tired of them. As for eBay it's their tough luck too all though just a drop in an ocean, they will miss the revenue from my purchases.

 

[benhasajeep]

In these tough times there's no way you should be pressuring your father to buy you games you won't even be using. Buy them yourself if you want them that badly.

I have no clue what you are talking about???

 

[Garbz]

By clicking on the button below, you commit to buy this item from the seller if you're the winning bidder.

You are agreeing to a contract -- You will enter into a legally binding contract to purchase the item from the seller if you're the winning bidder. You are responsible for reading the full item listing, including the seller's instructions and accepted payment methods. Seller assumes all responsibility for listing this item.

Read that line again. At no point does it mention an obligation of the seller. You have an obligation to pay if you win, and only if you win. The seller is under no obligation to keep the item on ebay, or to continue your contract until the point of the auction ends.

This is basic contract law. You need an offer and an acceptance. This offer here is conditional on a deadline like it is with all auctions. The contract gets null and void if seller pulls out before the deadline.