seller is auctioning an item I already paid for via Buy It Now

[caitlihopkin-5]

I'm not sure what to do.

This morning, I bought an item via "Buy It Now" and paid for it immediately. The purchase shows up in my purchase history and in my eBay account as a completed payment.

Soon after I paid, I noticed that the seller has re-listed the same item for auction. It is a one-of-a-kind vintage item (with photos that show the same damage), so it is not a question of having more items in stock. It is the same item.

I messaged the seller politely and said that I had already paid for the item. I have not heard back, but I'm not sure what to do next if the seller does not respond. It is possible that the seller just made a mistake and will resolve this issue without incident. But it is also possible that they are just ignoring the fact that I already bought this item and are trying to sell it again for a higher price (the starting bid is what I paid for the item).

The auction will end on Tuesday, January 2. I read a support article saying that I should wait 3 business days for the seller to contact me, but with the New Year's holiday, that means that the auction will already be over by the time I have waited long enough, and it will not be possible to resolve the issue. Should I contact eBay earlier? I don't want to be antagonistic toward a seller or escalate things if it was just a mistake. But I did purchase the item and pay for it, so they should not be selling it again.

Any advice?

[ittybitnot]

@caitlihopkin-5 

Go to your purchase history/order details and view the "estimated delivery dates" from the day you purchased.  (Do not confuse it with the listing itself, because even though it has ended, it will display the dates as if you purchased it right then).  

If your item doesn't arrive by the last estimated delivery date, the next day you can file an "item not received" claim.  If the seller does not respond with tracking/delivery confirmation, in a few days return to the case and escalate it (ask eBay to step in and help).  In the same area you can check to see if the seller uploaded some tracking information already that you can use to see if your parcel is in transit.  

Do not file an "item not received claim" if there is tracking that shows delivered even if you got nothing.  Come back for instructions on what you need to do instead. 

At this point there is nothing really to be done about the subsequent auction posting.  Is the seller ID the same on that one as well?  Sometimes it may just be a phony copycat post by someone else.  If it is the same seller,  you already contacted them so their possible subsequent problems will be theirs to handle. 

Good luck, and let us know how it turns out. 

[12345jamesstamps]

Check the feedback of the seller...how many feedbacks...a new seller? 

Can't do anything until expected delivery of item. Do not keep emailing seller...that won't help.

Here's a thought...are the auction bids lower than the "buy it now"you paid for?...bid on it. See what happens.

See if seller has blocked you. You have 24 hours to retract your bid. If it's the exact item I wouldn't think you have anything to lose. If seller cancels auction before end of auction and it has bids on it seller will still have to pay an eBay fee of top bidder's bid. In my opinion, this could be interesting.

A few sellers do this to get a small-like loan...which they need in a few days....and then they cancel the purchase of the item and refund the buyer....obtaining a quick loan and refunding the buyer.  

[downunder-61]

Just a thought, if you purchased this morning 28th and auctions are usually 7 days, Tuesday being the 7th day, I wonder could the seller have listed the item twice in error?

[caitlihopkin-5]

I checked the seller stats - they have 1.6k items sold and 308 feedback in the last year (300 positive, 4 neutral, 4 negative). So it seems like a small seller that is usually reliable, but not very new.

The starting bid on the auction is set to the same price I paid as "Buy It Now." I wondered whether they meant to list it as an auction and accidentally listed as BIN, but when I list an item, eBay defaults to auction mode and I have to purposefully change it to BIN. The seller has 733 items for sale and every single one is BIN except this one item that they re-listed for auction 13 minutes after I purchased it. (They made it a 5-day auction rather than 7.)

That is an interesting thought about bidding on it in the auction. I do want the item! But I'm worried that if I buy it twice, they will argue that I should pay the higher price not the lower one. It is a desirable item and will probably sell in the auction for at least twice what I paid as a BIN 😞

[caitlihopkin-5]

I checked, and it looks like they listed it as a five-day auction that started after I purchased it. I did wonder whether it was a mistake, but the timing makes me think they regretted listing it for a low price. They have over 700 items for sale and this is the only one that is now an auction rather than a Buy It Now.

[kathiec]

In the end it really doesn't matter why it's relisted. All you can do is open an item not received case on the day after the last estimated delivery date if you haven't received it.

[simba6]

It could have been relisted in error or eBay glitch did it.   It also could be they did have another but used the same photo?    Does not look like a scam as that would never work.

[reallynicestamps]

Whether it sold to you.

Or it sells to an auction bidder.

The buyer that does not receive the item will be filing a Not Received Dispute and getting a Refund.

I'm not sure if this has an impact on the seller's account.

If they Cancel one of the sales, the reason they choose can end up earning them a Defect.

[caitlihopkin-5]

UPDATE:

I was able to resolve this with the seller without involving eBay. She said it was an error and the item is marked as shipped. As long as it actually does reach me, the matter is closed. Thank you all for your advice!