Is that some sort or scam or simply not meant to happen?

[imhr-7]

I know everybody's free to do what they want here (within reason) but I just can't wrap my head around this one.

Is that just a weird set of circumstances?  What am I not seeing here?

"new seller" with 100+ feedback, never sold here and nothing recent either.

Has had an auction going for months now without a single bid (one of many, many).

The price is a pinch high but reasonable otherwise.

Seller finally decides to add the make offer button after 3-4 failed auctions.

Fast forward another month further when I can finally make that purchase.

I offer full shipping and MSRP + 15% (on a lightly used item), but that's still like 15% under asking.

He refuses saying he wants full asking, fine.

Then magically, 1 bid appears 1 hour later and the auction is won.

And now days later, the auction is back on (I "guess" $hit happens).

But he still has the make offer button (you want offers or you don't?!?!?!).

So assuming the other bidder retracted or something I remake the same offer hoping he'd at least counter mid way or something.

Goes straight to decline without saying anything.

I don't want to report the seller for not wanting to sell, but at the same time I just don't know what to think about all this.

Any ideas or light shedding appreciated.

And if it's a scam, I just don't see what's the benefit and how that would work.

So now I'm just assuming I don't want to trust the seller and have to find something else somewhere else.

[donsdetour]

ahh: why does the OP think the seller will not sell the item.

Just because they did not sell to the op does not mean what the OP claims.

Who is scamming whom in this topic is a question.

[imhr-7]

Accusations without any proof is slander.  

If I wanted to scam him, I'd use a fake bank account or stolen credit card, or start a refund without sending the item back.

Insert 20 other ways to do that here.

I haven't been through step 1 in any of those scenario.

[rlsengager]

The thing is, usually when a listing is put up with specific amounts and settings, it is reasonable to expect that:
 
The buyer will pay the specified value bought now or won, plus shipping and handling;

The seller will stick to the values they set in the listing, or otherwise correct it ASAP before it goes live, or cancel/edit the listing and redo/relist it with the correct amounts and settings, preferably before anyone wastes their time bidding on it, putting up offers, or whatever;

That both parties will, in good faith, fulfill their respective obligations without caveats, strings attached, requests to utilize third parties to handle some un-mentioned 'extras', or fine print shenanigans.

The OP's frustration is understandable from a buyer standpoint, and it is only reasonable to expect that measures be taken to ensure this sort of thing never happens, or at least that there is better mediation between buyer and seller; but it appears that the communication from the seller was.... anything but professional or pleasant, going on the OP's mentions of it; and apparently posting these messages is not allowed here or something, so it's anyone's guess as to what and how it really went down.

I remember the time when listings on eBay were binding legal contracts to do business with. Whatever happened to that, I wonder?

Things like this is why I stick to hard time limits for responses for transactions already processed; as to problematic seller communication, it's a 'mirror' policy; you get what you give, though needless to say there still needs to be a modicum of professionalism and evidence/proof gathering for these sorts of issues to ensure that one covers their bases before things escalate beyond salvageable.

[imhr-7]

Thanks for the first mention of this and all the useful points which I won't copy / paste here.

Because IF I use the nuclear option and call ebay to investigate, the deal is dead.

Whether there's a problem with the seller or listing or whether the seller (correctly) thinks I'm not worth the trouble to deal with.

Just dead, as a door nail. Either way & 100% guaranteed.

I'm not posting communications because very early on they were pleasant so useless here, (2) there's basically none after a certain sticking point, and (3) the rest could be used to identify the seller.

And since I have no active bids on that item the seller cannot be found without significant access to ebay's system so sellers identity is currently (to my knowledge) still protected.

So here I still am.

I'll try and close this thread tomorrow.  Now I just need to sleep on it one more time.

l8rs.

[namele365]

@popblox   I don't know why, but every time I've ever tried to do that, the listing will not go through.  It comes back with an error saying you can't have best offer with an auction format.  I've heard about people doing it, and seen several examples such as yours, but It doesn't work for me. *shrug*

[namele365]

@popblox I see now that it may only be auctions without buy it now, that are allowed to have best offer.  I'll have to try one without the buy it now sometime and see.  Thanks 🙂