So if your auction isn't getting the high bids you wanted, you can just end it? You're kidding me!

[themonitorman]

About 24 hours ago, I placed two consecutive bids, and had the winning bid on a French Cello, that was listed for Auction + FREE Shipping. The Auction was ending today (2/6/18). This was a No Reserve Auction Listing.

I went in to check the status of my bid this morning, and discovered the Listing was gone, the Item was gone  from my Watch List, and gone from my Bid History. It doesn't even show up in my Recently Viewed list!

After some searching, I have discovered that same identical item, from the same location and same Seller, newly listed today as a Buy It Now Item, at $8000!!!

How is that possible?

That doesn't even sound legal!

It sounds like fraud!

Does this mean if I'm not happy with the bids I'm getting for an Auction Item, I can just end the Auction early, for some **bleep** reason, and screw anyone who has already placed a bid on the item?

Can someone please explain what just happened to this auction I was bidding on?

[castlemagicmemories]

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All I can say is "Wow".

I've never heard of such nonsense.

I've been involved in 100s of auctions, on-line, and at physical auction locations, over the past 50 years, and I've never heard of such a thing.

At every auction I've ever participated in, the Auction Item is the property of the Seller - ONLY UNTIL the first BID is placed. When that first BID is placed, the item is now the property of the high bidder - not the SELLER. If you Bid on it, you've bought it. Only if there are no BIDS, can an item be removed from an auction venue. Not otherwise.

The Seller has forfeited any such ownership rights, as soon as a legitimate Bid is placed - providing there is no hidden RESERVE PRICE that has been pre-arranged for the Item. That's how it is done. Everywhere in the world - not just the US.

How has eBay managed to perpetrate this scam for so many years without someone taking legal action against them, or against the Sellers who are listing items at auction on eBay, and then ending them early WITH BIDS ALREADY IN PLACE?

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It's not the property of the high or highest bidder until they pay for it.

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Exaxtly.  If we used this reasoning, it is the high bidder's when they bid on it, there would be no retractions or cancellations allowed.  Buyer has indicated an intention to buy it and pay for it, but since item is not paid for, it is still the seller's to do with as they see fit.

[castlemagicmemories]

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Again - - - WOW!

I wish I had known about this fraud a long time ago. Just over the previous year, I have lost hundreds of dollars on my own Auction Items, that should have sold for much higher bids.

So all I had to do was ignore the existing bids, and end the listing before the end of the Auction?

That's a good thing to know, and I will almost certainly make use of it in the future.

This changes everything.

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With all due respect, you are not acknowledging that you get one of these a year and then will be assessed fees on the item for the high bid as if you had sold it.

[rixstuff]

This is the second time today I have wanted to use the word "idiot".  Most of the bidding takes place in the last 12 hours so it is bad strategy to end a listing early just becaues there arent many bids.  Their loss.

[missjen831]

You didn't place the winning bid. You may have had the highest bid when the listing was ended but you didn't win therefore you didn't place the winning bid. If the listing is totally gone then what you are claiming is incorrect. If the seller had ended the listing because they didn't think the bids were high enough, the listing would actually still be visible. If its completely gone then ebay pulled the listing due to a violation,

[castlemagicmemories]

Seller has no guarantee that there will be any bids coming in in the last twelve hrs, twelve minutes, or twelve seconds.  Listing could ride off into the sunset with one bid, if any.  

I agree that most bidding can take place in the later part of a listing, but can understand the seller's concern that those bids may not be forthcoming.

This is why they say to not start a listing at less than you are willing to accept.

[themonitorman]

I believe I have mentioned twice, that is the whole point.

The listing is NOT gone. It appeared again within only a few hours, as a Fixed Price Listing. Same item, same location, same seller - but now Fixed Price listing instead of an Auction.

[woodland_gnome]

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I believe I have mentioned twice, that is the whole point.

The listing is NOT gone. It appeared again within only a few hours, as a Fixed Price Listing. Same item, same location, same seller - but now Fixed Price listing instead of an Auction.

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That does not mean the original listing is still available.  A seller might try a new listing after having the original listing pulled, either fixing the problem that got it pulled or just hoping it won't be noticed.

You said the original listing is no longer on your Watch List.  Did you put it on your Watch List?  If so, its disappearance from there is very strong evidence that it was pulled, in the absence of you removing it.

[castlemagicmemories]

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wrote:

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wrote:

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wrote:

All I can say is "Wow".

I've never heard of such nonsense.

I've been involved in 100s of auctions, on-line, and at physical auction locations, over the past 50 years, and I've never heard of such a thing.

At every auction I've ever participated in, the Auction Item is the property of the Seller - ONLY UNTIL the first BID is placed. When that first BID is placed, the item is now the property of the high bidder - not the SELLER. If you Bid on it, you've bought it. Only if there are no BIDS, can an item be removed from an auction venue. Not otherwise.

The Seller has forfeited any such ownership rights, as soon as a legitimate Bid is placed - providing there is no hidden RESERVE PRICE that has been pre-arranged for the Item. That's how it is done. Everywhere in the world - not just the US.

How has eBay managed to perpetrate this scam for so many years without someone taking legal action against them, or against the Sellers who are listing items at auction on eBay, and then ending them early WITH BIDS ALREADY IN PLACE?

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It's not the property of the high or highest bidder until they pay for it.

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Exaxtly.  If we used this reasoning, it is the high bidder's when they bid on it, there would be no retractions or cancellations allowed.  Buyer has indicated an intention to buy it and pay for it, but since item is not paid for, it is still the seller's to do with as they see fit.

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Just want to add there would be no unpaid items, either.

[missjen831]

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wrote:

I believe I have mentioned twice, that is the whole point.

The listing is NOT gone. It appeared again within only a few hours, as a Fixed Price Listing. Same item, same location, same seller - but now Fixed Price listing instead of an Auction.

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You are mistaken. The listing did not re-appear. After ebay pulled it, the seller created a new listing.

[thallidguy]

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wrote:

I went in to check the status of my bid this morning, and discovered the Listing was gone, the Item was gone  from my Watch List, and gone from my Bid History. It doesn't even show up in my Recently Viewed list!

The above citation is from your original post. Let me repeat for emphasis: a direct citation from your original post.

This is a sure sign that eBay pulled the original listing. If they had not, there would have been residual traces of it in your bid history.

If the seller subsequently relisted the item without addressing whatever the violation was that got it pulled, he is cruising for a bruising.

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

Pulling and relishing really annoys potential buyers. It is especially stupid to do if you sell in a niche category. Word will get around and good buyers will know you’re not trustworthy

[aislynkat]

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wrote:

About 24 hours ago, I placed two consecutive bids, and had the winning bid on a French Cello, that was listed for Auction + FREE Shipping. The Auction was ending today (2/6/18). This was a No Reserve Auction Listing.

I went in to check the status of my bid this morning, and discovered the Listing was gone, the Item was gone  from my Watch List, and gone from my Bid History. It doesn't even show up in my Recently Viewed list!

After some searching, I have discovered that same identical item, from the same location and same Seller, newly listed today as a Buy It Now Item, at $8000!!!

How is that possible?

That doesn't even sound legal!

It sounds like fraud!

Does this mean if I'm not happy with the bids I'm getting for an Auction Item, I can just end the Auction early, for some **bleep** reason, and screw anyone who has already placed a bid on the item?

Can someone please explain what just happened to this auction I was bidding on?

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Um,  because it's the seller's property, and until they actually release it to to the buyer after the buyer has made payment--it is their property and they can end an auction because they want to.  If you were involved in a real auction house, you would find that many items are indeed 'withdrawn' even with early and or winning bids.

[aislynkat]

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wrote:

I believe I have mentioned twice, that is the whole point.

The listing is NOT gone. It appeared again within only a few hours, as a Fixed Price Listing. Same item, same location, same seller - but now Fixed Price listing instead of an Auction.

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Just because you're the first and only bidder doesn't mean the seller has relinquished his/her item. Again, it's not yours until that seller has sold it to you or whomever has paid the bucks. He has every right to put his property back into the closet. 

[aislynkat]

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I went in to check the status of my bid this morning, and discovered the Listing was gone, the Item was gone  from my Watch List, and gone from my Bid History. It doesn't even show up in my Recently Viewed list!

The above citation is from your original post. Let me repeat for emphasis: a direct citation from your original post.

This is a sure sign that eBay pulled the original listing. If they had not, there would have been residual traces of it in your bid history.

If the seller subsequently relisted the item without addressing whatever the violation was that got it pulled, he is cruising for a bruising.

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  Maybe. But it's his right to relist if eBay's lets him. Sellers can do what they want with their property period.

[nowthatsjustducky]

I swear, if this is not a prime example of a First World problem, I don't know what is.

This is one of those things where the most effective means of coping is to simply accept that it happens then get on with your life.