Second Chance Offer - My bid was ran up to max by buyer who did not have the funds to buy item

[odoylerulz58]

I appreciate any and all thoughts on this situation that occurred.

I put in a max bid on an item with 3 seconds to go in the auction. It appears I might have won as I see I am winning the auction for approximately $150 less than my max bid as the clock count downs to zero.  Unfortunately, when the screen jumps to final screen I see I evidently was sniped at the very last split second and it shows a winning bid $6 more than my max bid won the item. I think nothing more about it until about a day later when I get a second chance offer from the seller to buy it at my max bid because the other party does not have the money to pay for the comic. The selling price is near $800.00. 

I reply to the seller I would like to have the item but at my bid at the final second which showed I was winning for $150.00 less than my max bid. My point is the bid by the other buyer was not valid because he was bidding with money he did not have and the result was that his invalid bid just ran up my bid to the max. The seller is basically telling take it for my max bid or not. 

I know that seller has no obligation to sell it to me for less than my max bid, but should he? To have my bid ran up to the max by a potentially bogus buyer bothers me. I am not saying that the seller did anything fraudulent, but the circumstances bother me just a little. If I were the seller, I think if I wanted to offer it to the second place bidder I would let them have at it the price he was winning the auction prior to the last second invalid bid. 

What would you do? If you were the seller? If you are the buyer? 

[nobody*s_perfect]

The seller has no control over the price of a formal Second Chance Offer.  eBay automatically sets it at the underbidder's highest bid amount.  If you aren't willing to pay that much, then just let the seller know (which you apparently already have).  The seller will probably relist the item and you can try again.

[buyselljack2016]

That is the way eBay has it set up.

Second chance offer is sent at the amount of the second chance.

Not required to buy.  I would decline to pay that bumped up price.

Could have been a non pay bidder, a sport bidder, or a shill bidder.

I would not pay even though that were my max bid amount.

[acan1548]

Something really needs to be done about this. eBay should make second chance offers EXCLUDING any and all bids from the user that clearly didn’t have funds to even be making the bids in the first place. It’s pretty skeezy to expect someone to buy something at their max bid when the person they were bidding against wasn’t going to buy the item to begin with or realized AFTER they ran up the bid that maybe they didn’t want it all that badly and regretted the bidding war and backed out. 

[lamber9347]

@odoylerulz58 You have an interesting argument however this is an online platform and there is an implied gamble to all auctions. Your maximum bid is considered the highest amount you were willing to pay. Regardless of whether or not another bid against you, that was the highest amount you said you were willing to pay. When you are entering that bid you are not asked if you will pay less should anyone not bid against you, you are asked what the highest amount is you are willing to gamble on to get this item. 

I give you credit for asking the seller to offer the item at your lower amount, but you must realize they are under no obligation to do so. The rules for an auction are enter the highest amount you are willing to pay and hope no one bids against you. Now is not the time to continue to gamble to secure a lower price if you actually want this comic. 

You can always move along and hope you find it with another seller for less than you wanted. In time that may happen. Best of luck to you....

[janet9988]

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@acan1548 wrote:

Something really needs to be done about this. eBay should make second chance offers EXCLUDING any and all bids from the user that clearly didn’t have funds to even be making the bids in the first place. It’s pretty skeezy to expect someone to buy something at their max bid when the person they were bidding against wasn’t going to buy the item to begin with or realized AFTER they ran up the bid that maybe they didn’t want it all that badly and regretted the bidding war and backed out. 

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No one expects  a bidder to buy from a second chance offer. Its just and OFFER ...no commitment is being forced. It is not the sellers fault.