Help needed to resolve 2 large overbids (by $5000+)

[jimichrome]

I'm a seller looking for best way to manage this overbid problem.  In the final seconds of my auction, bidding went from $150 to $5256, then won at $5,356 between two separate bidders. Winning bidder is upset and claims to be blindsided by a "ebay glitch" or ??. "had no intention etc".

What is the best and most efficient way for me to handle and not face neg. consequences? Thank you for any help & advice.   Here follows a illustration of the results:

[vintage-car-magazines]

Looks like a bid shielding scam that didn't work as planned.

[postingid7659]

He can just cancel, the underbidder is irrelevant to the situation.  

[pikabo-icu]

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@postingid7659 wrote:

He can just cancel, the underbidder is irrelevant to the situation.  

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Right DOPE

I got caught up in the second chance/ second bidder thing.

I never list auctions lol can ya tell.. 

[jimichrome]

Thank you all for the comments and suggestions. The winning bidder successfully cancelled, so I'm going to try the 2nd chance offer route.    J.

[soh.maryl]

Is it normal for someone to bid that much on something listed for parts only?

Personally, I would not offer to bidder #2.  What's your plan when he pays (if), receives it and then opens an item not as described case? 

[a_c_green · Accepted solution]

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@jimichrome wrote:

Thank you all for the comments and suggestions. The winning bidder successfully cancelled, so I'm going to try the 2nd chance offer route.    J.

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I don't think that's going to work out (offering to the second-place bidder) as you cannot modify the price of a Second Chance Offer. It can only be offered as that bidder's maximum price. However, you're not limited to only sending the SCO to the second-place guy; you are in fact free to send one to the third-place guy or anyone else in the bid history who's accepting SCOs.

This is not a normal bid-shielding scam as neither of the top bidders has any bid retractions on their record. From the context of the pricing it looks like Bidder B (shown as 3***i (31) in the bid history) fumble-fingered his last bid, intending to bid $52.56 but missing the decimal point for some reason and submitting $5256 instead. (I believe the current price showing at that point in time would have been $51.00 from bidder 4***s (811).)

Bidder A (t***b (761)) had either forgotten his decimal point as well, or had simply slammed in a Hail Mary of $10000 or something like that and was waiting to win it (assuming a final price of maybe $60 or so). 

As the normal bidding increment in that price range is $100, Bidder A won at $5356 because Bidder B had offered $5256. So Bidder B caused this mess, but Bidder A was being a bit of a doofus as well with either a lazy hidden bid of $10000 (my guess) or a missing decimal point of his own if he meant to type $100.00 instead.

[jimichrome]

Without knowing precise details of how this all happened, I think a_c_green makes the most sense. I don't think there was a scam attempt.  

The 2 so-called "nuclear bids" have been eliminated.  Bidder B who started the problem admitted:  "Please disregard it, the ($5,256) amount was a mistake."  Bidder A who found himself winner at $5,356 still claims he didn't know what happened.  Winning bidder A's order was canceled ok.

I now have the option of re-listing or making a private deal with orig "winning bidder A". 

Thank you everyone!!   jimichrome