I need to contact several bidders after discovering a defect in my item

[crickerpicker]

How do I contact the bidders after discovering a defect in my item? (before auction ends) I hadn't mentioned the defect because I just found it a minute ago!  I just want to be fair and not have a return for item not as described. Thanks.

[upgradedendmills]

I would try to cancel the listing as "error in listing" and relist if possible. Contacting bidders might cause you some issues with eBay.

[crickerpicker]

Thanks for the response. I'll cancel the auction and re-list, I guess.  (I never thought about contacting the bidders as being an issue.....thank you for the heads-up!)

[loveyourimagination49]

I would contact the bidder and let them know of the defect and tell them if they would like to bid with defect, the item number is...

edit: depending on item and defect.

[impalajohnny]

i would cancel. Then relist immediately with an updated description and photo of the defect. Then I would contact my bidders to apologize and explain why I canceled. And encourage them to bid again if they feel the defect is acceptable.

[reallynicestamps]

@crickerpicker 

Don't just contact the bidders.

Cancel the bids.

Otherwise you run the risk of "selling" to one of the bidders at his current high bid-- when you don't want to sell the item as it is.

[a_c_green]

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I think one intermediate step of the auction cancellation process now asks whether you want to cancel all bids, or just end the auction and award it to the current lead bidder.

[johnrj1226]

Correct me If I am wrong but  if the  seller cancels the auction they will earn a defect on their  account.

If the buyer or winning bidder requests a cancellation  via  eBay messages then the seller can cancel without  issue. 

Had a similar  situation on a fixed  price listing and the item I sold was damaged  while in storage (something was spilled on a pair of patent leather shoes).  I cancelled, got a defect but it went away  after one year.

Here is  an except from an eBay  policy that  might apply

"You should only report a seller if you think they're violating our policies, for example:

• They offer to sell you a listed item outside of eBay
• They don't intend to complete the sale
• They sent threatening messages or used abusive or vulgar language"

[a_c_green]

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@johnrj1226 wrote:

Correct me If I am wrong but  if the  seller cancels the auction they will earn a defect on their  account.

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No, we're talking about cancelling the auction, not the sale. The auction is still running, during which time the seller can end it early without penalty. If there are bids in place, those should be cancelled first, unless the seller wants to award the sale to the current lead bidder. What you're quoting refers to an auction that has ended with a sale.

[johnrj1226]

Not so  certain about your take on this - once a bid has been entered by a prospective buyer they  have  committed to buy the item at that  bid price and the seller  needs to be ready to hold up to their  end of their bargain.  I do understand the bidder can withdraw a bid, but the OP seems to indicate there was more than one bidder.  If the top bidder  withdraws then the  next  highest bidder would be next in line to win the auction.

[a_c_green]

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@johnrj1226 wrote:

Not so  certain about your take on this - once a bid has been entered by a prospective buyer they  have  committed to buy the item at that  bid price and the seller  needs to be ready to hold up to their  end of their bargain.  I do understand the bidder can withdraw a bid, but the OP seems to indicate there was more than one bidder.  If the top bidder  withdraws then the  next  highest bidder would be next in line to win the auction.

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No, the point is that the auction is still running. Before it runs to completion, the seller can end it early without penalty. If bids are present, the seller can cancel them before ending the auction. If the seller does not cancel the bid(s) and there is no un-met Reserve, the lead bidder will win the auction when the seller ends it.

The question I had was whether eBay has now added an option to automatically cancel all bids at once, or if the seller still had to manually cancel each bid before ending the auction.

[lintbrush*]

@johnrj1226While the bidder commits to purchase if they win, they haven't won (and may not).  

Seller can end an auction with bids early provided there are more than 12 hours left.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/creating-managing-listings/cancelling-listing?id=4146

A few years back, eBay implemented an FVF charge for doing such as if the item sold for the highest showing bid.  You were given one grace non-fee ending per year, but that language has been removed.

@a_c_green Unless something has changed, when you click on End Item for an auction with bids, you are given the option to End/Sell to highest bidder or End/Cancel Bids.  

[johnrj1226]

@lintbrush 

Thanks for the info.

right now the OP only has 1 item with more than one bidders (like 22, had 19 bidders  earlier -  around noon my time EDT -  on the same item), this auction will end in ~3 hours