Unable to amend listing to announce an error

[ljonesny]

(On a different account) I have a moderately priced collectible item with about 20 hours to go at auction and one bid. I received a message from a specialist collector that I have misidentified the model number. So I went in to revise the listing by appending an announcement of same in the space for additional text. However, eBay's new listing tool refuses to save the added announcement saying some fields cannot be changed - even though this field is the one provided in order to make addendums!

The system let me send a message to the current high bidder, who remains interested, and I was going to ask the below question of that person, but now I get a page unavailable error when I try to reply. (I suspect that those people who will bid probably already know what the correct model is from the measurements and photos.)

Should I:

1) Let this auction run until its scheduled conclusion and then advise the winning bidder and let them decide if they want the item knowing the corrected model

-or-

2) Should I force close the auction and relist?

[lintbrush*]

Well...

Does the model it actually is affect the average selling price?  That would be a factor.

If you decide to end the listing, be sure to pick the option to cancel bids & end.  If you pick the wrong option, you could end the listing making the high bid the winning bid.

eBay really discourages ending listings as it 'creates a bad buyer experience' and they charge their selling fees based on the high bid showing at the time you end the listing.  You do get one free pass on the fees per year.  If this is your first time, it won't cost you.

I'm confused though - you say the buyer remains interested but you also state that you'll wait for them to decide if they still want the item.  Which is it?

Me?  Once I discovered (or was told me mistake) I'd force close the auction. 

Cancelling afterwards, if you choose the real option, will result in a defect.  Also if you do let it ride, you're potentially exposing yourself to a SNAD return which just costs you money and time. 

Either scenario could lead to an unhappy buyer with unhappy feedback.

[sg51 · Accepted solution]

 Let this auction run until its scheduled conclusion and then advise the winning bidder and let them decide if they want the item knowing the corrected model

Never.

You would have sold a SNAD.  You're totally at buyer's mercy.  Totally.

End the auction before there are less than 12 hours to go.  Pay the price.  You get one freebie per year.

[doubledz-a2z]

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@ljonesny wrote:

 I received a message from a specialist collector that I have misidentified the model number. 

IN THE FUTURE YOU CAN CLICK THE BOX TO POST A BUYERS MESSAGE TO THE LISTING.  At least it is there for buyers to see if they are experienced enough to scroll to the bottom of the page and look.   

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[ljonesny]

Thank you all for your replies:

doubledz-a2z - Good idea - I was able to ask the question from this account and clarify it from the selling account, so the Q&A detail is now there in the listing disclosing the error.

lintbrush, sg51 - It would be the first such event for the account this year, so I am seriously considering killing that listing as you advise (before 12 hours, cancelling bids) and relisting with a corrected title and description heading for a shorter duration.

It is a shame that the revision system does not operate as eBay's help pages describe it working. 'Saleroom announcements' are sometimes needed and it should be possible to make them prominently.

[sg51]

It is a shame that the revision system does not operate as eBay's help pages describe it working. 'Saleroom announcements' are sometimes needed and it should be possible to make them prominently.

There's the problem of the status of prior bidders.  They bid on what the listing says, and you can't just change that out from underneath them.

Under 12 hours, you're stuck doing the best you can.  Ask buyer what they would like to do. Offer a substantial partial.  But you're at buyer's mercy.  If you can't make a deal, you're going to take either an out of stock strike, or a SNAD return.  A buyer who understands that can drive a hard bargain indeed.

[ljonesny]

Thank you again. The erroneous listing has been closed and the item relisted with corrections.

The more I though about it, the more I realized just how correct you all were in your advice. Even if the current and future bidders could all be reliably informed, there could still be bids waiting on autopilot in sniping programs, etc.

I read these forums regularly and find the community here a great help. I remember complaints about items not showing in searches and I experienced that here. Searching by relevant words in the title from this account would never show that auction though it should have been the closest match. I got to it by searching for an obscure item and then 'viewing all seller's auctions.' I now suspect that what seems to be random bursts of a few sales around the same time may be more related to the search system than the phase of the moon