ATP wrote:

I know of one seller that lists machinery with a low starting bid, no
reserve, then ends the listing if the bidding doesn't go high enough,
claiming the item is no longer available for sale. I'm not sure if this
violates Ebay rules or not, it definitely is misleading and a waste of time
for bidders. In the past, when I've seen this kind of thing, it has always
been done before the end of the listing. I just won a bid on a milling
machine and the guy tells me "Sorry, the milling machine is no longer
available". Apparently your bid is a contract but some sellers won't perform
their end of the contract.




If he has a "sell it now" price listed, anyone can pay that price and
buy the item
immediately. After that, there should be a line that reads "auction
ended early
by sell it now". If it doesn't say that, report it, with the item # to
safe harbor,
as the seller is probably using eBay to get sales contacts, but isn't
selling items
through eBay, which they don't like.

Jon

JMartin957 wrote:
I know of one seller that lists machinery with a low starting bid, no
reserve, then ends the listing if the bidding doesn't go high enough,
claiming the item is no longer available for sale. I'm not sure if
this violates Ebay rules or not, it definitely is misleading and a
waste of time for bidders. In the past, when I've seen this kind of
thing, it has always been done before the end of the listing. I just
won a bid on a milling machine and the guy tells me "Sorry, the
milling machine is no longer available". Apparently your bid is a
contract but some sellers won't perform their end of the contract.



I have seen items offered "subject to prior sale" and, as long as it
is offered that way, I can't get too excited about it. Although I
wonder how many of those "prior sales" are real.

With a seller letting the auction run almost to the end and then
pulling the item, I'd be a bit more unhappy. An individual seller,
with a one-time occurrence, I could go along with. But a dealer who
regularly pulls that trick is another matter, and I'd go after him
with eBay. If they'll do anything.

Try withdrawing your bids a few times without some real good reasons,
and see what eBay's reaction is.

Too bad you can't leave feedback on an auction that was ended like
that.

John Martinb

I guess I can leave feedback on the latest one because the auction actually
ended, I was sent an invoice, etc..

JMartin957 wrote:
I know of one seller that lists machinery with a low starting bid, no
reserve, then ends the listing if the bidding doesn't go high enough,
claiming the item is no longer available for sale. I'm not sure if
this violates Ebay rules or not, it definitely is misleading and a
waste of time for bidders. In the past, when I've seen this kind of
thing, it has always been done before the end of the listing. I just
won a bid on a milling machine and the guy tells me "Sorry, the
milling machine is no longer available". Apparently your bid is a
contract but some sellers won't perform their end of the contract.



I have seen items offered "subject to prior sale" and, as long as it
is offered that way, I can't get too excited about it. Although I
wonder how many of those "prior sales" are real.

With a seller letting the auction run almost to the end and then
pulling the item, I'd be a bit more unhappy. An individual seller,
with a one-time occurrence, I could go along with. But a dealer who
regularly pulls that trick is another matter, and I'd go after him
with eBay. If they'll do anything.

Try withdrawing your bids a few times without some real good reasons,
and see what eBay's reaction is.

Too bad you can't leave feedback on an auction that was ended like
that.

John Martinb

I guess I can leave feedback on the latest one because the auction actually
ended, I was sent an invoice, etc..

eBay makes a big deal (as they should) out of non-paying bidders and is
quick to point out that an auction is a binding contract. I'd email eBay
and copy the Attorney General of the State of California (where eBay is
located) and ask why it is only a binding contract on the buyer and not the
seller. From personal past experience with the office of the Attorney
General of the State of California, you WILL get action and answers and eBay
won't sweep it under the carpet.

"Richard J Kinch" wrote in message
. ..
Jeff Wisnia writes:

So, if
the price you won that milling machine for isn't even close to what
you know the item is probably worth, the seller's still a rotter, but
did you really get badly cheated?

If you make a binding offer to pay, the seller is likewise bound to sell.
That is what a no-reserve auction is, why auctions deserve attention, and
why people pay attention to auctions. To not sell is basically dishonest,
because the seller is not honoring his word.

If the sale is not honored, then leave negative feedback.

ATP wrote:

JMartin957 wrote:
I know of one seller that lists machinery with a low starting bid, no
reserve, then ends the listing if the bidding doesn't go high enough,
claiming the item is no longer available for sale. I'm not sure if
this violates Ebay rules or not, it definitely is misleading and a
waste of time for bidders. In the past, when I've seen this kind of
thing, it has always been done before the end of the listing. I just
won a bid on a milling machine and the guy tells me "Sorry, the
milling machine is no longer available". Apparently your bid is a
contract but some sellers won't perform their end of the contract.



I have seen items offered "subject to prior sale" and, as long as it
is offered that way, I can't get too excited about it. Although I
wonder how many of those "prior sales" are real.

With a seller letting the auction run almost to the end and then
pulling the item, I'd be a bit more unhappy. An individual seller,
with a one-time occurrence, I could go along with. But a dealer who
regularly pulls that trick is another matter, and I'd go after him
with eBay. If they'll do anything.

Try withdrawing your bids a few times without some real good reasons,
and see what eBay's reaction is.

Too bad you can't leave feedback on an auction that was ended like
that.

John Martinb

I guess I can leave feedback on the latest one because the auction actually
ended, I was sent an invoice, etc..

Sounds like you're a very forgiving guy or couldn't have been *too* ****ed off,
if you went along with buying something from him after that pulled item deal.

Don't fret too much, the books always balance in the end...

Jeff


--
Jeff Wisnia (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"If you can keep smiling when things go wrong, you've thought of someone to
place the blame on."

"ATP" writes:

I guess I can leave feedback on the latest one because the auction actually
ended, I was sent an invoice, etc..

In that case, you *should* complain to ebay. Ebay's (biased) rules say
that a seller can cancel an ongoing auction at any time for any reason
before it ends. But once it *has* ended on time (or ended early, if the
seller didn't cancel all bids), then there is a winner and the seller is
obligated to complete the transaction.

The seller is not supposed to be able to decide after the auction end
that they don't want to sell the item. That deserves a negative, plus a
complaint.

(And if the seller negs you in retaliation, you can post a response to
that negative. Just state that the seller refused to complete the
transaction).

Dave

(JMartin957) wrote in message ...

I know of one seller that lists machinery with a low starting bid, no
reserve, then ends the listing if the bidding doesn't go high enough,
claiming the item is no longer available for sale. I'm not sure if this
violates Ebay rules or not, it definitely is misleading and a waste of time
for bidders. In the past, when I've seen this kind of thing, it has always
been done before the end of the listing. I just won a bid on a milling
machine and the guy tells me "Sorry, the milling machine is no longer
available". Apparently your bid is a contract but some sellers won't perform
their end of the contract.



I have seen items offered "subject to prior sale" and, as long as it is offered
that way, I can't get too excited about it. Although I wonder how many of
those "prior sales" are real.

With a seller letting the auction run almost to the end and then pulling the
item, I'd be a bit more unhappy. An individual seller, with a one-time
occurrence, I could go along with. But a dealer who regularly pulls that trick
is another matter, and I'd go after him with eBay. If they'll do anything.

Try withdrawing your bids a few times without some real good reasons, and see
what eBay's reaction is.

Too bad you can't leave feedback on an auction that was ended like that.

John Martinb

If a seller lets an auction end with bids and then refuses to complete
the sale because it didn't meet their "private" reserve, they're still
on the hook for the final value fee, like $30 for a $1000 mill. (They
don't use reserve auctions because they cost more up front.)

The seller can only get around the final value fee by calling the
buyer a deadbeat. I've seen that feedback ****ing match many times
with one un-named seller, it's obvious what is going on. (In fact
this one still qualifies for the "power seller" seal of approval.)

What I think is more common even with "respectable" sellers is where a
seller lists a big-ticket item, some buyer drives 3 hours to inspect
it prior to bidding, and instead of just going home and bidding they
work out a deal on the spot. Seller cancels any outstanding bids and
ends the auction. No final value fee so ebay is unhappy but at least
that buyer is happy.

Jeff Wisnia wrote:
ATP wrote:

JMartin957 wrote:
I know of one seller that lists machinery with a low starting bid,
no reserve, then ends the listing if the bidding doesn't go high
enough, claiming the item is no longer available for sale. I'm not
sure if this violates Ebay rules or not, it definitely is
misleading and a waste of time for bidders. In the past, when I've
seen this kind of thing, it has always been done before the end of
the listing. I just won a bid on a milling machine and the guy
tells me "Sorry, the milling machine is no longer available".
Apparently your bid is a contract but some sellers won't perform
their end of the contract.



I have seen items offered "subject to prior sale" and, as long as it
is offered that way, I can't get too excited about it. Although I
wonder how many of those "prior sales" are real.

With a seller letting the auction run almost to the end and then
pulling the item, I'd be a bit more unhappy. An individual seller,
with a one-time occurrence, I could go along with. But a dealer who
regularly pulls that trick is another matter, and I'd go after him
with eBay. If they'll do anything.

Try withdrawing your bids a few times without some real good
reasons, and see what eBay's reaction is.

Too bad you can't leave feedback on an auction that was ended like
that.

John Martinb

I guess I can leave feedback on the latest one because the auction
actually ended, I was sent an invoice, etc..

Sounds like you're a very forgiving guy or couldn't have been *too*
****ed off, if you went along with buying something from him after
that pulled item deal.

Don't fret too much, the books always balance in the end...

Jeff

No, I was sent an invoice, emailed the guy to find out where I could pick
the item up, and he replied it was no longer available. I think it's a
disturbing trend on ebay- deadbeat buyers and sellers.

(Bob Powell) writes:

What I think is more common even with "respectable" sellers is where a
seller lists a big-ticket item, some buyer drives 3 hours to inspect
it prior to bidding, and instead of just going home and bidding they
work out a deal on the spot. Seller cancels any outstanding bids and
ends the auction. No final value fee so ebay is unhappy but at least
that buyer is happy.

That is within ebay's rules. But in this case the auction apparently
ended *without* being cancelled. The seller isn't supposed to be able
to change his mind at that point - he's supposed to be committed to
sell.

Dave

On Tue, 07 Oct 2003 16:35:03 GMT, (Dave Mundt) wrote:

e details, they just look at the totals.
I had a situation recently where the seller (I suspect) got a
better offer on a shotgun I had sniped at a good price, and, sold it
out from under me.

When did Ebay go back to allowing firearms auctions?

Gunner

Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt.

Greetings and salutations...

On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 07:32:48 GMT, Gunner
wrote:

On Tue, 07 Oct 2003 16:35:03 GMT, (Dave Mundt) wrote:

e details, they just look at the totals.
I had a situation recently where the seller (I suspect) got a
better offer on a shotgun I had sniped at a good price, and, sold it
out from under me.

When did Ebay go back to allowing firearms auctions?

Gunner

Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt.

Interestingly enough, if one takes the stock off a
shotgun, it becomes "shotgun PARTS"...which Ebay DOES allow.
The guy also had the stock up for auction, but, I did not
need the stock...Had one.
Regards
Dave Mundt

Dave Mundt writes:

Interestingly enough, if one takes the stock off a
shotgun, it becomes "shotgun PARTS"...which Ebay DOES allow.

This can't be true.

Anyone else remember that Mad magazine ad for disabled pistols--no firing
pins?

Greetings and Salutations.

On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 04:45:11 -0500, Richard J Kinch
wrote:

Dave Mundt writes:

Interestingly enough, if one takes the stock off a
shotgun, it becomes "shotgun PARTS"...which Ebay DOES allow.

This can't be true.

Well, I suppose if Ebay vetted every posting, it
would not happen. However, they don't. I suspect that
they wait until somebody complains, so they can have
plausible deniability. And indeed, Ebay DOES allow the
sale of "gun parts" although I suspect they discourage it.
here is an example or two:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=3629821902
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=3629878776
and here is a fellow with a BUNCH of parts:
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...&userid=djstar

Now, in MY particular case, it was kind of an egregious
example of pushing the limits of how one would define "gun parts",
I admit. However, it was "parts"...just not widely separated parts.


Anyone else remember that Mad magazine ad for disabled pistols--no firing
pins?

Haw...that is amusing...Mad had some really
pithy thoughts buried among the some of the "simpler" humor.
Regards
Dave Mundt

Dave Mundt writes:

Interestingly enough, if one takes the stock off a
shotgun, it becomes "shotgun PARTS"...which Ebay DOES allow.

This can't be true.

Well, I suppose if Ebay vetted every posting, it
would not happen. However, they don't. I suspect that
they wait until somebody complains, so they can have
plausible deniability. And indeed, Ebay DOES allow the
sale of "gun parts" although I suspect they discourage it.
here is an example or two:

One must appreciate that the receiver is the legal "soul" of the gun, the
sine qua non. Parts is parts. You won't find the former on eBay, with or
without a stock.

One must appreciate that the receiver is the legal "soul" of the gun, the
sine qua non. Parts is parts. You won't find the former on eBay, with or
without a stock.



There was a complete working in the box L.C. Smith 16 ga double on there last
week. I had them pull an airgun I was selling.
Greg sefton

Bray Haven writes:

There was a complete working in the box L.C. Smith 16 ga double on
there last week.

Link?