New(?) eBay buying strategy that seems to be working

[PamMo]

I'm a sniper, and in the last couple of months I've lost several auctions to buyers putting in private offers to sellers outside the normal bidding process. When a seller has a very low starting price and the bidding is slow (snipers sitting on the sideline), a buyer sends a private message to the seller offering to buy at a much higher price than the current bid, but still a good buy. The offer is accepted, all bids are cancelled, and the auction ends early. My last snipe bid was several thousand dollars higher than the sales price settled on through the private sale.

This buying strategy works, and I know several Tuggers who have done this - but it still drives me nuts! Not just because I lost the eBay auction , but I think it leaves the transparent bidding process open to all kinds of shenanigans. It would be different if the auctions were Buy It Now or Best Offer, but these are regular auctions... maybe the "rules" are changing...

 

[MommaBear]

I just looked up the Ebay rules and it is not allowed to end an auction early to sell at a higher price.This is the quote lifted from the ebay rules: Not allowed: Ending a listing early to sell the item to the winning bidder a price higher than the current bid It is permitted to end an auction early at the current bid price. If this has been happening to you, it should probably be reported to Ebay.

 

[ace2000]

I just looked up the Ebay rules and it is not allowed to end an auction early to sell at a higher price.This is the quote lifted from the ebay rules: Not allowed: Ending a listing early to sell the item to the winning bidder a price higher than the current bid It is permitted to end an auction early at the current bid price. If this has been happening to you, it should probably be reported to Ebay.

Not sure, but wouldn't this approach mean that the seller doesn't have to pay the eBay sales commission? Probably why they wouldn't like it.

 

[PamMo]

That's what I thought, too, but it's happened to me in several auctions. It's been with inexperienced sellers and post card companies. I know you can cancel an auction with no bids or items that haven't hit the minimum bid, but these were No Reserve auctions with active bids. Some Tuggers have been talking about this "new" strategy - and it seems to be working for them.

To clarify, the winner does have the high bid, it's above all the previous bids, but the seller closes the auction early when they settle on a price in private messages. The last auction I had a snipe in was supposed to end today, and it closed several hours early at a bid $3,000 less than my snipe bid. I guess I should be happy I saved some money!

 

[BocaBum99]

two things.

1) eBay sellers can sell their auctioned products in other venues. It it fine to cancel an auction if it sells through another sales channel other than eBay.

2) I think it is fine for auctioners to end their auctions early when they find a suitable buyer outside of ebay. I find it ironic that someone who admits to using esnipe would be complaining about an auction ending early. If you wanted it, you should have made a bid before the auction ended. I think it's a great counter measure against snipers.

 

[BevL]

The problem is, how do you prove it? Unless you happen to know the person who bought the item, it simply appears that the seller had a change of heart and "unlisted" the item.

I suppose if you had bid on several items by the same seller and it kept happening, it might be worth mentioning to Ebay.

And yes, I would imagine the seller pays an initial listing fee but not the commission? But I could be wrong, I've not sold an awful lot on Ebay.

Bev

 

[am1]

Just bid sooner like Boca said or start offering your best offer directly to the seller.

It would be nice if Ebay extended the auction by a few minutes for each bid in the last hour.

 

[Passepartout]

It would be nice if Ebay extended the auction by a few minutes for each bid in the last hour.

This sounds to me like one of those phony baloney gambling 'auctions' where people bid pennies and the price goes up with each bid. Seller makes out big and all bidders but one lose their bids.

'Course they could try a Dutch auction wherein the price starts high and goes down over time until someone buys.

There are lots of ways to do an auction.

Jim Ricks

 

[PamMo]

two things.

1) eBay sellers can sell their auctioned products in other venues. It it fine to cancel an auction if it sells through another sales channel other than eBay.

2) I think it is fine for auctioners to end their auctions early when they find a suitable buyer outside of ebay. I find it ironic that someone who admits to using esnipe would be complaining about an auction ending early. If you wanted it, you should have made a bid before the auction ended. I think it's a great counter measure against snipers.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining so much as I am simply stating that I've noticed a different winning strategy for eBay timeshare auctions. Sniping used to be a great way to pick up a timeshare at a bargain price. A lot of us have been doing it that way for years. Now, I believe if you see a timeshare on eBay that you REALLY want, it might be prudent to send a private message to the Seller and see if you can settle on a price to end the auction early.

If you're going to play the game to win, you should know the rules and your competition.

 

[ace2000]

two things.

1) eBay sellers can sell their auctioned products in other venues. It it fine to cancel an auction if it sells through another sales channel other than eBay.

2) I think it is fine for auctioners to end their auctions early when they find a suitable buyer outside of ebay. I find it ironic that someone who admits to using esnipe would be complaining about an auction ending early. If you wanted it, you should have made a bid before the auction ended. I think it's a great counter measure against snipers.

Yes, but I'll ask again... couldn't that seller approach circumvent the eBay commission? Not sure why you'd want to endorse that. I realize that you're not directly stating it in those terms... but it could easily happen that way.

 

[PamMo]

Yes, but I'll ask again... couldn't that seller approach circumvent the eBay commission? Not sure why you'd want to endorse that. I realize that you're not directly stating it in those terms... but it could easily happen that way.

Most of the sales I've seen have all gone through eBay, so the Seller pays the commission. I don't know what happens with "Item no longer available" auctions when the auction is cancelled and the sale ends up in a private transaction? When the Buyer and Seller connect through an active listing, it seems that eBay has a legitimate claim for the sales commission.

 

[teepeeca]

I just looked up the Ebay rules and it is not allowed to end an auction early to sell at a higher price.This is the quote lifted from the ebay rules: Not allowed: Ending a listing early to sell the item to the winning bidder a price higher than the current bid It is permitted to end an auction early at the current bid price. If this has been happening to you, it should probably be reported to Ebay.

I don't think the seller is stopping/closing the auction to the "current" high bidder. The seller is selling to a person that does NOT have the high bid, or no bid at all.

The person (buyer) sees a timeshare they want, and contacts the seller with a price he/she is willing to pay, directly to the seller, NOT through the auction. It is then up to the seller to agree to that price, or negotiate another price, oujtside of the e-bay auction.

Tony

 

[ronparise]

I think Boca has it right...an ebay seller is free to sell an item outside of ebay. then close down the auction, leaving us snipers high and dry.

 

[aandmrun]

I've purchased timeshares by the normal bidding process and have only paid the $1.00 price. I am thrilled with my ebay purchases.

 

[Rent_Share]

Not sure, but wouldn't this approach mean that the seller doesn't have to pay the eBay sales commission? Probably why they wouldn't like it.

The most they would save is $ 35.00 in Final Value Charges - eBay doesn't charge a percentage on T/S $ 35 to list and another $ 35 when it sells

 

[foreverloves]

First, you are not allowed to use the ebay platform to complete sales outside of ebay:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/rfe-spam-non-ebay-sale.html

One part specifically:
Not allowed: Ending a listing early to sell the item to the winning bidder at a price higher than the current bid

There are also rules about offering an item for purchase and then accepting purchase "outside of the ebay system"
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/listing-circumventing.html

There are also rules about listing items for sale; specifically, if you list an item for sale, it must be for sale only on ebay. People who sell cars break this rule all of the time when they say, "Item is for sale locally and auction may be ended if item is sold". Ebay doesn't permit this. You can get away with it by ending the auction early. Ebay isn't likely to catch it, but when you give the reason 'why' you are ending the auction early, "sold on another venue" is not one of the choices.

The truth is, what these sellers are doing is wrong. They are actively avoiding final valuation fees, for one, and it's obvious. The other truth is, ebay will never do crap about it, and you'll have a heck of a time proving it. Only if someone is a habitual, repeat offender might you have a chance.

I'd be peeved too; I snipe often and win the things I want.

 

[ace2000]

The most they would save is $ 35.00 in Final Value Charges - eBay doesn't charge a percentage on T/S $ 35 to list and another $ 35 when it sells

I didn't realize that... thanks!

 

[Kona Lovers]

"First, you are not allowed to use the ebay platform to complete sales outside of ebay:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/...ebay-sale.html

One part specifically:
Not allowed: Ending a listing early to sell the item to the winning bidder at a price higher than the current bid

There are also rules about offering an item for purchase and then accepting purchase "outside of the ebay system"
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/...umventing.html

There are also rules about listing items for sale; specifically, if you list an item for sale, it must be for sale only on ebay. People who sell cars break this rule all of the time when they say, "Item is for sale locally and auction may be ended if item is sold". Ebay doesn't permit this. You can get away with it by ending the auction early. Ebay isn't likely to catch it, but when you give the reason 'why' you are ending the auction early, "sold on another venue" is not one of the choices.

The truth is, what these sellers are doing is wrong. They are actively avoiding final valuation fees, for one, and it's obvious. The other truth is, ebay will never do crap about it, and you'll have a heck of a time proving it. Only if someone is a habitual, repeat offender might you have a chance.

I'd be peeved too; I snipe often and win the things I want."
__________________


There was a guy here selling Labrador Retrievers on a corner. I stopped to look and he gave me his flyer that had them advertised on ebay as well.

 

[Patri]

To clarify, the winner does have the high bid, it's above all the previous bids, but the seller closes the auction early when they settle on a price in private messages. The last auction I had a snipe in was supposed to end today, and it closed several hours early at a bid $3,000 less than my snipe bid. I guess I should be happy I saved some money!

How do you know the price they settled on?

 

[ampaholic]

Live by the snipe - die by the snipe

:annoyed:

 

[PamMo]

How do you know the price they settled on?

This morning's auction was for a 2BR OCEANFRONT unit at Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas. The auction closed early with a winning bid of $5,200 (+$4,000 association dues) per the listing - eBay item number: 260812753641

At that price, Starwood is certain to exercise ROFR.

 

[brucecz]

In all of my Ebay auctions I state that I reserve the right to cancel the auction if I get a better offer from other sites.

I have been mostly been running Buy It Now- Best Offer auctions and set it so it blocks out the absurdly low ball bids.

Some send Non bid emails to offer lowball amounts but I tell the those tire kickers to make a commitment by making a legitimate ebay bid. It saves me valueable time.

Otherwise a lot of them will send many emails taking up a lot time trying to get the sellers to accept a absurd lowball offer. Money talks when I see a legitimate ebay bid and IMHO there is no real advantage of waiting and sniping my auctions.

Some of them are under the mistaken impression that they have the right to demand that you cave in to their pressure and you have to give it to them any low ball price they want to steal at.

Ebay on rentals is more of a last resort but it costs less than $3 to list for rentals. Ebay offers very little recourse for the jerks who bid and do not pay on a rental and by the time you find that out it is to late and :annoyed: you lose a good week.

My ebay auction prices in most cases are about 10% higher than our other non ebay web ads. I let inquiies from other sites know that make low offers that it is on ebay at a higher rate so for the time I thank them for their offer but I will pass until our ebay auction ends. That has motavated of those non ebay site offers to be raised .

Our Buy It Now-Best Offer timeshare For Sale auctions listing fees are about $52.50.

One big advantage of our running Buy It Now- Best Offer offers is unless they paid the Buy-it-now is I can refuse any offer if it is not the Buy-it-now price.

Bruce

 

[foreverloves]

BIN/Best offer auctions run differently; if they are ONLY BIN or BO auctions, there is no reason to snipe - it doesn't work that way.

Beyond that, bidding early (and often) on an item with several days left is a terrific tactic for sellers because it needlessly drives up a price, which is bad for buyers. Savvy ebay buyers will wait to "show their hand" at the last minute, and win it (or not) by a last minute bid. Ebay buyers like this despise the early-and-often bidders who I suppose inexplicably think they will win that terrific platinum Marriott property for $10.

If you end an auction early and take the current high bid from the buyer and complete the transaction via ebay, you are entitled to do that. If you take a much higher offer from a buyer that is not reflected in the current bid price, and/or if you complete the transaction outside of the ebay system, you are breaking the rules.

 

[foreverloves]

There was a guy here selling Labrador Retrievers on a corner. I stopped to look and he gave me his flyer that had them advertised on ebay as well.

Actually, there are special rules for selling "multiples" of items. Since you used "retrievers" in the plural, I would assume this person had multiple labs for sale. Ebay permits situations like this, since the items are all the same.

 

[Dave*H]

Ending an auction early and selling outside of ebay doesn't always make sense (even if ebay allowed it). If only one person has placed a serious bid, it is quite possible that the current bid is low, but that the max bid (and potential sales price) is high. It takes at least 2 serious bidders to result in a high sales price. I think there are more sellers than you might think that don't understand the concept of an auction. OTOH, I suspect that there are a significant number of sellers that don't follow through with a purchase after winning an auction. Sellers may decide it is better to go with a more sure thing and sell outside of ebay than gamble on the final price of the auction and that the winner will follow through.

I once got into a long back and forth with a seller who accused me of trying to rip her off because my bid was so low. In fact, my bid was considerably higher, but the winning bid was low because I was the only bidder. She wasn't convinced and wasn't going to sell me the item at the winning bid so I left negative feedback and moved on.