eBay: which part of the word "Auction"...

[darc]

...don't you understand??

This has really gotten out of hand. For *every* item I post on eBay now I get three or four messages that say:

"I am interested. How much is the guitar?"

OK... it's an auction. There is no reserve. One might deduce that the guitar presently costs as much as the starting bid, plus shipping as indicated.

Alternately:

"I am interested in buying. Send me your phone number or mail me as soon as possible."

No need to get all chummy. Please express your interest by *bidding*. When did this get so complicated?? If I knew exactly what the market would bear I would have put a buy it now on the auction. I get the whole concept of ending early and saving fees and all (and I think its at least slightly underhanded) but *every single* auction pulls these e-mails in droves. This seems relatively new. What gives??

[Kilroy is all about...]

Personally, I'm getting tired of waiting around until the end and playing the bidding game.

Frankly, if i REALLY WANT a piece of gear, then I'll send an email stating what my good faith offer is and state it. Sometimes, but not always, I'll get the piece for my stated price. Recently, I pull off a trade/deal when the auction closed below reserve and the dealer and I traded some $ and an '96 les paul for an '82 les paul custom. But, just yesterday, I lose out on a deal because the auction ended early with a bin, so no 'bin' no closure.

Nevertheless, I've never sold anything on ebay, so I can neither comment on the hassles of such (selling) nor can I address the frustration you feel when conducting an auction.

I know that several guitar dealers use ebay as an advertising/listing/marketing plan and gladly accept me emails to 'cut to the chase and get that fox' type of negotations.

That's my 'three cents' worth...

Kilroy posts.

[Turdus]

An Ebay seller can legitimately end an auction by selling to the high bidder. Ebay gets their fees this way. So why not take a chance and see if a person would sell to you?

A guy recently put up a bass that I wanted. His BIN, and starting bid were way too high. I shot him an offer, and told him that if he wanted to revise his BIN, that I would buy it. He did, and I bought it.

[Travis]

Some people are just dumbasses.

Others think that they can offer a certain price to make the whole process easier for both parties. I don't know, I've never sold anythign on ebay and I've never asked to end an auction early those rare times I do buy.

[darc]

Well, as with most of my rants, it's not a huge issue either way. If it were only occasional I wouldn't even have taken notice. But it gets frustrating to have to juggle all these e-mails (and I don't like to ignore them because that sends the message that I might not be responsive *after* a sale) from all these alledgedly interested parties, when there are no bids - so just how interesting are these items? And so far no one has offered a price in good faith. I just feel like I'm getting baited into the sort of awkward haggling that eBay, at one time, had made obsolete. Bear in mind, I don't play any games with reserves, I think thats a bunch of silly psychological crap. I begin bidding at the lowest point I'd be willing to part with the item, and I expect bidders to stop at the point where they wouldn't want to pay any more. Dead simple.

[BadgerDave]

Darc,

You're right. I wouldn't mind if it were just a few e-mails, but it seems like every time I've listed a guitar recently I've been bombarded with:

1) the "How Much" question;

2) various Indonesian/Rusian/Nigerian deposit and refund scams; and

3) requests for information that clearly appears (often in bold) in the listing.

I do not end auctions early and state that policy in the listing. I'll usually respond to the "How Much?" e-mail with a figure that is at least double my estimate of the final auction value. This prompts some entertaining responses.

The scammers get a message letting them know that I've forwarded their poorly spelled messages to the FBI.

I prepare a standard response for the other inquiries that allows me to quickly cut and paste the info they ask for. I'm surprised by how often one of these initially irritating emails comes from the eventual top bidder. I've learned to bite my tounge and respond quickly and politely.

I love eBay. With all of its faults, it has changed the way consumers buy and sell broad catagories of merchandise. I've been able to buy and play dozens of guitars, amps and effects, keeping the ones I love and flipping the rest back into circulation without losing (and often profiting) on the transactions.

[jwhitcomb3]

Yeah, I get guys that say they won't bid on my auction unless they speak to me in person. Or the guys that ask questions within minutes of the auction's close. And the ones who threaten not to bid unless I answer their questions which are already clearly answered in the auction desription.

I've found that setting the option blocking bidders with negative ratings or outside my shipping destinations helps eliminate some of the chaff. Stating that I won't end the auction early also helps.

My rating just passed 100 last week. I've had lots of fun on ebay and moved a bunch of gear. So far so good.

-Jonathan

[alpep]

I had a new one last week.

the guy saw an item listed and got my phone number from my website. he said he could not wait the 10 hrs till the auction ended and wanted to buy the item and have me ship it to him overnight on his account.

the whole deal smelled.

I passed on it

[atquinn]

I begin bidding at the lowest point I'd be willing to part with the item, and I expect bidders to stop at the point where they wouldn't want to pay any more. Dead simple.

Amen.

-Austin

[thecajunboy]

and I don't like to ignore them because that sends the message that I might not be responsive *after* a sale

This is why I include a standard disclaimer that I do not end auctions early, reveal the reserve price, or sell "off the bay", and that any e-mail with those requests will not be answered. I usually don't get much of those e-mails, and when I do, it's shitcan time.

[kurtsstuff]

I've had lots of success on e-bay both buying and selling and I have e-mailed sellers and asked if there is a B.I.N. price if one is not listed on the auction..sometimes there is and sometime there is'nt...and I don't care who's toes I may step on in an auction if it's something I want...I throw out what I'm willing to pay and may the deepest pockets win...no bad feelings, no regrets and if there is....too frickin boohoo-hoo...

[darc]

Ah those three precious words:

"Darc, You're right."

Don't hear that often LOL. Thanks for the feedback, at least some of which implies I'm not losing my mind.