Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Online Auctions, eBay Craigslist Petroliana When or when not to make offers to end auctions...

Hello All,
First off, I want to say this post is not to start any disagreements or arguments, just getting something off my chest today, which is a rare for me to do at any time, I'm a pretty quiet type usually.
I had some extremely nice, scarce Mobil oval handy oilers in my Ebay watch, awaiting the auction end to execute my bids. I was a bit peeved this morning to see the auctions all ended. I sent the seller an email asking why the auctions were ended or what was going on with them. He replied that he was fed up with the drama and all of the lowball offers he was getting from dealers. The sellers auctions clearly stated no reserve or buy it now on his items.
Are some dealer/collectors so hellbent on acquiring items that they plainly disregard a seller's auction rules? In this case it has plainly ***** off this seller enough that he told me that all of this stuff was going back in boxes and he was done with auctioning them. He explained he didn't have to sell this stuff, and was hoping to pass his collection on to the next group of collectors that would appreciate his stuff. This seller had already offered some TOP quality oilers, and who knows now what our collecting community is going to miss out on now that a few unscrupulous people who couldn't read or exhibit courtesy to the seller ruined it for people with respect.
I will be up front and say I have very occasionally sent an offer to a seller making an offer for an item I really wanted. I think many would be lying if they said they had not done this. The only cases that I have ever done this though was after thoroughly reading the sellers auction listing to see if they stated "we do not end auctions early or no BIN price".
I guess is what I'm getting at is read a sellers listing first before making outside offers. In this case, a true Mobil collector, ME lol, lost out on adding some really choice items due to the actions of others with no respect for the seller, or ultimately me as well as the case may be as I was waiting for the auction to run its course as was requested, and now we're ALL out of the running for this guy's very good quality merchandise!
Thanks for listening guys....it's too hot and I guess I'm a bit cranky today, lol!
Darin

If you see it and want it, buy it!
No auction should be ended early. m2c..

Darin: Good topic. I, too, have on occasion emailed a seller to see if they have a buy-it-now price. If they say no I thank them and will then go bid. When I started buying on ebay i never asked and waited out the auction. Like you, when I saw some items I realy wanted "disapear" before the auction ended, I would email the seller and ask what happened. Usually it was because someone (to quote the Godfather) made them an offer they couldn't refuse. It was frustrating....so even though I didn't think it was ethical...I did start to ask on occasion. For the record I still prefer to see the auctions run their course.

My suggestion to you would be to email the guy back and tell him you are interested in his items and ask him what his price would be and make a fair offer. You might just get lucky.

Anxious to hear what others have to say.

I agree always lookin that auctions shouldn't be ended early, as I have been on the end of an "ended auction" more than once. But there again, I was on that end because I respected that sellers auction rules and didn't email them to end it early with an offer, while someone else did.
Could you clarify what you mean with your first line though please?
Darin

And Alex, great reply as that is exactly along my lines of thinking in regards to making offers. While not ethical, I know that if it's a piece that I'm SUPER interested in, others are too that are certainly going to make an offer to end the auction.

Hi Darin, so sorry to hear this. I agree with Alex. Email the gentlemen and tell him you are interested in some of the items he had listed and try to work out a deal. If you don't react to the situation someone else will... Who knows what else the seller has for sale that wasn't listed... GO!

Don't worry guys, I sent him my contact information this morning after receiving his reply. I just said if you change your mind on selling, let me know and for him to name his price so he's happy. Again, I think this gentleman is pretty soured by the whole experience and I don't really expect to hear anything from him.

I have had to ask many times if auction will run its course and not be ended early, just to see the items go away a day or so later. Sorry, its an auction to me till the end, and I have been unhappy many a times.
Years ago a guy had a whole collection and I asked if he would sell a sign out of it. He stopped the auction and relisted without the item he sold me. Was it right or did I just do the same thing others have done that I so dislike. I live with that judgement.

Let me say upfront; I have no problem asking if a Seller will consider a BIN price...

I always put forth, what I consider to be honest BIN offers. If the Seller accepts, then they must also feel that my offers are honest and forthcoming....

Each person must decide "the course they want to sail"... My course is to try and add too my Collections in a manner that I feel is respectful and honest...

If a Seller has in their auction that they will not consider BIN offers, I respect that and will not contact them (most of the time).... The exception is, if I see that an auction has been "recycled" a few times... I will contact the Seller then and remind them (as if they need reminding) that their item(s) have not yet sold. I always offer what I believe is a fair price... Most times the Seller agrees and a transaction is completed. A few times they haven't....

Now I have missed out on an auction because I did not ask... I also have been lucky enough to pick up numerous items that had not yet been placed up for auction because I asked and was honest with my offers...

I never ask anyone to end an auction early and never end mine early but hey that's just the way I roll. Probably missed out on some items for being this way but hell I'll never own it all anyway. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;Ron

On auction items that i want to see go the distance, i email the seller and ask them "please do not end this auction early, i would like the chance to bid on your item and i think you will like the hammer price." Most of the time i cant afford the item, but i usually get to see its true value without pestering everyone on here.

I got to this one early enough, the seller assured me i would have a chance to bid on this. I think its to expensive for me to own, but im going to see the final price!!

Ebay 271006756347

Doesn't make you a bad person, Ron...LOL.

This is not an attack on anyone, but rather just an explanation of "How I see it and how I roll". Not passing judgement on anyone.

I'm a little confused...it's either right or it's wrong. There is no middle ground. You can't have it both ways. If you have done it in the past...then you are part of the problem that you are bringing to light. There are no lesser degrees of participation. On the rare occasion that you did it. I am sure someone was put at a disadvantage. Their disappointment can not and should not be ignored simply because you have convinced yourself that it was not as bold as the attempts related by you above.

I never have and never will make an BIN offer on an active auction. I believe in fair play and that all the same rules should and must apply to everyone equally.

I have made offers on items that have ended without bids. No bids = over priced. I have asked for a price adjust based on market response.

We all know instinctively what is right and wrong. Some cloud that instinctive knowing by bargaining with themselves. The words of wisdom and ethical conduct are written in black ink on white paper. To me it's quite clear, in black and white....there is no gray area. It's a personal choice, how you choose to play. I believe in and promote fair play. With no exceptions.

That has always been one of the classic dilemas of ethics. Is it black and white or is it gray? I used to teach an ethics class at our company and one of the ways people slide to the unethical side is we tend, as humans, to rationalize our behavior or say, "Who will it hurt?" If people tend to look at things from a black and white perspective it makes the decision of doing the right thing easier. But not all decisions are B&W. Example: uf you only had enough money to pay the power bill or feed your family and you have exchausted all other sources of money...what would you do? Pay the money or feed the family? Or another, we all know shoplifting is wrong...would you shoplift some medicine to help your child with 104 degree temperature if you had no money or other resources? Ethical questions make for great discussions.....

Be thankful we all live in countries where we are allowed to have these discussions...Happy 4th of July and a belated Happy Dominion day to our neighbors in Canada....

I do agree with you on many of your points Dave. I must clarify that when I have made offers on items, they were newly listed and did not have any bids. I have had items get bids in the meantime, and the sellers did not end the auctions due to a bid being placed, which I replied back to them in total agreement not to end the auction. I guess this is my "gray area" that when an item is listed, I know it's an auction that by the rules set forth by Ebay, should go to the end. If the item doesn't have a bid, then I feel it's OK to make an offer, if it has a bid, I wouldn't ever make an offer and hope like heck it goes to the end so I can have an opportunity to bid. I too have made many deals with sellers after an auction ended, due to the starting bid being way too high.
I just wanted to stress though my main point of the post was in regards to sellers who blatently say NO BIN and are then barraged with offers to end the auctions early, which NO ONE should do with respect to the sellers.