186 replies to this topic

[Universal Ruler Supreme]

Well, I reported the item yesterday. I don't know how long it takes for that crap to get investigated....if it does. I havn't even emailed him.

As far as coming through and delivering it, he has 100% feedback, I couldn't find any obvious sign of feedback padding. And many commended him on packing the items well. Crud, these clamshells are like small bomb shelters. I've had some of my collection mailed to me in bubble envelopes before...and they were fine.

I just can't determine if he was really shilling me through another account or by a buddy. Or if some jerk just felt like screwing me cause he couldn't win it for $60 bucks. Which I would pay in that case. Jerks don't bother me on eBay, but shillers and frauds bug the crap out of me

[Universal Ruler Supreme]

Well, after a day and a half of waiting on what I should do, and hoping that eBay would contact me about my report (do they contact the reporter?) the seller finally emailed me Asking when he should expect payment.

I tried to be as tactful as I possibly could without completely shifting blame, or accusing the seller.

Sorry for the delay.
I am very concerned with the odd bidding that apparently took place during the final hours of the auction however.
According to the bid history-
A low feedback bidder suddenly placed 23 consecutive bids of small value in a row within a 7 minute time frame, and then stops shy of outbidding me at a penny, when 1 small bid would have won it for him.
First impressions, and experience points to 1 of two things, a jerk bidding up an auction out of spite, or shill bidding.
Given the ending price of the item, I'd feel much better about completing the purchase, if I were reassured in some manner that fraudulent bid inflation was not the culprit. Jerks I can live with.

Thanks, and hope you understand

We will see what happens from here. An experienced and understanding seller will either give me some assurance, or simply offer it to the second high bidder if he is innocent. If he isn't understanding he will take my message completely out of context and fire back some insults of some kind. And if he is guilty he will probably try to blackmail me or something....who knows. Hopefully it works out.

Edited by Universal Ruler Supreme, 27 January 2010 - 02:16 AM.

[Universal Ruler Supreme]

Well, it should be over now. We will see if it gets re-listed.

Here was his response:

I contacted the other bidder to ask him if I can rely on giving him the figure if you pull out. He said he wants it. I'm
assuming the only reassurance I can give you is to say, "Walk away from this bid if you want to." My fear, from
experience, is that people who delay on ebay never come through. Even worse, it will take a week or longer and I
will lose the other guy while you decide and then I have to contest the ebay fees and re-list.

Here's my reassurance to you about this guy being a shill: if you walk away form your obligation to take this figure
at your winning bid, I will not even give you negative feedback for it. Even though you will absolutely deserve
negative feedback, you can walk away and keep your 100% positive. Just do it now if you're going to do it so that I
can sell it to the other guy while he's still interested. Does that reassure you?

Pretty much a combination of things I thought he would do. Gave me a mildly placed ultimatum. Pay him, or he will sell it to the other bidder, and he won't leave me a negative! Thanks!

This was my reply:

Well, I've always in my 10 years of experience on eBay fully paid for all the items I have purchased, even the ones I never received.

Sadly your response gives me no assurance. The other bidder is more than welcome to accept a second chance offer from you. A penny can't be much of a loss I'm sure, and both of us will be the better for it. I will be 100% sure I wasn't shilled, and you will get your full bidding price. Win win with no hard feelings.

I'm very regretful to do this, as this is the last variant figure of this set I need. If the bidding had not been so obtuse toward the end, I would surely have completed my transaction with you. I appreciate your offering not to leave me a negative, although sellers can now only leave comments and not negatives.

I really appreciate your understanding and professionalism in the matter. As I have had much less graceful transactions. I again gratefully apologize for any inconvenience I might have caused you.

I ran out of characters.

But really his assurance didn't make me feel any better, and I believe his reply was a very well placed bluff. So I called it if it was. We will know if it gets re-listed. I'm still have mixed feelings about the whole thing. I hope if another shows up within the next few years I can win it with more favorable circumstances. Although I hate bid wars, they are definitely safer. As a shiller won't bid to win during the last seconds of an auction.

[Tortle]

Good job. I think his reply was slimy in that he said that you "absolutely deserve" negative feedback. Psh. There's no way that this isn't shill bidding, and he was just trying to pull some bullying tactics on you to try to force you into paying. And I love how you called him out by saying that buyers don't get negative feedback anymore.

[Universal Ruler Supreme]

Apparently he is upset with me for being cautious.

I'd be lying if I agreed with your, "No hard feelings," comment. You have accused me of being dishonest. In fact, not only have you
insulted me with accusations of dishonesty, you insulted me with, "Sadly your response gives me no assurance." What on Earth would give
you assurance? I suspect nothing. In your two messages you twice mention your experience on ebay, yet you seem to feel that my
experience, which is 8 years to your 9, and my feedback, which is 360 to your 241, means nothing.

Looking at the bid history, I think you are quite out of line. The other bidder placed a bid every 10-20 seconds until he finally gave up
topping your bid. He sat there trying for 7 minutes and gave up with two hours to go in the auction. Is 10 seconds an unusual amount of
time for someone to place another bid? Is $2 to $3 an unusual amount for someone to increase their bids? Should he have confidently
entered $120 right off the bat? His bidding was "obtuse"? I don't see how this person can be called a "jerk" or a "shill."

I know that it is pointless for me to be insulted by an anonymous internet person, so I will wrap this up.

It appears I am not going to get the full amount. Talk about bad luck... the winning bidder is going to insult me and flake while the
runner up is going to try to bargain me down. (Okay, you may have been right calling him a jerk.) Here was the other guy's last response
to me:

Dear (User ID Withheld),

Hi there,let me know if he does not pay cause i am still interested in the item,thanx for the info.I am kinda surprised he has not payed it
seemed liked he really wanted it cause i only wanted to pay up to a hundred dollars but the price just kept on going up.For me it is
important to get this item,because it will go well with my other jap edition figure...the super rare M Bison.Anyways let me know what
happens,thanx again regards Rick

- (Bidder User ID Withheld)

Whatever. I wasted time on this because you insulted me. Shame on me.

The proper way to have given me assurance would have been to tell me the runner up's User ID to begin with. I'd have been able to check.

Seems to check out. But I find it funny that the other bidder is trying to talk him down.

Here was my response back... I totally let him have it! -

I'm sorry I insulted you. I tried to be as tactful and direct as possible without doing that. These debacles have become more and more common since eBay made bidding ID's anonymous. Being such, I cannot check the other bidders history or information. Something I've always done prior. eBay accounts thus have become more private, and you can only search for a member if you know the ID. I've personally seen and experienced actual shill bidding alot recently, so it is unwise for a person not to be cautious in the matter. After all we are all strangers, and don't know each other. I could be a murderer or something. I've also found in my experience that feedback can be relative, I've seen feedback padding, and blackmail on numerous occasions over the years. Where even in the end these bad sellers/buyers still have managed to fraud eBay and other members so as to retain 100% feedback. Amount of feedback is also relative. Most of yours appears as a seller, most of mine as a bidder.

Stupid Character limitations!

I've learned not to get personally insulted myself cause I understand the risks. I have had similar situations myself. Either way, it is obvious that the other bidder had no desire to pay the bid amount to begin with. Giving me the runner ups ID would have been the proper assurance for me to complete the transaction. As I would have been able to check.

This isn't a game of buddy buddy, it's a serious transaction involving a large amount of money, regardless of the item involved. As a buyer I would expect you to understand this. Shilling is against eBay policy, which involves the seller, their immediate friends, family, business associates, and financial beneficiaries. So if such an action had occurred, I would no longer be liable for the sellers ebay fees, or required to pay for said item.
I'm just the buyer trusting the seller to be fully honest while I send them my money in hopes that the item purchased will arrive safely. It's merely business.

Ran out again! Stupid eBay!

I still have no hard feelings. I was able to check the bidders ID after your response. And although the bidding was very odd, am reassured that this was not an act of shill bidding. If you were still interested in completing the transaction, I'd be happy to. Though I'm highly doubtful of it, as you appear to be rather upset with me. Either way let me know what you want to do. It's your item.

Well, that's that. We will see where it goes. I probably should have just left it at that, and not offered to buy it, but I'd be surprised if he wants to anyway.

Edited by Universal Ruler Supreme, 28 January 2010 - 06:56 PM.

[BaltanII]

I could be a murderer or something.

Threat!

Actually, intimidation? I like it...

Edited by Boaconda, 27 January 2010 - 05:49 PM.

[Universal Ruler Supreme]

HOLY SHIZZNIT!! An embarrasing and extraordinary turn of events!

If all you needed was the other bidder's ID, I wish you had asked for it. I was under the assumption you could see
his ID. I almost never bid on auctions; I don't have the time so I generally use Buy It Now. I now get the feeling you
thought I knew what you were asking for and would not share it, when I had no idea. I thought if anything you'd
look at my other auctions that closed that day and see that the SOTA Johnny Cash went for $1.30, a Mace Windu for
$5.50, and so on. Not too likely I have friends shilling for me if I sell action figures for $1.30.

You're right, I was rather upset with you. From my perspective, you were someone who placed a winning bid, made
up an excuse to not honor it and then called me dishonest to top it off. I'm sure you can see why I lost my cool. It
sounds like you would now like to complete the auction. He has yet to respond to the second chance offer I sent
him, and ebay rules appear to allow me to end that second chance offer at any time.

And, between us, I worked at SOTA at the time these were produced and I personally brought over one case of 12
Japanese Gen figures to complete SOTA employee sets. Just 12. GameStop was supposed to carry this variant in the
US, but they were furious with the delays and I think they may have received them and junked them. In other words,
if you're a fan I know this might be your only chance at this variant. If you want it, it is yours. I'd rather help a true
fan than hold a grudge.

And it's quite ridiculous that ebay no longer allows negative feedback. When did that happen? Back when I used
ebay more frequently feedback meant something. I have more action figures to put up for auction. At least I know
what to do know if someone doesn't trust the other bidder is real.

Boy am I's embarrased! So much so I was sort of speechless, and didn't want to send multiple messages again.

Son of a BI#CH!! (name withheld)! weren't you a VP of something at SOTA? Man, this has been one stupid misunderstanding. I'm a HUGE fan of this line. Crap, you should have said you worked for SOTA earlier! Crud man, I was active over at the Actionfigure.com boards Sota section when this line was still alive. Barely kicking, but alive. And I had a number of replacements figures issued to me through SOTA's customer service years back, so for all we know we have talked before.
Crud man, even your auction gave a inclination that you didn't know alot about the line. I've probably spent $2500 bucks on this line over the years....not sure if I should be proud of that or not.

Yeah, eBay really screwed things up with that. I could have been much clearer on my request. Totally sorry for the big misunderstanding. Both of us were on a level where we couldn't figure the other out I guess. Those changes have been up for a couple years now though.

Payment on the way man

Edited by Universal Ruler Supreme, 27 January 2010 - 06:25 PM.

[Nyarlathotep]

Wow, I like stories with happy endings

[dankingery]

what are you going to do now that you've completed that collection? i would hope you would do a photo theater with a battle royal of some sort with all of them whuppin' on each other. it'd take you for ever, but at least it'd be fun.

[Universal Ruler Supreme]

Well, I honestly have still been wanting to do a website for the line. I've been trying to improve on my photo taking before I fully attempt it though. This collection has honestly taken up the most display space in my room so far for quite a while. I pretty much have designed the site in my head, but just need to...you know. Learn how to make it.

There are probably 6 more pieces I could snag, but have no real urge to get, cause 5 of them are the Previews figures and they sort of seem like a different toy line. And the last one is the Japanese Evil Ryu with 3rd head and Electrified hands. Not very concerned about this one, as when they pop up, the sellers immediately think they are worth over $100 bucks, so the starting prices are ridiculous, and they never sale for that. They weren't as limited as the Black Gen either. But I will probably try to pick them up when I get the opportunity, just to have something more to do with the toy line.

Since this guy was a former SOTA employee too, he may have the Clear Round 3 figures. Which I will definitely be asking him about when Gen shows up. A set of those would be my Grail of the collection.

NECA has been very sucky on their release dates for new SF waves, probably as bad or worse than SOTA, so I won't be dying to collect more of this line, unless they all of a sudden release a slue of new figs.

[Universal Ruler Supreme]

A worthy mention for SOTA Toys... or what's left of it really.
They have a nice proto up for sale on eBay, labeled Haiti Relief.

http://cgi.ebay.com/...emZ170437372130

**WoW!!!

 blanka.JPG   92.91K   7 downloads

Edited by Universal Ruler Supreme, 27 February 2010 - 02:14 PM.

[Universal Ruler Supreme]

Whoopee! Snagged me 2 of the Translucent Round 3 figs for half normal prices! Guy had them with BIN or Best Offer! He accepted my Best Offer! A tad pricey, but they are kind of rare and I only need 3 to go now.