6 replies to this topic

[jack cambrian]

Ok, so I happened to come across an auction on eBay UK that was a one of those loose lots of about 50 figures with a terrible photo of fuzzy little monsters on a distractingly patterned carpet (pictured below). But down in the bottom right-hand corner, I could just make out the unmistakeable figures of a green Leviathan, an orange Abominable Snowman and a magenta Amphisbaena. This was it! This was the moment I had dreamt of; a seller who has no idea of the value of these figures and then has wisely decided to showcase them with a photo that could only be interpreted by people who have the clandestine knowledge of the MIMP. I decided to watch this auction like a hawk. This was going to be my victory, my triumph. I was going to bid hard on this one and net the three series 3 figures no matter what.

The next day I got onto the eBay and found the the auction had prematurely ended! I couldn't believe that this oportunity could slip through my fingers. I contacted the seller and asked him what in god's name was going on. He replied, "I'm very sorry to say, but I had a lengthy discussion with a guy form [sic] the UK and I decided he was the right man to take them on. I still want to thank you very much for your interest." Frankly, I thought this was weak as piss. I replied to him - with a tiny hint of sarcasm - "Ah! Why didn't I think of that? I was under the mistaken impression that to win an eBay lot one was supposed to bid on the item within the prescribed auction period, when it turns out what's really required is a nice chat with the seller. Should I just go ahead and assume that 'I decided he was the right man to take them on' translates as 'he offered me $hit-loads of money'?" The seller never replied. However, the Leviathan and the Amphisbaena have now shown up on the eBay starting at 45.99 pounds each! I contacted this seller and asked him what kind of deal he cut with the original seller. He replied (nightmarish punctuation left uncorrected) "just good business,he who dares wins" Two complaints: A) That doesn't constitute an answer to my question. B) Does this guy sound like a wanker or what?

Now, I'm aware that this is a long, tedious and melodramatic post, but I just can't express exactly how much this little episode pissed me off. I'm probably just being naive, I'm sure this stuff happens all the time, but I just can't let it go. Not just yet. Please, boys and girls, whatever you do, don't bid on this joker's auctions. Now, time for a drink and a lie down...

Edited by jack cambrian, 23 November 2008 - 10:01 PM.

[Airot]

Honestly, this makes me laugh.

The seller is clearly an idiot. You don't just make an auction on some random junk you thought was worthless, and when someone says 'I'll give you lots of $ for it' just unquestioningly say 'yeah sure!' because whoever it is is probably knows exactly what it's worth and sure as hell isn't going to be honest with you. It's a big red warning signal! You've already shown ignorance by listing it cheap, you're practically waving a sign over your head saying 'I'm an easy target. Rip me off as hard as you can!'

You're personally only upset because you're missing a bargain, because this other guy ripped the seller off and not you. Fair enough. That's how human emotion works. Who am I to judge your morals?

But if I were you, instead of insulting the seller with that last message I would have told the seller exactly how much those figures were worth. Exactly how much you were willing to pay for them. I would have indicated that there are others like you who wanted those figures, and that he was a dipshizznit for not letting them run through as an auction, because they may have gone for even more if the collectors got into a frenzy.

Garunteed, he will never make that mistake again. And if you got in quick enough he might have cancelled his outside of ebay sale and relisted them. Maybe not for as nice a price as it was to start with, but hey, you would have been back in the running.

[jack cambrian]

Honestly, this makes me laugh...
...Maybe not for as nice a price as it was to start with, but hey, you would have been back in the running.

You're probably right. As far as me ripping the guy off, my stance on the matter is if you put stuff up for sale on eBay that you have done absolutely no research on, you are asking to be ripped off. I feel there is no moral ambiguity whatsoever. I guess I'm more mad at the guy for side-stepping the due processes of eBay because I am a stickler for correct observance of the rules. And, yes I could have told the guy what the situation was with those figures but seriously, all I wanted to do was write the most sarcasticly caustic, smartarsey message I could think of because the game was up. This magical auction didn't exist anymore because some pillock took things into his own hands and is now selling them rather than them getting pride of place in my colection.

[Kevin Mayle]

I once found myself in a situation years ago in which I had to sell a ton of stuff on Ebay really quick to make some money to pay my rent or I was going to be on the street. I had hundreds of auctions going and it took forever just to list them, let alone to research everyone one of the items in depth to get an idea of their worth.
One of the items that I thought was worthless sold for real cheap after a week and I got some nasty e-mail from some guy who had forgotten to bid on it and was appalled at how I could be so stupid as to let the item go for so cheap. He then lectured me on how I should back out of the deal some how and relist it for him because of the value of the item.
Now I had to get paid for all of these items within days so I could make my rent. The last thing I was concerned about was somehow extending one of the auctions another week so that I might eek out a few more bucks. I didn't respond to the guy and thought he was an idiot. I didn't think for one second that I was an idiot and I got ripped off because of my stupidity and lack of research. Then again, I'd have never ended an auction early. I'd have told the person to bid what ever he wanted to spend on it. If no one bid any higher, he would win it. If he's trying to get out of the whole bidding process, then he's trying to rip me off and I wouldn't do it because I was able to wait until the auction ended to get the money anyway. I can easily understand why some auctions go up for cheap because the seller isn't as intamately aware of an items worth to some fanatical collectors, but it wouldn't matter because they most likely would bid up the price and then I'd find out that it had value. But I'll never understand why anyone would list and item on an auction website and then sell it early to someone who made an offer to bypass the bidding process. It's not Craigslist or a classified ad. It's Ebay. But at the same time I wouldn't get so bent out of shape that the seller made a sale to someone else instead of me, no matter what the circumstances were. The item was never mine to begin with and I'm not entitled to it.
By the way, that's not a distractingly patterned carpet. It's a bedspread.

Edited by Kevin Mayle, 24 November 2008 - 12:51 AM.

[Airot]

if you put stuff up for sale on eBay that you have done absolutely no research on, you are asking to be ripped off.

And the moral thing to do... is tell them to point out the series 3 figures in the auction.

To make an extreme example; If you see a girl in a short skirt get attacked by a man who wants to rape her, do you say 'I'm in a position to help but I won't because she's asking for it with that disgustingly short skirt'? No, you don't, you either say 'I'm not helping because he'll hurt me' or you help her. Although your reaction was more like 'I'll scare him away and then she'll be all mine'.

And what the hell am I doing lecturing people on morality on an internet forum? It's not like I'll come across as anything other than a crazy jerk, and that's no way to make a point. It just seems like such a waste to type all that and then not post it though. Oh well.

[jack cambrian]

if you put stuff up for sale on eBay that you have done absolutely no research on, you are asking to be ripped off.

And the moral thing to do... is tell them to point out the series 3 figures in the auction.

To make an extreme example; If you see a girl in a short skirt get attacked by a man who wants to rape her, do you say 'I'm in a position to help but I won't because she's asking for it with that disgustingly short skirt'? No, you don't, you either say 'I'm not helping because he'll hurt me' or you help her. Although your reaction was more like 'I'll scare him away and then she'll be all mine'.

And what the hell am I doing lecturing people on morality on an internet forum? It's not like I'll come across as anything other than a crazy jerk, and that's no way to make a point. It just seems like such a waste to type all that and then not post it though. Oh well.

Unless the girl in the short skirt has put herself up for auction on a website with a suggested opening price, I think the analogy is completely flawed. It's eBay for crying out loud. You put stuff up for sale and people bid on it. If a seller is completely oblivous as to the value of his or her lot, they are not necessarily asking to be ripped off, but they don't have much grounds for complaint if it sells for far less than the market value. I'm guessing that if I or anyone on this board won this lot, there would've been plenty of 'what an awesome bargain!' posts and not so many 'I would've told the seller what those figures are really worth,' ones.

But I really don't feel that strongly about all this - I don't want to come across as a wanker; I'm just new to eBay and I tend to be overly effusive when I tell stories.

[SaltLakeToyJunkee]

"Ok, so I happened to come across an auction on eBay UK that was a one of those loose lots of about 50 figures with a terrible photo of fuzzy little monsters on a distractingly patterned carpet (pictured below). But down in the bottom right-hand corner, I could just make out the unmistakeable figures of a green Leviathan, an orange Abominable Snowman and a magenta Amphisbaena. This was it! This was the moment I had dreamt of; a seller who has no idea of the value of these figures and then has wisely decided to showcase them with a photo that could only be interpreted by people who have the clandestine knowledge of the MIMP. I decided to watch this auction like a hawk. This was going to be my victory, my triumph. I was going to bid hard on this one and net the three series 3 figures no matter what".

I have had this happen to me several times and I feel your pain my friend Unfortunately there isn't shizznite you can do about it After a while you will soon realize if you cant beat em fairly join em Why not right? When anything good pops up you know collectors will be watching and making offers anyway. You want your slice you gotta take it!!!! Just some advice on that as well. Usually if you see something you want that is a harder to find item make an offer that is fair collectors price or slightly under. When your lucky you will get the slightly under. Also, like somebody else said email the seller, let em know they have valuable items, what theyre worth and encourage to keep auction open. If they get enough emails they will let the auction run. If your really lucky you can close the deal before anyone notices, but that rarely ever happens.