Ticked

[RT28]

Is anyone else ticked off with all the sellers on ebay ending there listings early? I just was winning a bid on a very huge pc card for me. What do you know the seller decides to take the item off ebay! Of course! The only thing that I can come up with as to why the seller would do this is to relist the item in a more successful way as there was a pretty rough and hard to read title.

The thing that makes me even more frustrated is that the seller will not answer messages. He was on ebay after I sent him a message because he listed new items. I thought for sure he would answer me but nope there is no new message in my inbox. I dont know I guess im just mad and need to give him more than a day to reply. I also know that the card was not traded as he said no trades. So why did he take it off?

Are there any thoughts as to what I should do? I already messaged him and asked him what the situation was. This is an item that I just cannot miss especially now that I know there is one available out there. Also am I going overboard with this? I know this has happened to others on here but this is the boiling point for me. This has happened way to many times and it needs to stop.

All comments are appreciated!

Riley

[RGM81]

Usually when this happens, someone has made the seller an offer off eBay (could be a member of any number of trading sites) that they accepted. Seen it happen to me a couple times and have made it happen for me a couple times. Once it's gone, though, it is usually gone and you'll have to hope for another copy to surface.

FWIW, in a couple months eBay will be curbing this practice by making sellers pay a fee for ending listings early in this fashion.

[mortuus]

When it happens its always 9 out of 10 times seller got a offer and ended early to avoid ebay fees nothing else.

[RT28]

I actually just currently made a trade off ebay myself. I am fine with the guy making a deal to someone off ebay but I am not fine with him not returning my message and letting me know what is going on. Its just annoying.

Usually when this happens, someone has made the seller an offer off eBay (could be a member of any number of trading sites) that they accepted. Seen it happen to me a couple times and have made it happen for me a couple times. Once it's gone, though, it is usually gone and you'll have to hope for another copy to surface.

FWIW, in a couple months eBay will be curbing this practice by making sellers pay a fee for ending listings early in this fashion.

[30ranfordfan]

Sucks that he won't answer your message (that, IMO, isn't right) but this practice has been going on for years.... ending listings early, and selling off eBay. I've been the victim of it a couple of times, and the benificiary of it a couple of times.

Not sure what you did in this case, but IMO - the best way to save yourself from this happening, is bid early. Not your max bid (wait until the end, and hopefully save a few bucks) but if the seller has a nice card for $9.99, no bids, and someone offers $60 for it (thinking that it will probably sell in the $60-$70 range) drop the $10 bid right away, and make sure that the seller knows there are other interested people. (Maybe you did do that, I don't know.... but it's something that I almost always do, and for this reason).

[RT28]

I actually put in my highest bid right off the bat. The seller did reply and all is well. He is relisting the card but I am trying to get it right now to avoid ebay fees. I understand what you mean though. Ill probably do it a few times when I am selling and not even think about the person that put in the bid.

Sucks that he won't answer your message (that, IMO, isn't right) but this practice has been going on for years.... ending listings early, and selling off eBay. I've been the victim of it a couple of times, and the benificiary of it a couple of times.

Not sure what you did in this case, but IMO - the best way to save yourself from this happening, is bid early. Not your max bid (wait until the end, and hopefully save a few bucks) but if the seller has a nice card for $9.99, no bids, and someone offers $60 for it (thinking that it will probably sell in the $60-$70 range) drop the $10 bid right away, and make sure that the seller knows there are other interested people. (Maybe you did do that, I don't know.... but it's something that I almost always do, and for this reason).

[Drewk86a]

This has been a sore spot for me for a long time. I have heard all of the reasons why it would happen, but the most prevalent is someone makeing a buy offer outside of eBay. The buyer can probably get the card at a lower price because the seller will save on fees.

I, personally, think it is improper and unethical to contact an eBay seller and try to make an outside deal. It is unfair to all the bidders who follow the rules. So far the most often stated defense I've heard from these side dealers is, "Why don't you do it too?" Criminals work outside the law and sometimes don't get caught. If that bothers me, I guess I should break the law, too?

[miscs75]

I just pulled 3 cards that I had listed because I sold them on here vs Ebay. I dropped the price a few dollars but I also didn't get hit with fees on it.

[sjw241]

If there is a card I want I always contact the seller and ask if there is a price they will accept off line. this does 2 things. I find out if this will end at auction, or if they will sell offline. If I get it offline YAY for me, but if I know they are keeping it online until the end I know I have a fair shot like everyone else.

Im glad the seller got back to you, and I hope you can land the card you are after!

[MatsSundin13Rocks]

I won't end an item early to sell it off ebay if there are bids on it but if there are no bids then I will do so. If it is BIN/OBO then selling off ebay can save the fees. Ebay is smartening up to that practice and making sellers pay a fee to remove an item already listed.