20 Jun
1998
20 Jun
'98
6:26 a.m.
Jim...
I agree with you completely...however evil ebay may be, at least it is a
structured enviornment with rules and etiquette that is regulated. I am so
sick of so-called "informal" auctions. How do I know that the seller is
quoting actual bids? Recently, in a so-called "silent" email auction...I
bid $275 for a non-working Odyssey 1 (IMHO a very fair and reasonably high
bid) only to receive the sellers reply that had been forwarded to ALL
participating bidders stating that in fact that I was the high bidder, the
amount I bid, and asked that counter bids should be made in $5
increments...I was livid! Isn't the whole point of a silent auction that
the bids _remain_ closed and the item simply goes to the highest bidder? Am
I crazy?
I am of the opinion that some of these characters are scrounging around
ebay and newsgroups soliciting bidders just to get out of paying the
commission...then they invent these rediculous auction scenarios. I think
there should be some sort of formal boycott.
Looking forward...
van
(snip)
What really scrapes my oxide is an approach that I am
starting to see more
often in postings in and newsgroups. (it has happened to me twice now in
the last month)
Someone posts an item with an asking price. I respond to the message with
a counter offer. The seller responds with a counter-counter offer that I
find acceptable. I respond to the message with my acceptance and provide
shipping details. The seller then responded back indicating that he has
received a higher offer and that the unit has been sold without so much as
an opportunity for further response.
Now, maybe it is just me... But from my view when responded with a counter
to my offer, we were in the midst of transacting a deal and I should have
'right of first refusal' until the point that either we make the deal or I
decide I don't want it.
I don't appreciate multi-thread dealing going on without being informed.
And it was not like there were any extended delays between these messages.
The entire series of exchanges occurred over less than 24 hours. Very
similar for the second occurrance I mentioned above...
BTW: a HERO-2000 auction just closed on eBay for $4027.78... (sheesh!)
-jim (the obviously overly idealistic one...)
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