[NA]ebay Q[NA]

Let'sgoflying!

Let'sgoflying!

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Feb 23, 2005
Messages
20,315
Location
west Texas
Display Name
Display name:
Dave Taylor
If an item does not sell, is it legal to contact the member, outside of ebay to buy the item?
If an item does not sell, is it ethical and within ebay policy to contact the member, outside of ebay to buy the item?
 
Hmmm.

Legal, absolutely; eBay cannot set law. Even with their billions!

Ethical? I have no idea what the contractual obligation of the seller is, but it's done all the time.
 
This is just my opinion, but...

To me, ebay is just a big flea market. There's no such thing as a legally binding bid. If someone renegs on a sale or purchase, too bad. What am I gonna do, sue them? As long as you're not out to scam anyone, then it's fine.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
If an item does not sell, is it legal to contact the member, outside of ebay to buy the item?
If an item does not sell, is it ethical and within ebay policy to contact the member, outside of ebay to buy the item?
Click to expand...

Like the others have said...it's legal, but I also know it is strictly against eBay rules/regulations. I believe your account can be suspended if someone turned you in, but I don't have the specific rule #/link/etc to display to you.

I've done it once, but I was very careful how I did it and made sure there were no hiccups in the deal. If there were, the guy could have turned me in and my eBay account would have been suspended/banned depending on what he said.

Jason
 
If an item does not sell,
does that mean it can only ever be sold on ebay and no other place?

I think not.

So if you make a deal after the failed auction, I do not see the harm. What, the seller is stuck with the item forever?
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
If an item does not sell,
does that mean it can only ever be sold on ebay and no other place?

I think not.

So if you make a deal after the failed auction, I do not see the harm. What, the seller is stuck with the item forever?
Click to expand...
Here's the link: http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/rfe-spam-non-ebay-sale.html and http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/isgw-fraud-non-ebay.html

It doesn't mean it cannot be sold outside eBay, but it simply means you can't use eBay services/protection for the transaction when you're doing it outside eBay.

That link says it more clearly.

Jason
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
If an item does not sell,
does that mean it can only ever be sold on ebay and no other place?

I think not.

So if you make a deal after the failed auction, I do not see the harm. What, the seller is stuck with the item forever?
Click to expand...

I don't see anything in Ebay's rules that preclude selling an item that ended up not selling at auction except in the case where the auction was terminated early (possibly to facillitate the sale without paying fees to Ebay). Once an auction ends normally without a sale, a seller is free to make any kind of deal with anyone he choses whether or not that person is an Ebay member or had bid on the item. Ebay does discourage such a practice (no doubt for self serving reasons) and points out some disadvantages of making such a sale.

Here's the rules on "outside sales":
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/rfe-spam-non-ebay-sale.html
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
If an item does not sell, is it legal to contact the member, outside of ebay to buy the item?
If an item does not sell, is it ethical and within ebay policy to contact the member, outside of ebay to buy the item?
Click to expand...

I did that very thing as a buyer.

I emailed JA when they didn't get the reserve for yellow tagged ADF I have.

I think they had a startign bid of $150 and I got it for $100. It was whole 10 years old when I got. (Unfortunatley my install still needs a small bit of work.)

It's also "legal' to to arrange end a sale early to sell to the high bidder if you feel like it which I've also done.
 
Ok I did find the rules, it says you don't have the protections of the system and they include:

no feedback (uh huh)
no contact info provided by ebay (they protect id's pretty closely anyway)
lose the chance of reimbursement up to $200 (whoopee)
 
If I recall correctly, Ebay forbids the sellers from contacting the bidders directly. Recently, they've added second chance which is a formal process for the seller to offer his merchandise to the next higher bidder.
As to the buyer contacting the seller, I don't think there are any rules excluding it. As a seller with a real store, I would want people to patronize my store and wouldn't sign anything that prohibited MY free trade.
From Ebays point, if the seller developed his marketing list from Ebays clientbase, that would be stealing money from them. Same as if the seller contacted other bidders ("Pssst, I have another one of those if you want it."). And sell it outside Ebay??? Talk about stealing.
 
Well Im the buyer and I want to ctc sellers.
There are many identical items available but the starting bid or reserve is so high that no one is bidding. So dozens of these close out unsold, mostly all different sellers. I think I should write the sellers and say, 'well its not selling, will you take $_____ ?

Kind of a Sell It Now option, in contrast to their Buy It Now thing they offer buyers.
I don't see it as wrong (so far) and just want to buy stuff at the going price. I guess either I will have to want it more, or they will have to want to sell it more or we won't do business.
 
silver-eagle said:
If I recall correctly, Ebay forbids the sellers from contacting the bidders directly. Recently, they've added second chance which is a formal process for the seller to offer his merchandise to the next higher bidder.
As to the buyer contacting the seller, I don't think there are any rules excluding it. As a seller with a real store, I would want people to patronize my store and wouldn't sign anything that prohibited MY free trade.
From Ebays point, if the seller developed his marketing list from Ebays clientbase, that would be stealing money from them. Same as if the seller contacted other bidders ("Pssst, I have another one of those if you want it."). And sell it outside Ebay??? Talk about stealing.
Click to expand...

Buyers and sellers can talk. How else would you "Ask this seller a question?" EBay makes you use a web form which means they can at least track it it, but once you send a message you have the other guy's email address. It's been a while, but I remember you have an option to CC you a copy.

The glaring problem with things going on outside of eBay is it's the playground of the thieves - many from behind the former iron curtain. They'll try to get you to pay them instead of the seller. They'll tell you you're next in line on an item you were outbid for - maybe because the high bidder was their shill.

It's amazing to me that I get eBay phishes within days of bidding on something even though my email address isn't shown anymore. They must have ways.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top