Seller decided not to sell because I didn't bid enough!

[ANTagony]

I'm getting so peeved with people doing this on ebay. Last night I won an auction for a baby sling and promptly paid. This morning I received this email:

'thank you for bidding and the fast payment - i wanted to make you aware that the item has sold for far lower than I had hoped - as the item had a buy it now price of ₤12.00 and I had thought (have since spoken with ebay help to try to resolve) that the buy it now option would remain on the listing throughout the auction as an option and work as a sort of reserve.
I wanted to contact you before I go any further as if I decide to I require more for the item I would have to cancel it, refund you and relist item with reserve and I am heavily pregnant about to pop and understand how frustrating that would be for you and I.'

The seller had three days from when the buy it now option disappeared to the auction end in which to pull the auction, she didn't.

She is not actually telling me anything other than she intends to mess me around.

This is the third time in recent months that I've won an auction and then the seller has come back for more money. I feel that the spirit of ebay is lost and unless I start leaving negatives rather than doing mutual withdraws then its going to continue.

Not sure if I'm being unfair to this seller because of my pent up irritation that this is the third time its happened. WWYD?

[EldonAve]

neg her

[cazzybabs]

Her tough luck I think - but I suppose you could think what you would do in the same suitation

[JarethTheGoblinKing]

yep, neg her

[DameGladys]

I'd leave negative feedback I think. She should have put a reserve on.

If she didn't understand the system, it's her mistake not yours.

She should be chalking it up to experience and sending you out the item imo.

There's no way ebay will say she can withdraw the item. So she'll deserve the negative I think.

She's put in the heavily pregnant bit and the bit about contacting ebay to get you to feel sorry for her and agree.

I know I'm being harsh but you're right it's not the spirit of ebay. I get wound up by people thinking rules don't apply to them as well.

Whatever happened to square dealing?

[TrillianAstra]

She clearly doesn't know how reserves work. Which is her problem, not yours.

[bumpybecky]

I'd neg her. If she has a lowest acceptable price then she either needs to add a reserve or start the listing at that price. Not rocket science.

[LynetteScavo]

I wouldn't hesitate in leaving negative feedback for this.

Ask for the money to be refunded and leave a negative.

She could have put a reserve price on if she'd wanted to.

[TrillianAstra]

In buying/selling you have agreed to a contract. Tell her that if she doesn't send you the item for the amount you paid you will be reporting her to ebay for breach of contract.

[Tidey]

If she's got a Buy It Now price and an auction at the same time, the start price on the auction should reflect what she's willing to sell it for. It's ridiculous to start an auction at 99p and then refuse to complete the sale because you didn't get enough for the item. I'd leave negative feedback along the lines of 'Refuses to complete sale as not happy with price reached.'

[Tidey]

I saw a listing the other day, start price of 99p, and no reserve, but it stated 'Looking to get at least 600 pounds so if the auction doesn't get that high, I'm not selling'. Surely that's against the rules?

[classydiva]

Report her for being a non performing seller.

Then neg her.

Do not agree to a mutual withdrawal. As you paid she cannot file a NPB dispute either.

[ANTagony]

Wow. Its not me being mean then. I feel better about that.

Thank you for all your replies - I think ebay is great, especially when on a budget I just want it to continue in the fair way it has historically.

[WhereTheWildThingsWere]

That's crap, I sold something for £1.46 the other day, I had hoped to get at least £25. I just remembered all the bargains I have had on e-bay and how thrilled I had been when I had won them and sucked it up.

Her fault for not paying for a higher start price. Do as classydiva has said and don't agree to a withdrawal.

[thisisyesterday]

i would actually contact her first before giving negative

just reply saying "i'm sorry you feel this way, however the contract is binding and i have paid. If you do not wish to honour it then I will be forced to leave you negative feedback to reflect this"

at least that way you may actually get the sling!

what kind of sling was it btw?

[JarethTheGoblinKing]

thisisyesterday makes a very good point! :)

[ANTagony]

I have done as you suggest and said the ball is in her court as she hasn't yet actually withdrawn from the sale or refunded.

Its a baba sling - so I thought looked quite practical for things like popping into school/ the library etc with the 2DS where a pushchair is a bit cumbersome.

[ANTagony]

She has relisted and now refunded so I've left my first ever negative.

Feel a bit sad but glad for all your feedback.

many thanks

[Tryharder]

That's the "fun" of ebay surely? Listing lovely items and getting 99p for them and then listing a piece of tat and in explicably getting £25

Baba slings are not popular anymore anyway, because of the hoo haa about their safety and issues over use for newborns. I've got a babasling, OP, it's crap, my worst ever sling buy.

[ANTagony]

Oh well I'll have comfort in the fact that it wouldn't have been any good.

[FrameyMcFrame]

If she wanted more for it she should have put a higher reserve price on.

[Lulabel27]

It sounds like she either doesn't understand reserves or she's trying to avoid paying ebay fees for putting a reserve on (it costs more to start an auction at a higher price or put a reserve on).
I definitely feel this would deserve a negative. Hopefully people now hoping to bid on this item will look at her most recent feedback (from you) and not bother..

[classydiva]

the minimum reserve is 50.00. So she should have started her auction on or near the figure she wanted.

But people don't cos they don't want to pay 10p to list. Jeeeez. Tight bastards.

[lljkk]

All you have to do to get a reserve without pricey reserve fee is to start the auction at your reserve price (what classydiva said). It really isn't rocket science!!

[LittleAmy]

Guys how do you report a non performing seller when the seller has refunded?