First time Ebay sale gone wrong - help please

[phdlife]

I've just sold my very first item on Ebay (a pair of sunglasses) and the buyer is now querying the sale.

When I drew up the listing details, I put a 'Buy Now' price on it, but it did not appear when the listing went live. I thought this might have had something to do with being a first time seller, so didn't worry about it.

Anyway, the sale concluded, the buyer payed straight into Paypal, so far no problems. Today,though, I got a shirty email from him. It seems that the notification to him that he'd won the auction now included the 'Buy Now' price I originally put down. As he'd paid a few pounds more than this amount he wanted an explanation, and I couldn't give him one.

Can anyone who knows what's what with Ebay suggest any explanations? I don't particularly want to have to refund him the difference, especially as the same email revealed that he was prepared to pay even more than he actually got the item for!

[Lilyloo]

Thta's awful!
You can't do BIN as a new seller but he shouldn't have been aware of that price.
You will likely get neg off him if he already sending shirty emails but imo it's tough he paid what he thought they were worth end of that's the way it goes in an auction. Plus feedback doesn't count as much now anyway with the no neg for buyers.

[phdlife]

Thanks, Lilyloo

I've rechecked the listing and BIN is definitely not there. It's just popped up on his notification email from Ebay.

I think I was allowed to start with a BIN because I've done enough buying to gain enough feedback.

I think I'm going to go with 'Ebay stuff-up' as an explanation. As you point out, that's what he agreed to pay, and if he goes on, I'll point out that he got them for six quid less than he was prepared to pay.

[Piffle]

I'd be honest
Say you tried to put on bin
But couldn't
Allow him to back out totally
Relist

[phdlife]

why's that, piffle? what's your thinking?

[sixlostmonkeys]

I'd send him a message along the lines of -

Dear Mr Buyer. Thank you for your query re the BIN price. Once an item receives a bid then the BIN price becomes null and void. If for example the BIn price is £50 but the bids reach £60 pounds, then £60 is the price the buyer has bought the item for for. The same applies if it works the other way eg. if the BIN price is £50 but the bids only reach £40 the seller would not expect the buyer to pay an extra £10. I hope this clarifies the matter for you.
Incidentally, it would appear that there may have been some ebay glitches occur on this listing. The BIN price did not appear on my auction, yet I paid for the feature. Of course this is a matter I shall be taking up with ebay. I thank you for drawing my attention to the further glitch of the BIN actually appearing on the invoice.

[TinkerBellesMum]

If you choose to bid rather than BIN then you pay the price it gets to. If you come in late it's tough luck.

"When you choose the Buy It Now option on auction-style listings, you name a price at which you are willing to sell your item immediately and skip the auction process.

"If someone places a bid, the Buy It Now option disappears and buyers place bids until the end of the auction. If there's a reserve price, the Buy It Now option won't disappear until someone places a bid that reaches or exceeds the reserve price.

"There's no need to choose between the auction option and Buy It Now. You get both. If a buyer is willing to meet your Buy It Now price, your item sells instantly and your auction ends. Otherwise your auction proceeds normally."

[cupsoftea]

slm - thats a clear message to send

[phdlife]

SLM, that's certainly a ...forthright response. But a good one, though. The more I think about it the more I'm coming into line with your response and the one from Lilyloo above.

I'll wait a few days and then reply. In the meantime he's wandering around in all this sunshine in some stylish shades, for less than he was prepared to pay for them, and should be quite happy.

Thanks, all.