To think I shouldn't be guilt tripped into selling my item so cheaply?

[DowntonNappy]

I've put an item/bundle on Ebay starting at 99p. However the item (it's a collection of things) cost me approx £150 in total when I bought it new.

I've already got a few watchers, and tonight have received ten messages asking me to put a 'buy it now price' on the auction. Some people are saying they'll give me £15 for it, as postage is £10, and they don't want to pay more than £25 in total.

I've explained that I believe the item will fetch at least £30, and that I don't think it's fair to expect me to deduct postage from this, as I won't be making profit on postage costs.

I also explained that because so many people have asked for a buy it now price, I don't think it's fair to do so now; it's best to leave it as an auction.

Anyhow. Most people responded quite politely. However, one man has become quite agressive, saying that's not how Ebay works. His son's birthday is on Monday and he would therefore like the item(s) bought and wrapped by then. He says that this item will be very special to and appreciated by his son, and is practically begging me to put a buy it now price of £15. I feel terrible, but I don't think it's fair to put this man before the other people who have enquired about the item.

AIBU leaving it as an auction, thus spoiling this man's son's birthday? (item is no longer available instore/discontinued). I feel like a heartless old moo.

Soupdragon

I never charge just postage as it costs me in packaging and petrol to get it posted, that is perfectly acceptable under ebay rules. But, alot of people forget that and kick off if the postage on the label is slightly less than they paid. I once had someone kick off over 21p! So thats why I prefer to not have the postage costs on the label as it avoids that.

I wanna know what you're selling [hgrin]

It's quite often difficult to estimate postage costs, I tend to weigh the item on kitchen scales and add a bit to account for packaging, and look at the postage rate bandings to see which it's likely to fit in. Usually I'm wrong, sometimes in my favour and sometimes in the buyers favour.

Agree with the others this guy sounds like a pain - block him !

definitely dont be guilt tripped into doing anything you dont want to. I sold a lovely dolls house some time back and the woman who came to pick it up claimed it was for some deprived children or something and seeing how we lived in such a lovely house would we be prepared to donate it.

Luckily DH dealt with this woman that day... I would probably have fallen for her story.

what is it anyway ?? Let us know how you get on.

typicalvirgo I am actually speechless at the cheek and audacity of the woman asking for the free dolls house!

Ignore him, report him to ebay for harassing you, he is trying to manipulate the auction. Also, block him from bidding so he cant cause you any more trouble.

typicalvirgo just reading that has made me cross. Surely if you wanted to donate it to charity you would have done so rather than selling it on ebay. [hangry]

I think ebay really brings out the worst in people. I was going to say best and worst, but really it just the worst. [hsad]

YANBU and I'm glad you've had a few bids now so you'll get a fair price for your items. Ebay just isn't worth the hassle as a seller now IMO, I've had non paying bidders, people requesting buy it nows and then not buying the item meaning I have incurred extra fees for nothing and people from overseas bidding when my auction states I will only post within the UK. I usually use local facebook selling pages now or gumtree, ebay is a last resort for selling, they are losing out by being so biased in favour of buyers.

I thought of this thread this morning when I woke up to the following message

Hi I see you're selling lots of war hammer quest stuff. Would you be prepared to put them all at a Buy it now of 99p so I can get them for my brother who's very unwell at the moment and needs distracting. He loves war hammer quest.

My reply

Hi I see you sell a lot of gaming stuff including war hammer quest so I assume if you need some for your brother you can give him some from your own stock. I am sorry I can't offer buy it now as like you I am running auctions and my items will go to the highest bidder. Thank you for your interest in my auctions, I do hope you will bid on some of them. Best wishes to your brother I hope he has a speedy recovery

YANBU OP let people pay what its worth that is the point of ebay

I can't believe how cheeky people are on ebay. I was selling a couple of lovely maternity coats last year, one with a start price of £9.99, one with a start price of £14.99. A woman emailed me and said she would give me £5 for both if she could pick up at the weekend and got snotty when I politely declined!

Must. Stop. Reading. This. Thread.

It's making me grind my teeth. I've got a fair bit of stuff I was going to stick on ebay.

ontheedge love the fact that you did your research, then replied oh so politely! It's no wonder that people are sceptical oobtaining sob stories when there are so many fakes around.

Bogey, I kicked off once re postage. I think that if you state next day recorded delivery, then thats how you should post. in those circumstances, subsequently posting standard second class and pocketing the money isnt on! Seller claimed that the several pounds difference that she pocketed was for the cost of the second hand, badly sealed jiffy bag that it came in!
I often estimate postage, but suck up any shortfall, or refund the fair difference.

Don't be put off using ebay for casual use (no idea what it's like for a business seller) - I do around 20 items of junk from my house a week, and haven't had problems. My tips:

• only add 10% (ish) to postage costs for packaging etc. - this is reasonable, and not a problem for most buyers
• block overseas buyers in your preferences (not just by stating it in your listing) if you don't want to post overseas
• In those same preferences say only paypal, nobody with non-paying strikes, nobody with low feedback etc. - take a look, and set them at the strictest
• only communicate through ebay messages, not through ordinary email
• remember you are perfectly within you rights to ignore any communication from a prospective buyer (it's only actual buyers who you need to be nice to)
• block bids from anyone who's worrying you, even if you haven't responded to their messages
• if they ask for a buy it now price respond: Sorry, I don't have a buy it now price, I prefer to continue with the auction - don't want to disappoint other potential bidders! Good Luck bidding
• any other query respond I'm sorry, it's not my policy to xxxx. Thanks - no need to engage in anything beyond basic politeness and you don't have to give reasons

Good luck selling!

had a bidder a few weeks ago bid £25 on my high chair. then had a message saying she could not collect as she did not drive and her husband has gone in to hospital. I messaged back and said pay for it and i will hold it or deliver it back. no response

re-listed and it sold for £10 (underbidder on first auction had sorted another one so couldnt do second chance offer). new buyer paid straight away. I offered to deliver it locally and when i did, her husband insisted on giving me another tenner as they hadnt expected to get it that cheaply and it was brand new with the tags still on!

thats ebay for you! i only ever sell stuff that i just want rid of and am not fussed about price- else it does your head in! I did have an unhappy message from a buyer saying she was disappointed not to get it ( SO BID MORE THAN £10 FOR A BRAND NEW HIGH CHAIR THEN!))

I agree - if you want a particular price for something, then start at that price - be prepared for something to go for the lowest price you set, not at what you think it should be worth

People are odd - I do occasionally get messages from people who 'forgot' to bid on something that they desperately wanted, and suggesting some convoluted way of getting it, usually in a way that'll be a pain for me. I just tell them it'll be relisted, and to keep an eye out.

Last week I got a neutral feedback from someone who just said 'not very happy' - no communication with me beforehand, so I emailed and politely asked what the matter was. She told me (in 3 very similar, but not exactly the same messages) that the item had a chip on it. I replied saying 'yes, and it said that in the listing and showed it in the photo', but did she want to return anyway, and I'd refund. Then three more similar emails saying, 'no, it was going to be a gift but I'll keep it'. I think she may have had problems - certainly with the the tchnology, anyway.

I always agree to cancel bids before the end of the auction if anyone asks, and to pick-ups if somone is local (and knock off the postage). I'm so very amenable

I've only bought not sold on ebay and I am shocked at some of the tactics people use. The only time I have messaged a seller is if I wanted additional info such as size and then that's only been twice in over 500 items.

Ah Crabby, I like your style!

Thanks - actually, I suppose this discussion should really be in the ebay topic: www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=2673

Put in all listings: this is an auction and there is no buy it now price.

Op I haven't read the thread but hope you have added this lying blackmailer to your blocked bidders list.

Crikey what an arsehole. Remember to block him from bidding on your things - add him to your blocked bidders list. (sorry not sure how to link to the right page but you can find it under the help section on ebay)

Sorry if already been suggested, only just seen thread.

def do not sell to this guy!!! If you know you can get a higher price then you shouldn't be bullied into a buy it now price with this guy. He's good at what he does, he has got you feeling sorry for him, which is exactly what he wants. You wont be ruining his sons birthday don't, he either doesn't have one, or can quite easily buy another present!!!!

Ebay is really pissing me off at the moment. I have used it for years for regular clearouts, so I tend to sell a big batch of things in one go and then not use it for a while. I had never had a single problem after years of using it, and in the last year or so it has been more hassle than it is worth. I had a dishonest buyer (provably dishonest by any normal standards) win a PayPal dispute by claiming the item wasn't received. I had a lady claiming two items of clothing were fake - they weren't. She clearly just wanted a refund because she didn't like them. I've had someone claim not to receive something and then when I produced proof of delivery she said 'oh, silly me, I forgot I did receive it'.

I've had someone win, reschedule collection several times and then never turn up or pay. I've had someone leave feedback saying the item wasn't as described but never engaged with me about why not - it was an expensive cardigan that had only been worn once. I've had someone claim an immaculate item was barely usable and try to get money off - they gave up when I said no and to return it for a refund.

I also sold an item of furniture clearly marked as collection only, and some idiot bid on it and then contacted me to ask me to deliver it to her - she lived about 40 miles away! She then got all moany when I said no - saying she really wanted it and wouldn't be able to fit it in her car. Fortunately she didn't win the auction!

I've also had so many people asking for buy it now prices that I've just stopped replying to them.

Cheek of some people.

Recently I won an item on eBay, start price was £10 and won it for that. Arranged collect, turned up to pick it up at the time the husbund and I arranged, he wasn't there and the wife wouldn't let me take the item without her husband there, fair enough, he arrived home late but was apologetic, I went in for his wife to start a huge row with her husband saying she wouldn't let me have it at that price as it cost her lots of money when it was new. Sorry but that's the chance you take with ebay, tbh it wasn't worth much the a tenner anyway!

Oh crikey. That's appalling.

I won something for a tenner the other day - lovely people but it was frankly dangerous and useless, when I got it home.

I didn't like to quibble.

Selling though is even worse. People keep buying my things when they live like 300 miles away. No, I cannot post a 4 drawer filing cabinet to you.

Lovely lovely seller though last week, refunded me because I measured wrong and the item didn't fit - and she let me post it on to her second bidder to save money. Bloody wonderful she was.

It's not all bad but unfortunately when it's bad, it's dreadful.