Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If you sold something on eBay and it made 99p....

112 replies

DowntonTrout · 14/09/2013 22:07

And was worth much more-

I "won" an item on eBay and have paid 99p. My maximum bid was higher- a fair price- but no one else bid.

I am embarrassed. It is a collection only item, so I will have to front up and hand over £1. Actually I feel like a twat. It wouldn't be so bad if it was going to be posted. Plus the seller has not replied to me asking where to collect from. This makes me feel worse. Similar items are listed as buy it now for £25/35- I don't know if they're selling but it would have cost £75+ new. ( it is nearly new.)

So if you sell something like this and it only makes 99p do you just grin and bear it? How would you feel about someone turning up at your house with 99p and AIBU to feel bad? Should I give them more anyway?

OP posts:
cakebar · 15/09/2013 12:39

I've sold and had this happen. I don't mind, you win some, you loose some, the person is usually embarrassed though!

EnjoyEverySandwich · 15/09/2013 12:45

I won a garden gate on ebay for 99p. When I collected it I gave the guy £5.

I said, "Take this as it was my maximum bid. At least it'll buy you a pint".

He said (grumpily) "It's worth more than that for scrap."

Not very graceful of him, but I felt I'd been fair. Do as you would be done by, is my motto.

alpinemeadow · 15/09/2013 12:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MagratGarlik · 15/09/2013 12:54

I had this recently and won an item for £1.10. My maximum bid was higher though. I paid and arranged to go collect the item, but the seller 'remembered' they'd given the item away to someone else and refunded my money. I was actually quite annoyed because I'd won the item fair and square. If she wanted more, she should have put the starting bid higher.

spritesoright · 15/09/2013 13:00

Did you buy our item? We literally just sold a coffee machine for 99p. We're a bit disappointed but 'you win some you lose some' and mostly we are just trying to clear stuff out.
What's even more annoying is no sale or people who say they will buy it after winning the auction and then just mess you around.
So hand your 99p over with a smile.

elcranko · 15/09/2013 13:03

Definitely don't offer more, just give them what you paid and be pleased that you got yourself a nice little bargain Smile

The same thing happened to me once, I won an exercise machine for 99p. It wasn't top of the range by any means but it was certainly worth more than 99p. I was embarrassed too so got my DH to pick it up for me instead Grin

ALadyHippo · 15/09/2013 13:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

thompson369 · 15/09/2013 13:10

I recently sold an Avent electric steriliser and only got 99p for it. I'd hoped it might go for more but it didn't, I wanted it out of the way and the buyer was thrilled to bits with the bargain. As others have said, had the buyer not wanted to sell for 99p they should have paid to set a reserve price.

thompson369 · 15/09/2013 13:11

I'm actually tempted to pop on to eBay right now and see what I can pick up for 99p!

lljkk · 15/09/2013 13:23

Free listing weekends are so frequent There's no reason to sell expensive anything for 99p.

unlucky83 · 15/09/2013 13:24

I know how you feel...
I won some (ex Ikea) living room units for £75 -no other bids -my maximum bid was £300 - they were only a couple of years old, new they would have been more than £1000 and they were exactly what I wanted....
They were selling because they were moving , they had been lovingly looked after and the guy helped us load the van. I did sense he was disappointed but he wasn't anything but helpful. I had already paid by Paypal or would have been tempted to give him £100...
Later I saw he had had them for sale on gumtree for weeks reducing the price every week and then day from 500 down to £75 ... before listing them on E-bay... so I figured he already knew he probably wouldn't get more and felt better!

McNewPants2013 · 15/09/2013 13:27

Why don't I e Eric get a bargain on eBay.

I guard my feedback star, I have 100% feedback and got my blue star

McNewPants2013 · 15/09/2013 13:29

Ever not e Eric lol

Ezio · 15/09/2013 13:30

Exactly lljkk bit of patience and you'll get a free weekend to sell whatever you want.

lljkk · 15/09/2013 13:33

Using Ebay well is like an art, now. I realise why there are "Ebay for Dummies" books to buy, but out of date almost as soon as published or read. Lots of people must not realise how often FLW come up, or how to use the BIN system to advertise for 30 days for 40p and still get the best price, etc. I read of so many mistakes that people make in buying or selling.

I think stick to seling on Freeads if you can, instead.

OP probably got such a bargain because it was collection only(?)

Ezio · 15/09/2013 13:39

Just reminded me, my parents sold something on saturday for £2.50 and got a tenner on collection. They must have felt like it was too much of a bargain.

EnjoyEverySandwich · 15/09/2013 13:58

Collection-only is definitely the place for bargains, as the bidding market is hugely reduced. Obvious but worth remembering.

Buchanon08 · 15/09/2013 14:04

We sold a TV for 99p...was just glad to be rid of it. Delighted it was going to get used rather than dumping it, the guy came to collect so we didn't have to take it anywhere and he was very pleased with his bargain!

TeamEdward · 15/09/2013 14:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lljkk · 15/09/2013 14:27

What did you do in feedback, TeamE?

To all, On Ebay: How do you browse everything in your local area without looking for something specific?

TakingThePea · 15/09/2013 15:21

I won a lovely top for 99p.

Seller messaged me....

Sorry I've refunded you, I can't sell it for that price, would rather give it to charity.

TeamEdward · 15/09/2013 15:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Rinoachicken · 15/09/2013 15:24

I bought a nursing chair and footstool of eBay for 99p, because no one else bid. It was collection only and I felt a bit embarrassed as they are like £200+ new, but the guy was fine, very friendly and just seemed pleased it would be out of his garage and getting some use.

If they wanted more they should have put a reserve price on it.

Vix1980 · 15/09/2013 15:27

I once had to go and pick up a bathroom sink id won once on ebay, brand new listed for 1p, nobody else won. we were renovating our house at the time, had lterally no money so this was a godsend for us. I got my brother to come and help me carry it as it was heavy, we'd been painting before we left so turned up in jeans and paint splattered clothes.

I arrived at a footballers dream bathroom store and when we entered felt so underdressed it was unbelievable, the type of place with no prices on anything, infinity pools we even saw torres and his wife in there picking out a shower, ive never felt so ashamed picking up my designer sink that had a price tag on for £1300 and offering to hand over the penny, now thats embarrasing! The girl just laughed and said dont worry thats the nature of the beast!

The sink is larger than usual which isnt exactly what i had imagined but for a penny im past caring! came in relaly useful as a baby bath for ds1!

Swipe left for the next trending thread