I've messed up on Ebay - not sure how to proceed

[Flossyfloof]

I sold some furniture on EBay and stupidly offered to deliver it as I was going to be close by. Now I realize the thing doesn't fit in my car - I had measured it, but it's a funny shape and I didn't realize how awkward it was. When I had made the offer dh said it might not fit, so I did message and say I would need to check if fitted. So - it doesn't. I have messaged to apologise, asking the buyer to make arrangements to collect. No response ( only messaged today, so there is time). Are they still obliged to go through with it? I might be worrying over nothing, the offer to deliver was made after the auction had finished.

Presumably they expected to collect before that offer so doesn't seem like a problem? If you think it will be you can also offer to mutually cancel the sale and relist out of good will. I wouldn't worry too much unless they give you cause to. We recently had a similar issue, bought something and (even after measuring) it didn't fit in the car. We were really grateful that the seller waited a week for us to arrange an alternative but didn't expect them to, would have understood if they didn't!

Just apologise and ask them to collect. If they say they can't, apologise again and cancel the item.

Then re list it with the details amending of the delivery. Simples

Thanks for that - I was trying to be helpful ( and get it out of my way) but now I feel as if it's backfired!

You could always offer them a discount on the price if they collect and if they still don't want to apologise and re-list collection only.

If you put it in the ad that you'd deliver then you'll have to cancel the sale if the buyer wants. If it was collection only, and you subsequently offered to deliver in a private message then the buyer has to arrange collection, as they bid not knowing you'd deliver.

Thanks. It was collection only. It was only when they said where they were coming from that I realised I was going to be close this week and thought it would be easy to deliver. Haven't heard back from them yet, I'll resend the message soon.

If they won before you made the offer, then it's not relevant. If it may have influenced their top price, then they have the right to cancel the sale. In reality though, sellers can just not sell and buyers just not pay - sellers will get a negative, and buyers a strike, but that's all. It's just the way Ebay is.

Don't accept Paypal for collection/delivery in person items. Paypal require proof of delivery via online tracked means - a signature won't be enough. Nothing will. There's an old scam where people collect an item and then claim non-receipt, and the seller can't prove anything. Sorry if you already knew that, but a surprising number of people don't.

No it can't have influenced them at all. Thanks, no I assumed cash but I didn't know that about PayPal.

There are people offering courier services for eBay items. If you do a search on "eBay courier" there are lots of results.

Not your responsibility. They agreed to buy knowing they'd have to collect. You offered to deliver, but then realised you couldn't. Back to Plan A.

Just in case anyone who answered is around - She was lovely about it all and collected it yesterday. Thanks again.

Oh good, that must be a relief!