AIBU to get annoyed when traders try to buy stuff cheap from me on EBay?

[Lincolnfield]

This has happened twice recently. I don’t sell loads of stuff on eBay but just occasionally I think, okay I’ll list this and see if I can make a few quid for Christmas or holiday spending money or something.

I listed an expensive handbag and the buyer got it for a real bargain price. I didn’t feel bad at first because I got the money I wanted and thought somebody had got a real treat for themselves. Then she messaged me and said please don’t leave me feedback because I like to be private. I thought it a bit of a strange request so had a look at her profile and saw that she’s a flipping trader selling the same kind of bags for a shed load more than she paid me! She just didn’t want any potential buyers to see how much (little) she’d bought my bag for.

It’s not the money. I’d have been happy if she’d been a genuine private buyer but I just feel really cross about it.

So, just now I’ve listed a little gold ring. I’ve put a reasonable price on it. Definitely less than it’s worth but, again, if I get a bit of money and somebody gets a bargain, then all’s good. All of this week this damn woman has been plaguing me to ‘negotiate a deal’ with her and she’ll ‘pay me cash.’

Yesterday, she even had the cheek to message and say, ‘I see you don’t have any bids on the ring so now will you do a deal with me.’ There are 27 people watching the ring and thankfully somebody else has bid. I was a bit wiser this time and looked at her profile and, you guessed, she is a trader selling the same make of jewellery.

I’d rather take the ring off eBay than sell it to her! It’s nice to make a bit of pocket money but I do like to think somebody else gets a bit of a bargain from me.

These traders are just too bloody cheeky and too pushy!

Why do you care? Your getting the money you want for it, if you want the amount they are getting when they sell it then list it at that price. Don’t sell cheaper then complain.

I think yabu. It doesn't make any difference to you what she does with it after. You got your money, she got her bag

I think the OP’s main grouse is the pushiness of these buyers, particularly the jewellery one. I’d find that annoying too. I don’t think it’s just confined to traders. I don’t sell much on EBay, but last year I listed some immaculate roof bars and bike carriers and the number of chancers who contacted me to try to get me to sell them cheaper was an eye opener. It’s an auction, put in a bid for what you’re prepared to pay like everyone else!

Don't sweat it, you are happy they are happy, just be glad it sold.

@DarklyDreamingDexter.
‘I think the OP’s main grouse is the pushiness of these buyers.’

Thank you! Got it in one. Those people who have accused me of being ‘greedy’ - if that were true then surely I’d have been asking more for my items in the first place? LMAO!

And ‘jealous’ - why on earth would I be jealous of people who are so desperate that they try every trick in the book to buy things at a knock down price to sell them on?

I’ve been truly shocked at the behaviours. Up to three or four messages every day while the auction was running saying things like ‘If you delete the listing, I’ll pay you cash and save you ebay charges’.

Then, ‘I’ll pay you £10/£20/£25 more than I first offered’

And the one that really got up my nose - ‘I messaged you last night and you haven’t replied yet.’ Err sorry? I’m a theatre nurse! Should I nip out of somebody’s surgery just to reply to someone on eBay?

It’s been a real eye opener. I listed just three items just to ‘have a go’ but seriously, in future I’ll keep away from eBay selling.

Oh! And to add to those who have said I must have listed too cheaply, eBay recommend starting prices and advise you to start low so that people bother to look.

Not to worry! You won’t see me selling on eBay again any time soon!

I’ve been truly shocked at the behaviours.

Wow, OP, you live a really sheltered life 😂 People have been buying and selling high and low for centuries; this isn’t new or exclusive to eBay.

I'm not sure if you're being unreasonable OP, but the heavily pregnant poster queuing outside Next at 5am is 😂. Whether she's heavily pregnant or not, queuing outside any shop at any time is unreasonable 😉

I have to agree with Jimmy here, shesalittlemadam your argument would have come across much better if you’d not mentioned race.

I can’t imagine they’d actually make that much profit on it all anyway, unless next were selling it all for peanuts.

Yanbu op. I would report the “buyers” who have tried it on, and blocked them from bidding. Ebay takes a dim view of behaviour like this. I don’t sell much, but what I do, I do via buy it now and it does seem to eradicate a lot of the pisstaking.

I would report the “buyers” who have tried it on, and blocked them from bidding. Ebay takes a dim view of behaviour like this

Rubychard Report them for what? And what kind of behaviour that eBay takes a ‘dim view’ of are you referring to?

Because the buyers (no need for quote marks - they are quite literally buyers) haven’t done anything wrong.

If you delete the listing, I’ll pay you cash and save you ebay charges

Just so you know, this is a violation of Ebay's T&Cs. I get messages like this often, my stock response is this:

'That would be a violation of Ebay's terms and conditions. I am not prepared to continue this discussion and will be blocking your account'.

YAB very U

or very naive. As long as you sell at a price you are happy with, that's the end of it. You have no way of knowing if your buyer is not selling the item back for 10 times what she paid in her "boutique" shop.

Of course, when people are pushy and rude, you are free to ignore, I would. But unless you personally know your buyers, you don't know what they will end up doing with your item.

Sorry but I think you're being unreasonable. If you're selling something on eBay and you've set a price you're willing to accept, it shouldn't matter to you who buys it or what there intention is once they've bought it.
If you've accepted a price that somebody has offered, again, it doesn't matter who is buying it.
If a person is buying something to resell, of course they're going to try and get it for the lowest price possible. It's the way of the world and it's how people make a profit. Don't use eBay if you have a problem with that.

@heartsonacake

For violating eBay terms and conditions by suggesting ending a listing. I use the money saving expert eBay board from time to time and users have been banned for doing just that.

YABU i'm afraid. I've had a similar conversation with DH about how most people just want to move something on and earn quick money. People who do it a bit more professionally can afford to sit on an item for months on end until they are offered the right price.

We'd have a house and garage full of tat if I didn't insist on getting stuff sold. The freed up space in my house is worth more to me than an extra few quid.

reminds me of these people boasting they would only sell their house to someone who will keep it a "family home".

You know how many property developers are ready to show pictures of their kids, or even nephews, to get the property they want?

Or people crying for a bargain or freebies with a sob story - and will happily sell everything back for a chunky profit. I hate them, but unless you do know someone, trust no one.

I mean you can’t blame them for trying but it’s easy to just say ‘no, I’ve listed and will wait for the auction thanks.’ That’s what I do.

@coatz So you're not allowed to even describe somebody of a different race now? Let me remind you that the definition of Racism is to DISCRIMINATE against somebody based on their race.

What I did was describe them. No different that "A group of young lads came running out" or "A group of women came running out"
or "A group of school kids came running out"

I'll be sure to let my Asian friend know that just saying the word "Asian" is now considered as racism. She'll find that hilarious, I can assure you!!

I totally understand your point!
Yes leave feedback but also raise your prices, you can always drop the price if noone is interested.
I always say no when people message for a buy it now price or a deal.
Also I remember doing a boot fair where another seller bought a swing from my friend for a fiver then put it up to £8 on her stall behind us! She didn't sell it though so we both thought that was good karma.
Sadly lots of people just interested in making a profit in this world.

What I did was describe them

Why, though? The description added nothing, it wasn't relevant whatsoever.

The buyer didn’t need to ask you not to leave feedback. She can set her feedback to private if she wants to