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Original poster

I won auction by mistake and I don't want to pay

54 replies

greenlegs · 04/04/2012 19:07

I stupidly bid on a piece of clothing without noticing that it was 2 sizes too small.
I realised after I won the auction.
I asked seller if she'd be so kind to do second chance offer to other bidders.
Apparantly this happened but there was no response and now seller has sent me an invoice insisting I pay.

If I was selling something and a buyer quickly said they'd made a mistake I'd let them off the hook. I wouldn't insist they.

I know iabu, technically, but I think she is a bit too.

What's the worst that will happen if I just don't pay. Negative feedback?

OP posts:
Original poster
greenlegs · 04/04/2012 19:08

..apparently..

OP posts:
Dolcegusto · 04/04/2012 19:09

Sellers can't leave negative feedback for buyers. Worst that'll happen is a telling off from eBay.

fergoose · 04/04/2012 19:52

the seller can open non paying bidder dispute and you will get a strike - too many strikes and you risk your account

shuckleberryfinn · 04/04/2012 19:54

being fair you bought it. You should pay for it, you've entered into a contract. Not the sellers fault is it?

SparkyMcSparrowLaidMiniEggs · 04/04/2012 20:03

Just buy it and then Ebay it.

Its your fault you didn't look at the details properly. Its not the sellers problem although you are making it a problem by not wanting the item you bid for

CointreauVersial · 04/04/2012 23:18

Sorry, but if I was the seller I'd be really cheesed off at you. It is an absolute pain when people win items then "change their minds" and don't pay. OK, she is not being very flexible, but she has to open a case against you to get her fees refunded, then relist all over again.....speaking as a seller with two similar cases recently I'm not surprised she doesn't want to go down that route.

Tryharder · 05/04/2012 15:35

This has happened to me as a seller and a buyer. A decent seller (and overall nice human being) will say, OK thanks for letting me know, open up a case with ebay to cancel the transaction, get their fees back and then relist. No real harm done.

I wouldn't pay it. You explained the situation to the seller and he or she has been very ungracious about the whole thing. Yes, they can open up a case against you (as I have done against various non-paying buyers) and ebay will just put a strike against you in the event you make a regular habit of this.

But in reality, all this twaddle spouted on ebay about "entering into contracts" etc is crap. Worst than can happen is the seller harass you about it, which i would report to eBay/police.

Tryharder · 05/04/2012 15:38

Most non paying buyers don't even bother their arses to even respond to emails, by the way. At least you had the courtesy to contact the seller and explain.

Second chance offers are rarely successful by the way as the buyer that has pulled out has inflated the price over what it should have been had that person not ever bidded and buyers know that. Plus they then suspect the seller of shill bidding.

NatashaBee · 05/04/2012 15:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheSockPuppet · 05/04/2012 15:46

shuckleberry, there was a thread on mn about new iPads accidentally being priced at £50 and there were a few complaints saying the shop (I think it was tesco?) should honour the sale and just sell them at that price to those who had paid and instead had their money refunded.

Then a lot of mumsnetters said that was silly, and that buying contracts online were different from in a shop and that the contract wasn't finalised until the buyer had the product through the door.

The mumsnetters stating this put it in a far better way than I just have Blush but wouldn't that apply to this situation too?

TheMonster · 05/04/2012 15:49

If I was the seller I would be mightily annoyed. YOu did bid, and it would be a different matter if you contacted the seller before the auction ended, but you didn't, so I think you should pay. Put it down to experience and be more careful next time.

igggi · 05/04/2012 15:54

You should never click bid on ebay unless you are absolutely sure - it makes that very clear. As someone who's only sold a few things on ebay I wouldn't have a clue how to cancel the sale - and relisting is a pain in the arse too. I think getting her to agree to do the second chance thing was enough tbh. You should pay.

IAmBooyhoo · 05/04/2012 15:57

just buy it and then resell it once you get it.

IAmBooyhoo · 05/04/2012 16:01

"he or she has been very ungracious about the whole thing."

really?

"I asked seller if she'd be so kind to do second chance offer to other bidders.
Apparantly this happened but there was no response "

so going to the trouble of contacting other bidders after they had already sold the item properly and through no fault of their own not being paid is ungracious?

PineappleBed · 05/04/2012 16:02

You bid and won. It's not the sellers fault you don't want it so pay up and chalk it up to experience. You can always sell it yourself.

ScorpionQueen · 05/04/2012 16:15

You should just pay. It was your mistake. I ebay because we are really skint at the moment and selling a lot of unwanted stuff to raise funds. Non-paying buyers are the last thing I need. You could always sell it on.

Birdylade · 05/04/2012 21:12

You can contact the seller and ask her to send you a cancel transaction request, you then won't have to pay and she will get all her fees back and can relist teh item, these things happen! The seller will be more annoyed if you just don't pay and waste time when she could be re-selling it

Tryharder · 05/04/2012 22:48

The problem with buying it and then reselling is that you will probably lose money once you have forked out for postage and fees. Unless of course we are talking about a designer item that you won for 99p.

Can't believe that everyone is telling you to pay. The seller can easily cancel the transaction and relist. He or she is being stupid to insist that you honour the purchase. I would categorically not risk posting something to someone who didn't want it. What if they then left negative feedback? Or the item "conveniently" got lost in the post? I sell loads on ebay and buyers not paying happens periodically. It's really no big deal. Don't pay. Advise the seller that you will agree to cancel the transaction so the seller can get the fees back. One strike against you is really not a problem. You have to get 2 in one month IIRC to have a problem.

dotnet · 06/04/2012 07:32

I think you should pay and re-sell, as well. I'm guessing it isn't an awful lot of money you'll need to pay.

I messed up on Amazon a few weeks ago. I ordered an expensive book in French from the French Amazon site (I know - overconfident!) and then tried to change the address to which they should send the book. Result : I now have a second book in French which I don't want and don't need which I am trying to offload via Amazon UK. It isn't working!

Sometimes, we mess up. We're human, it happens. Best not to make someone else's life more complicated than it need be.

MorrisZapp · 06/04/2012 07:49

Pay up. It's the only decent thing to do.

Original poster
greenlegs · 10/04/2012 23:04

thanks for all your input, been away over holidays...

Tryharder, good to know I'm not the only one who thinks the seller is being an arse. I wouldn't try to force someone to buy, especially if they responded quickly like I did. I'd just cut my losses and move on quickly.
Anyway, I'm still not sure but will probably pay up this time, mainly because I've left it for a while now over easter, but it will be hard not to leave some sort of comment.

Tiny designer cashmere cardigan anyone?

OP posts:
FirstLastEverything · 10/04/2012 23:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 10/04/2012 23:11

Ooh, tiny, you say? How tiny? How much?

BakersDozen · 10/04/2012 23:15

what did you pay and what size

Original poster
greenlegs · 10/04/2012 23:25

size 8, £22 was the winning bid

OP posts:
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