I don't trust the buyer- what should I do?

[cupofteaplease]

We put our caravan on Ebay on Saturday with a BIN price. It is an old 1979 caravan, so hardly full of mod cons, but it is in VGC for its age and we were very honest in the listing and provided photogaphs that gave a true reflection of its condition.

Within an hour of listing it had been bought.

The buyer then contacted us asking lots of questions about the condition of the caravan- questions he really should have asked before buying.

He then rang yesterday and was quite rude. He kept quibbling about the hob, saying that it doesn't work because it doesn't have a pan guard (the metal you stand the pan on over the gas flame.) We said that the hob does work, ie gas comes through and ignites, and there was a clear picture of the hob, without panguard, on the listing. He was very abrupt and said that 'he will come and have a look at it and see what he thinks'. Dh reminded him that on Ebay you bid to buy, not to look, especially as he chose BIN option.

I emailed him last night to ask what time he is planning on coming tomorrow as we have to collect the caravan from its storage place at PIL's which will take 1.5 hours to do. I also offered him £10 off the price as a good will gesture to buy a new pan guard (you can pick one up BN on ebay for £9.99)

I have not heard back, and dh is now saying he doesn't think the buyer will turn up. I feel a bit apprehensive because it will cost us petrol money to tow it here and back if he doesn't take it with him (we cannot store it here, and buyer will not go to where caravan is stored), and if he chooses not to buy, then we will have lost out on nearly £20 in listing fees and we had 4 people watching it in less than an hour that it was listed.

What do people think? Do you think he will turn up? I'm anxious that he won't turn up, or he'll continue to be rude and try to haggle on price, when he bought it on Ebay for the agreed price.

Help! Thanks.

Re list it and email him saying that he should have been bidding to buy and not to come and have a look. Remind him that he should have come to look at the thing before he bid.
If he negs you then respond with 'you should have come to look at it before buying not quibble after' which anyone would understand to mean that he is a pain in the bum buyer.

If I were you I would relist it with an auction with the start price less than he bought for bin. If it was bought so quickly without an inspection and so many people watching it so quickly then maybe vintage caravans are the latest thing and you didn't realise it. Caravans are very popular again this year with people wanting cheap holidays.

Don't fret about what feedback you will get from this timewaster, just relist it and tell him its been relisted due to his timewasting. If he won't even go to where its stored then he is not worth bothering with.

Also I would relist saying people have to go and view where it is - it's ridiculous that you may pick it up, bring it home and then not buy it.

I had a bit of this last week when I sold my old shed car on a 99p start auction. I thought someone would come and look at least but no one did and 8 people bid up to £230. When the buyer arrived he said 'now then is there anything wrong with it' I could have punched him! He did take it though, but I had the two next down bidders both emailing me to say if he didn't want it they would pay the highest bid price and come for it straight away, AND it was just sitting across the street.

Your buyer is being totally unreasonable. I also think you should relist it cos I think if you put it on an auction coming up to all the bank hols etc you will get more for it than your bin price.

Thanks for the advice. It did have an auction starting price too, but he jumped in straight away and bought it with the BIN price. I'm cross because if he doesn't buy it, we have lost out on it being viewed on Ebay by other potential buyers who might have agreed to collect it from its storage location.

I;m worried because we've got 100% feedback which we've built up over years so I really don't want this negative.

Is there anyway of pulling out of the sale whilst protecting feedback? Probably not!

No but like I said, if you put that he should have viewed before buying then no one will think anything of one negative.
You can't actually put negative on his, but I've seen people put some really negative comments in a positive feedback slot now that sellers aren't allowed to neg buyers!

If people were watching then they'll be emailed by ebay to say its been relisted, just add in your description that its been relisted due to timewasting bin buyer and that buyers must bid to buy not to look, they are welcome to look before bidding, the item is at such a place, and that they will have to remove it themselves.

Good luck!

Thanks Flibbertyjibbet- you're clearly an Ebay expert!

As hes theoretically bought it can't you get his phone no. from ebay?

At least then you can phone and ask if and when hes coming.

You can report him to ebay if he doesn't pay for the caravan.

Yes, you can request his phone number from ebay.

I'd wait until he's confirmed that he's definitely coming before you go and get the caravan.

report to ebay for non payment as that will be what it is then you won't lose out any fees as ebay will refund you.I hate people like that.