ebay watcher wants to buy my item - shall/can I end auction early?

[xfabba]

Ok so I am selling something on ebay. My reserve price was £90.00. One bidder has done 4 bids to take it to £100 where it is curently at with 1 day to go. I am happy with £100 but will need to spend about £15 on postage. This person is the only current bidder, there are 7 people watching.

2 people have emailed me about the item. One came round last night, really wants it, and wanted to give me £100 for it on the spot. i said I would look into what I could do with ebay as there was another person bid on it (in the past if 0 bids I have just done this and cancelled the auction).

I would be quite happy to sell it to this guy for £100 as he is local and will pick up and save me £15. If I leave it, I think it could go to £130 odd based on other similar items but I would probably have to pay the postage (it's big).

What shall I do? Can I just end it early, piss off the current bidder and sell to the guy who came round. Or should I tell him to put a higher bid in and do sell it now?

as far as i am aware, and i could be wrong, you are not meant to sell to someone outside of trhe auction if the item currently on auction.

kinda defeats the purpose of ebay in my mind???

i think there is also something in the rules about reporting someone who tries to make a private offer outside of the auction, while it is in process.

bump - anyone else?

i personally wouldnt see it as pointless as ebay has obviously alerted him to the availability of my item - i just want him to win it/have it so i dont have to post it.

how would the buy it now thing work? would this avoid pissing off the other bidder?

I don't think there is the facility to end an auction early if there are already bids on it.

Have a look through the ebay faqs, should be some info there.

I don't think you can end it if there are bids in.

I would tell the bloke to bid on Ebay like everyone else, then if he wins he can collect it in person saving the postage costs (and saving you the hassle of packing it up and posting it).

If you could get £130 for it I would leave the auction to run!

I though all bids were excluding p&p ?

If you've got 7 watchers the item could go quite a bit higher during the last few minutes of the auction !

you can end it early just by lying for the reasons.
Just say it was advertised elsewhere, like Tescos or whatever...

Have you not put the P&P charges on the auction? TBH that is very unusual!

I would let it run myslef, but every penny counts for me, it is clearly going to make at least 100 and the 1 biddern putting many bids means he is upping his top price so is prepared to pay more than that.

How much is not having to pack it up worth to you?

the ebay final value fees on £100 item are about a tenner, plus paypal fees...

Thieving bastards

I don't see why you have to pay the postage, it doesn't matter how much it is. The buyer usually pays don't they? You surely have stated on the auction how much p&p is, and it's up to the bidders, then. At £15 p&p you may well only get local bidders who would rather pick it up. Or, you say customer pick-up only.

x-posts kingcanute!

Xfabba, can you link us at all?

Firstly the buyer normally organises postage costs.

Secondly you can end the listing whenever you like apart from in the last 12 (or is it 18) hours.

Search the help tab for 'end listing early' and it'll have a link to a form. Easy.

Happy to have a look if you like.

here you go cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=290316569914 you're right, I'm being an idiot, he will pay postage on top wont he, not me, doh sorry, don't use ebay much.

just dont want to lose the guaranteed £100 but I guess I can just say to him, bid like everyone else and if you are the top bidder you can come and collect??

tell me oh wise mn ebay expert, what should I do?

If I end early and take his £100 I save myself about £10 in ebay fees and piss off the other bid. If I leave it on, it might go higher, they pay the £15 and I just have to parcel it up and send?

Thanks, good listing!

I know what you mean about the guaranteed offer but in this case it looks like there'll be plenty of interest still to come.

Typically auctions go up a fair bit in the closing hours/minutes. I know not always, but I'd risk it.

It's confusing - I had to make a similar decision myself recently, I had 80 watchers(!) and several offers but wasn't sure it'd go up that much as it was early days.

I took an offer, pissed off a few (low) bidders, but at least it was gone and the price was great.

I am fairly sure you'll get more than 100. Can you tell this guy it's off, without feeling too guilty?

You might lose a little on the fees but it's probably a close call either way and this way you don't piss anyone off!

Good Call - it went for £122, I emailed the offer guy before saying i didnt want to risk negative feedback, hope you are the high bidder. thanks!

wow international what were you selling that had 80 watchers ? the most i got was 30 and i was v excited at that!

Oh well done X

Icedgem, it was a tricycle with child seats on the back! I still have 34 and it finished 3 weeks ago..

And still wondering if I ought to have left it to run!

National The 34 are waiting to see if you relist!!

I often leave ended items in my watching if they haven't sold, been ended early or just in case something happens and it get relisted.

That way i don't have to search again, I often forget i was watching in the first place and completely miss the auction!!