BID RETRACTION AND AUCTION POLICY

[austmann76]

Hello Ebay community. I am writing about this topic as i feel that some of the Ebay policies are not in the best interests of users of Ebay and that it should be changed to make Ebay a better place for all. 

I think that Ebay is mostly a good place and a good idea as it gives individual persons the opportunity to list items that they no longer need and to be able to make a few dollars on their unwanted items instead of ending up as landfill or crushed up into a little metal rectangle by the scrap yard and wasted.

I however do not agree with some of Ebay's rules that being bid retractions and listings. Fair enough if I was at City Motor Auction Group in Brisbane ( which is an automotive auction house ) and bidded on an item no bid retraction should be available because you have time to inspect the vehicle and look all around it and check all paperwork. It is an in house, on the spot, auction that you can see what you are bidding on in front of you. With Ebay however 40% or more of the time there is no way you can view an item and it is bid at your own risk.

Because of this I think bid retractions should be allowed and I will be trying to get support on this issue from other members.

I think another problem Ebay faces is items sold outside of Ebay and then the item does not get removed by the seller which makes a big confusion, or items that are listed being pulled off in the last day or hour because the seller does not like the price he/she are going to get for the item, or other Ebay members accounts being used to boost the price of an item.

Things like this happening can be minimized by having a rule that once an item is listed it is listed and cannot be removed or deleted and has to run the full term of the listing chosen. The seller should have the opportunity to read this condition of sale but once he clicks accept and the item is listed he can not then remove or delete the item and it has to run the full term of the listing. Legal proceedings should take place againt the seller if sold outside of ebay because item can not be deleted and he has accepted the conditions of sale.

I think that this would minimize instances previously described happening and make Ebay a better place for all.

Take my poll if you agree or disagree with having bid retractions and fixed term listings.

[lyndal1838]

You need a bit more than 6 months experience on ebay before deciding you know better than ebay.

However, you are free to send your suggestions to ebay...just use the Suggestion Box, but don't expect a reply.

[digital*ghost]

Hi austmann - just a couple of points, bid retractions are already possible. You can retract a bid up to 12 hours before the end of the auction, or, if it was placed in the last 12 hours, you can still retract it within one hour of bidding. If it reaches a point where you are no longer able to retract the bid, a seller may - upon request - remove the bid on a member's behalf.

As to everything else, I guess the main question I would like to ask you is how you reason that a buyer should be able to retract a bid, and therefore not follow through on their original intention to purchase, yet a seller should be made to follow through on their original intention to sell regardless of whatever personal circumstances that may arise?

I do fully understand the frustration that can be caused by withdrawn auctions, whether done prior to sale, or simply with a refusal to complete the sale, but I suspect that if seller's were not able to remove a listing for any reason, the instances of sales being made and then not followed through would actually increase, and I think winning an auction then being disappointed is a far greater cause for frustration than a withdrawn item.

Personally, I am happy for bidders to be able to retract when necessary and/or if desired, and ditto for sellers to be able to withdraw auctions, it solves a lot more problems than it creates in my opinion.

[austmann76]

Hello Digital Ghost. Just replying to your comments made about this topic. Yes i know that bid retractions can be done but my post is about ebay's policy that under normal circumstances ebay does not like bid retractions. Like i said in my post i think bid retractions should be allowed because it is an online auction and not an "in house" on the spot auction that you can see what you are bidding on in front of you, look all around, and have time to inspect and check all the paperwork and even start the item up if it is a car if you are known to the auctioneers.

With an ebay auction i estimate that around 40% of the time the buyer does not get the opportunity to do this and it is bid at your own risk so to be fair and because it is an online auction if the buyer changes his mind he should be able to retract bids in normal circumstances.

As for you asking about why on one hand should a buyer be allowed to be able to do bid retractions but on the other hand the seller has to go ahead with a sale? My answer is this.

I have only been on ebay a short time and in that time i have already seen "wingnuts" list an item and then tell me it was sold after i had rang up the previous day and arranged a pre bid inspection of the item. This would have almost certainly been an outside of ebay sale wich is another action agaist ebay's policy but on my checking of the item i find it is still listed and then the item goes full term, People listing items and half way through an auction the item disappers or people undecided if they realy want to sell the item or not.  People using other accounts to boost the price of an item.

A fixed term listing would limit "dodgy" listings and weed out un genuine people from ebay because the genuine people will go ahead with a listing in the first place. People also would have the opportunity to read this condition of sale and reveiw this before clicking accept.

This would also make items on ebay exclusivly ebay and not listed elsewhere wich would all up make ebay a fairer no nonsence trading platform by giving people a better chance of winning an auction with out the "wingnuts" involved.

[xena-and-alex]

" Take my poll if you agree or disagree with having bid retractions and fixed term listings. "

                                                            😛

[digital*ghost]

Thanks for coming back an responding. I have to say I maintain my original position in that bid retractions and cancelled listings solve more problems than they create, and it is perhaps a matter of sellers not knowing that they can - or how to - end listings that sees sales take place then not followed through; in which case I see it as a problem with lack of understanding and/or awareness on the member's behalf rather than a problem with the way ebay currently works (at least in that specific regard).

Some members have said that it is a policy breach to list an item for sale on eBay and elsewhere at the same time, but I have searched high and low for this policy and never found it. I do not believe it is a particularly good practice nor would I recommend it, as it creates several risks (eg buyer disappointment, frustration, negative feedback), but as the policy has thus far only proved to be rumoured and never presented (or found) in black and white, I have no real issue with seller's taking those risks.

As to off-eBay sales - that pertains specifically to a sale that takes place outside of eBay but via the listing on eBay.

For example, an item is listed here and in the local paper. Someone sees the ad in the local paper and buys the item. That is not technically an off-eBay sale since it was not the ebay ad that made it possible. If on the other hand an item is listed here and another website, and the seller receives an enquiry or offer via eBay but tells the potential buyer to check the item out on the other site (perhaps they can offer a lower price due to lower fees), then that is in breach of policy.

There are a great many frustrating things that can occur on eBay, primarily because a) you need to put a level of trust in your trading partner that isn't required in a face-to-face or bricks and mortar transaction, and B) because you're often dealing with individuals who may not be professional (in the sense that they're strictly here for business) and are fallible.

Since, as you have pointed out, eBay is a completely different venue than traditional venues for trade, transactions need to be regarded and conducted differently - as such, many will factor the lack of opportunity to inspect prior to bidding or buying into their bid price. In other words, in some circumstances you actually just have to accommodate the differences of eBay into the way you conduct a transaction, rather than try to regulate it transactions in a certain way until no one has any freedom of choice once a button has been clicked, IYKWIM.

You may, however, be interested and/or pleased to hear that there have been rumours eBay will introduce a fee for sellers to end auctions that have received a bid (the final value fee eBay would have earned if the item had sold for the current bid when it was ended). I'm sure there are many who can name the pros and cons of that idea.

[austmann76]

Thank you digital ghost for your input into this post. I value your in depth replies about this topic and hope other people will add their comments just as good as you have and talk to each other about their feelings on this subject here.

I also hope ebay takes notice on how the poll develops as this is the goal of this post to let people have a say about this.

I have started it off and hope the ebay community will continue.

[*new2vintage]

Send all of your wisdom to ebay. I'm sure they will be fascinated.

[rumplebear1951]

 also hope ebay takes notice on how the poll develops as this is the goal of this post to let people have a say about this.

I have started it off and hope the ebay community will continue.

Ebay do not read these boards much less take notice of polls.

The way things are at the moment have worked for years so why woud they change them.

Also as only approximately 3% of ebay users ever come to these boards...and then only if they either have a problem or a question, you are hardly likely to get a huge number of replies to your poll.

One thing I am curious about in your posts is just what "legal action" do you propose could be taken against a seller who decides to remove THEIR item from ebay before it is sold?

[***super_nova***]

People who run eBay are constantly trying to work out the best and most fair rules for all, they have been doing it for a long time and have to consider all the pros and cons. Obviously they cannot please everyone every time, but as eBay remains the most successfull auction site in the world, they must be doing something right.

In the end of the day, eBay is just an advertising medium; it facilitates sales, but has no legal jurisdiction over the sellers' items, they cannot force the seller to sell if they decide not to.  PP gives buyers protection for not received items & items that are not as described.  It is all working well if you know how it works.

i have not voted in your poll; I suspect none of the very experienced and knowledgeable people here would have.  The votes you get are going most likely to be by the trolls that hang around = result will be worthless.