I am confused about an auction with buy it now option

[i-once-was-bump]

I haven't been on ebay for a long time so don't know if I am allowed to post the item I was interested in buying.

The seller has 2 items in the photo and states they are a certain amount each buy it now or auction starts at a much lower price but auction is only for one of the items.

I am prepared to pay the auction starting price but no more and want both items but can't bid on both items.

Is this how things are done now or is the seller making a huge listing mistake.

How would 2 different people bid on one item each?

Can I mention the listing so someone can explain it to me?

[imastawka]

Hi Bump.  Long time no see

It sounds very odd indeed.

 Can you give us the item number, or the title of the listing please?

[i-once-was-bump]

this is the item number 392249116470

[kopenhagen5]

Yes, badly listed but appears to be for one ball only at the auction and BIN price.

2 balls for $75.00.

[imastawka]

I'm assuming the seller will relist the remaining ball when this one sells.

They say you can buy both, but for $75 - which is cheaper than the buy it now price for one, but dearer than the opening bid.

If you want both, it looks like you will have to pay $75

Have you contacted the seller?   Maybe ask them how you can purchase both balls for the lower price.

Someone else might come along with more help.  Sorry.

[i-once-was-bump]

Thank you.

It is nice to see some familiar "faces" here.

[i-once-was-bump]

Hi

[springyzone]

That ad is way off the mark. A complete mess. No wonder you are confused.

Firstly, the seller has a photo of 2 skeins yet the auction is for only one. I thought that was a bit of a no-no on ebay?  I thought that a photo was meant to be of what you would actually get? I understand some ads would have props eg a doona cover might be shown on a bed & you wouldn't expect to get the bed too.

But 2 skeins of wool in a photo is a different matter. So they've messed that part up as far as I am concerned.

Second boo-boo was saying they would sell 2 balls at $75. Perhaps they think the buy it now price is a reserve, but they are not new to selling, they have sold a fair few other things. Their ad, their responsibility to understand how Buy it now works..

As you probably realise, if someone (you) bid on that ad and yours is the only bid (which is perfectly possible), the selling price would be $30.50. And that would be the end of that ad too as far as I can make out because it is not a multiple item type listing.

So the seller would need to relist the other one.

How much do you want the item and do you want one skein or both?

If it is one skein, put in your best bid and sit back. But be careful what you put in as best bid as the auction is only for one skein.

It is possible that if the skein sells at $30.50 they may refuse to honour the sale but then again, they may.

If you want both skeins, start messaging the seller.

[countessalmirena]

@i-once-was-bump,

The seller has indeed made some mistakes!

eBay says:

❝If you've got more than one of the same item available for sale, you should use eBay bulk listings to make all your stock available at once.❞

The page goes on to talk about the duration of the fixed-price listing (which of course is now outdated information since the highly contentious removal of all fixed-listing durations except for Good 'til Cancelled), so this is only possible to use if the seller wants to use fixed-price.

Of course, the seller may well prefer to use an auction-style listing as he/she has currently for these skeins. eBay doesn't allow a quantity other than 1 for auction listings; the only way for this seller to offer the 2 skeins in auction is to decide whether the listing is for ONE or for TWO. If for TWO, then the seller should edit the listing to reflect that the auction is for 2 skeins and that the starting price is 2 x the current starting price, etc.

If the seller decides to keep the listing for 1 skein, then any mention of the second skein has to be removed, other than referring to a second auction-style listing for the second skein and stating that postage will be combined.

These are the sections that have to go or be revised:

Quantity: 1 skein. (If the listing is for 1 skein but the seller has another listing up for the second skein, perhaps clarify - i.e., Quantity in this listing: 1 skein.)

Available: 2 skeins in total. (The seller should not say this except where the seller has a second listing for the second skein - i.e., Available: 2 skeins in total - just check my second listing (item no. xxxx) and if you purchase/win both, I'm happy to combine postage)

AUCTION: YOU ARE BIDDING ON ONE BALL ONLY. (Yes, fair enough - but then the seller can't also say "or $75.00 the lot".)

BUY IT NOW PRICE $42.95 PER BALL OR $75.00 THE LOT. (This is the most problematic part of the listing. It is going to be seen by eBay as an attempt to avoid fees/sell off-eBay. The seller cannot use an auction-style listing simultaneously as a classifieds listing! Either everything mentioned in the listing is included in the auction, or it's not. The seller is not permitted to advertise other things in the listing to avoid listing the second skein, in the same way that the seller isn't permitted to advertise, say, a car or a sewing machine or a rare book or a wardrobe in the listing. If the seller has another item that's available for sale on eBay, it's got to be listed separately in its own listing.)

Point the seller to Avoiding eBay fees policy, and Offers to buy or sell outside of eBay policy.

❝Not allowed

Offers outside of eBay

• Listing an item and then being paid outside of eBay
• Listing an item and then offering additional items for sale outside of eBay
• Offering related items for sale outside of eBay

[...]

Offering or requiring additional purchases

Not allowed

Offering or requiring the buyer to:

• Make an additional purchase before you will post them the item they originally purchased
• Purchase additional items or quantities from a listing❞

and

❝ Not allowed

Some examples of activities that aren't allowed include:

• Using member contact information obtained from eBay or using any eBay system to offer to sell any item outside of eBay.
• Posting or displaying contact information in a listing, including email, phone number and mailing address, without the permission of eBay or except as required by law.
• Cancelling a listing to sell to a buyer who found the item on eBay.
• Ending an auction-style listing early to sell the item to the winning bidder at a price higher than the current bid.
• Including, requesting, offering, or referencing contact information or an offer to buy or sell an item outside of eBay within a listing, Best Offer, email message or other communication with an eBay user or any other place on the eBay site.❞

Ask your seller to either make the listing for the two skeins, or to list the second skein separately so that you can buy them both without either the seller or you being disadvantaged. (The seller's obvious disadvantage would be eBay ending the listing and issuing a chastisement, and yours would be no buyer protection re the second skein.)