I made a mistake selling my last item on ebay.

[6936jenny]

Using the auction method I put $700 for the price with .99 starting bid.

I wanted $700 as the reserve.  I did not find this clear when I listed the item and I am not experienced using ebay.

The buyer came out aggressively and said I must honour the bid.

I wonder if others have had this experience.

[bakeandfry]

Tuckcase, while i agree with you i must say some people are not aware of site map or would not have a clue how to get to full site to access it, take app users for example, you dont get much help there by accessing help and contact, and even if by some miracle that you stumble apon the correct area, your greeted by "send ebay a email" or "call us". Can be very frustrating!

[meekamag2]

Yes, they HAVE learnt a valuable lesson - NOT to follow ebay's advice re 99c starts. And that people on here aren't friendly.

I think we should be much more understanding of new sellers and the problems they encounter rather than just giving it to them with both barrels, especially supercilious barrels.

[2106greencat]

OP - Jenny,

As I have said, you do not have to honour the sale, the worst you will receive is a negative feedback - if you do you can simply reply to that feedback so other buyers can read your response.

Keep it polite and simple -

ie: Very new to eBay, my apologies, could not honour .99c sale for item worth over $700.

eBayers will understand, and all should work out for you.

To the naysayers, look at it this way - Jenny lists her item, just say she knew what she was doing and started the bidding at $550 - a buyer thinks wow, I reckon that is worth $900, so I will bid $650 - accidentally they bid $6500.00..........

should they be expected to pay that ? Would they pay that........

I thnk not

[medalsbadgespatches]

Hi, you made a mistake however the sale is a contract. The buyer is well within their rights to expect you to fulfil you part of the contract.

You will need to weigh up accepting a financial hit or asking to cancel the transaction. Bear in mind the Ebay feedback system is designed for the BUYER to leave their assesment of the transaction. Failing to honour the contract will possibly get you a negative feedback mark. Money or feedback score?

Any advice to not honour the sale just gives credibility to every other person who doesnt get a fair price for their item.

All new sellers must be aware of their obligations- just like every buyer.

A sale is a contract. Simple.

[black*poppy]

The buyer's response clearly demonstrates that the sale was far too cheap.  I would guess that when they went in swinging, they were well aware the sale was probably not going to happen.  If it seems to good to be true....

Yes there will be consequences in defects etc, but personally I would find it hard to justify losing $700 for the chance I MIGHT not get a negative, etc.  My thoughts would be, well, it's a bummer to get a negative, but I deserved it for my mistake, and I've learnt from it.   Actually to lose that amount of money could be quite a financial hardship for some (me included).

The item still belongs to the OP and there is not a law in the country, or a policy of ebay's, that can force them to sell it at any price. 

[cherry*135]

3 bidders, got to $150 approx.

If the seller, reneges on this sale and lists them again for $500-$700 will anyone bid at that starting price?

Sellers new or old should realise they price they list an auction for may not go any higher than the starting price. 

[found-in-australia]

Just one thing to bear in mind, while listening to the various bits of advice above:

You have entered into a legally binding contract.

New South Wales courts confirmed this years ago over the sale of a vintage aeroplane, where it was worth worth the buyer pursuing it through the legal system. You are highly unlikely to encounter such an action over an item worth somewhere between $150 and $700, but you need to understand that whether or not you knew how to use the selling tools that were supplied by Ebay, you have indeed entered into a legally binding contract.

[springyzone]

Ah don't worry tuckcase, I'm really pretty tame.

I agree with you actually. Sellers (and buyers) who go in without reading any basic terms are a right royal pain and I also get tired of reading their excuses.

But what people should do and what they do do are two different things.

This person has gone in and listed something at a much cheaper price than they were prepared to sell for. Plain stupidity. Blind freddy should know you start at a price you'd be prepared to sell and if it goes up higher that is happy money (as our current real estate agent calls it).

Ebay doesn't help though, it positively encourages people to list at 99c, or it used to do.

Given that we agree the seller here was a tad impulsive & silly and also a nuisance because this sort of thing is an absolute pain to genuine buyers too, what is the solution?

Some are suggesting it is enshrined in law that the sale is final. Good luck with that one. What is law and what you can enforce are 2 different things, I can promise everyone that. Very few people will take a small matter to the courts as the legal costs would outweigh the benefits. If the item sold for $150, it wouldn't be worth it.

I am just saying what i would do if I were the seller, knowing ebay as I do.

I would not be convinced I wasn't going to get a neg even if I honoured the sale now as the buyer is already upset and getting aggressive.

I would not want to lose my item if i felt it really was worth $700, or even $500. $150 isn't a good outcome.

So I would just refuse to hand it over, I am afraid. I would ask for a sale cancellation, but in any case, I would not proceed, although i would explain politely to the buyer that i had made a mistake.

What is the worst that could happen? I suppose I have got cynical in old age. Ebay probably won't kick the seller off, not with just one neg, but if they do and the person isn't a big seller, so what, there are other selling platforms such as buy/swap/sell on FB or gumtree.

My main worry would be the buyer coming round to my house and being violent.

[5kazam]

(Only replying to you as you're the last poster)

All of the above posters who say OP should honour the sale have obviously NEVER been subjected to a NON PAYING BUYER - you know the ones who enter into a legal and binding contract by bidding on an item - but don't pay.  Oh, and let's not forget the CREDIT CARD CHARGEBACK BUYERS - the ones who claim alleged unauthorised use of CC, and get their items for free.

I  believe it is grossly unfair to try to pressure a seller into abiding by the 'rules', but buyers, to whom those same rules apply, can and do, break them.  Whilst not acceptable, it is accepted.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

[medalsbadgespatches]

The new ebay. Buyers dont have to pay and sellers dont have to send.