I have to agree with Paul.....and also agree with the sentiments of Charles in a later post. I don't think its off-topic because the existence of ebay brings a lot of us vintage parts that were otherwise economically unavailable. Ebay is like so many other things in life in that there is no such thing as a free lunch. I have been burned but more often than not, i get fair (or in some cases more than fair) value for my dollars. People list items to sell them. Having had stuff 'sold from under me', I always assume that something could be sold off ebay. In fact its a seller's option to delist something as 'no longer for sale'. Thus, if its something i really really want, and the item is unbid, I always ask a buyer what they are looking for and sometimes pay it. I don't think it unethical for either of us to do so. Sniping too is part of the game and it would be nice if auctions could be extended....
>From: halbike <halbike@yahoo.com>
>To: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>Subject: Re: [CR]The ethics of ending auctions early on vintage items on
>eBay.
>Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2003 14:02:38 -0800 (PST)
>
>There are A LOT of games being played on ebay. Bidders
>bid and retract without pentalty -sometimes because
>other people offer bidders the same item for less,
>sometimes for BID SHIELDING reasons(see ebay) Lots of
>Bogus bidders do not pay and ebay only provides the
>hollow remedy of negative feedback (They do not
>require a credit card or positive id from bidders as
>they do from seller). Fees are high and listing fees
>still have to be paid if the bidder does not pay,
>easily $5-10 on a quality item. If my auction has
>reached what I consider a good price and the bidder
>looks solid or is known to me -I sometimes end and
>sell for the current price because it is in my best
>interest-
>
>If you want to bid, bid. If you are playing last
>miniute snipe games you might get left out--
>Paul Genaro
>Sidney NY
>
>--- OROBOYZ@aol.com wrote:
> > I just had a question from a list member about this
> > (troubling in my opinion)
> > tendency of late for sellers of old bike parts
> > stopping auctions to accept a
> > (presumably high) offer from a buyer, thereby
> > nipping in the bud all standing
> > offers from others.
> >
> > I have copied my response below, in order to elicit
> > your opinions and
> > comments. I think it is on topic because so many of
> > us find the bits and pieces for
> > our old bikes through eBay.......
> >
> >
> > << I (believe) that canceling an eBay auction
> > before it is allowed to run
> > it's course is unethical on the part of the seller,
> > and by logical extension,
> > to the buyer.
> >
> > In my opinion, when one offers an item for sale in
> > an eBay auction, that
> > constitutes an agreement to enter into a
> > pre-established defined system of trade,
> > a set process, agreed upon "terms of sale".
> >
> > To allow someone (in this case, you) to make an
> > offer that changes those
> > agreed upon term or conditions. and remove all the
> > bidders efforts to jointly bid,
> > is a violation of this agreement and of ethics. If
> > the other bidders were
> > made aware of the "behind the scenes" offer and
> > given a chance to beat it, that
> > would be fair. But then we would be right back in an
> > auction context as eBay
> > allows.
> >
> > Ending an auction to accept a particular person's
> > offer, to the detriment and
> > elimination of all other bidders, eliminates the
> > promised competition to buy
> > at a highest bid. It simply is not playing fair.
> >
> > I personally would cease bidding on items placed for
> > sale by sellers who
> > ended auctions early to accept out-of-auction
> > offers.
> >
> > That's my opinion.....
> >
> > Dale Brown
> > Greensboro, NC
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