Well, seeing that this thread continues, I'll go ahead and weigh in from the view of a frequent buyer of vintage, pre-1983 bicycles and components. At the risk (that I'm willing to take) of offending a few others on this list, it seems obvious to me that it is unethical to end an auction early to sell to someone else with whom you've made contact via the eBay process. One can rationalize it to oneself because of eBay fees or bad buyers, but the seller in this case is cheating eBay as well as every other potential buyer who is taking the seller at his or her word. You've advertised to me you are going to do something - and then you don't! If the seller is willing to sell at some fixed price, they should use the Buy It Now feature or list it on the CR! I refuse to buy from someone who sells things 'under the table' since I obviously can't trust them. When I do win auctions and want to purchase additional auction items from the same seller, I ask them if I can delay payment until the other auction ends or inquire if they have additional, unlisted things to sell; I wouldn't dream of asking them to end an auction early and cut off other bidders. I will, however, grant forgiveness to sellers who end auctions with no bidders or because of contacts not related to eBay, particularly if they mention this possibility in their eBay ads.
On the topic of sniping, I do it all the time although I won't yet use software to help me (nothing wrong with it though). I started only after losing a few things to snipers and of course I was upset at first. However, on reflection, I really see nothing wrong with this practice. When the auction is almost over, I simply type in the highest amount I am willing to pay. The person who enters the highest bid wins, isn't that what an auction is supposed to accomplish? The only people hurt are those who can't make up their mind what something is worth to them, the ones who like to type in a dozen bids in the last 10 minutes of an auction as they ratchet up their lust. Sniping, to me, is really just a form of protection from these people. Those who want to enter their bids earlier are safe, as long as their high bid was higher than mine. If it wasn't, I should have been able to outbid them independent of sniping (just ask kauzo or allvitluxe). If you think an auction should be two people bidding back and forth against each other until one gives up, then I suppose sniping can be a disappointment but it's really no less exciting as you wait to see who wins from a dozen last second bids. I suppose that sellers might also get a little nervous but that's why they can set a reserve. I certainly don't see any reason to extend the auctions, just let the high bid win!
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Gary Chottiner Northeast Ohio
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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 at yahoo.com
http://www.bikelist.org/
>To: Classicrendezvous at bikelist.org
http://www.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 at aol.com
http://www.bikelist.org/
> > 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