[meteorite-list] Ebay Tactics

From: dean bessey <deanbessey_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:47:10 2004
Message-ID: <LAW2-F111RkeS8Ykdav000009e4_at_hotmail.com>

I really doubt that there was any breaking of the law or ebay rules on that
auction. Slimy tactic maybe but within the rules. And even if there was ebay
usually takes a pretty lame response (Sort of like if there is a law but it
is not enforced anymore, is it really illegal).
That being said, all auctions are not the same. Every auction has a list of
rules - and ebays rules are many pages long, confusing and nobody ever reads
it all. When you bid in an auction you are bidding using the terms of
bidding. In ebays case (As somebody pointed out) you can break these rules 3
times (It used to be 4) before ebay will take action. I take that to mean
that terms of bidding on ebay is that you are permitted to break ebays rules
twice without good reason.
That may be slimy (As several people have pointed out) but rules are rules.
I remember Steve Schooner stating a while back that he will never use ebay.
You know, if you dont like the rules.....
As far as ending auctions early, that is very specifically permitted in
ebays rules (As long as it is not ended so that you can sell it to somebody
who found your product because of the ebay auction that it was in). If I
have a meteorite on my website (Like I do with my Campos which I slowly put
on ebay but are for sale on my site) I can end an auction of one if somebody
found it on my website but not to somebody who discovered it through my ebay
auction. (I actually have never done this and once I list it on ebay I put a
sold sign on it on my website but as to illistrate I could leave the price
on it if I wanted to and still be within ebay rules. I think that would be
slimy though but not against any rule).
As another illistration look at this auction: 1660586430. In the description
there are the comments "Aircraft is subject to prior sale, removal from the
market". The seller selling this airplane is a aircraft dealer and all of
the planes that they have on ebay are for sale in their showroom. So if they
sell this plane to somebody and the ebay auction is still live they can
cancel all of the bids and end the auction (As long as the buyer never found
the aircraft through the ebay auction). They are warning people up front and
there is nothing misleading, illegal or against ebay rules if they sell this
item and end the auction. If you bid on this auction you are bidding
according to the rules spelled out by ebay and the bidder. You cant claim
that you are getting hosed if you bid on this auction and got your bid
cancelled by the seller. You know the rules up front before you make your
bid. If you are willing to abide by those rules then you can make your bid.
If you bid and then complain and want to change the rules I would question
wither it was actually the bidder who was being the slimeball. As my friend
steve would say, if you dont like the rules, you.......
Cheers
DEAN
PS:
this tread was started because of a particular early ended auction. I never
looked at or researched that particular auction and so dont want anybody to
think that I am making a judgement on that particular auction. I am just
commenting on ebay in general.
>




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Received on Sat 10 Nov 2001 08:08:23 PM PST