eBay sellers – have you ever backed out of a sale?

Sold something on eBay that ended up going for a lot less than I hoped for… obviously, I know the market sets the price etc etc, but I'm feeling really unhappy about letting said item leave my hands for the relatively paltry amount it finished on!!

What're the repercussions if I just tell the buyer that it's no longer for sale? I'll get a negative feedback I know, but is there anything else (legal challenges or something stupid like that perhaps?)

nothing will happen, if he leaves a negative take it,

legal challenges or something stupid like that perhaps?

Almost certainly not (tell them it's broken or something?), just a very unhappy buyer, a guilty conscience and negative feedback.

This is what reserve prices are for.

i think so too. what seller was?

a guilty conscience

😆

I couldn't give a **** about ebay -its a ****hole.

How much are we talking?

well… I was hoping for £200+ and in the end it went for just under £90 🙁 If it'd gotten over £150 I'd have taken it on the chin, but less than £100 is just too much to bear!

I'd happily take the neg. Its the equivalent to a days pay or working for free for 8hours?

A neg is nothing in the grand scheme. Not a fan of Ebay fellas- does that come across?

Technically the other person has the right to take you to small claims court over the matter and as it's an auction you are legally bound to sell it to him. The chances of anyone actually doing this are slim though.

But as said above if you won't let the item go for less than a certain amount then either set a reserve or a starting price of that value. Going back on the deal because you don't like the price is out of order IMHO when you could have done different things to prevent it happening in the first place.

I couldn't give a **** about ebay -its a ****hole.

Very true.

But you (and the OP) have/had the option not to use it, rather than the inconveniencing all the bidders and yourself (and OP will still pay auction fees of ~£9 even if he doesn't go through with the sale).

That said, I'm not sure I'd sell either if the item really was so undervalued.

You'll still have the item though and presumably still need to sell it…

personally I'd just complete on the sale on the basis I didn't want the item and don't want to be stuck with it and it would have been my own fault for not setting a reserve. Up to you though at the end of the day.

Poor form and neg feedback would be deserved but hardly the end of the world.

think of it this way , had you won it for 90 quid youd have been the first one to moan about the **** of an ebay seller ….

By contrast I've sold utter toot on Ebay for loads more than I expected, so the balance is restored.

think of it this way, had you won it for 90 quid youd have been the first one to moan about the **** of an ebay seller ….

I know… 🙁

I should just take it on the chin and hope karma sorts it out at some point in the future… but it's hard to accept! I don't really need to sell the item, I just decided to pop it up on a bit of a whim tbh, the end result isn't exactly what I was hoping for and now I don't want to let it go for a silly low price… selfish I guess, but there you go!

Yeah that is what is making ebay useless for buying and selling. Basically you should have put a reserve on / set a higher starting price if you wanted more for it.

Yes I don't mind taking stuff off ebay and selling it privately (to avoid fees) but if the person bid on your item you should go through with the sale.

Ebay is losing its appeal to be honest because of scammers / peaople not paying etc

Abit of contrast – I recently had to sell 2xtickets for Baddiel & skinner unplanned for seven pounds. They were £50.

Swore that would never ever happen again. Ever. No I dont beleive in karma. Oh the Karma-monkey takes into account a shyster auction site that protects its interests when handing out good karma?!

i dont use ebay unless its something i really want and cant get anywhere else….

not many bargains to be had on there now !

I guess you found out what the item really was worth to other people, didn't you?

Next time set a reserve, but in the meantime do the decent thing.

Seeing this thread would make me think twice about buying anything from you in the ST Classifieds…

I've just bought a *mint* bargain pair of SRAM anniversary shifters and mechs (stars and stripes) with box and everything, Ace! for my retro build!

If the seller backs I'll own da fugger with a set of mint 80mm travel canti bombers!

psychle – Member
well… I was hoping for £200+ and in the end it went for just under £90 If it'd gotten over £150 I'd have taken it on the chin, but less than £100 is just too much to bear!

Of the above figures, only the £90 is based in reality.

Had a similar dilemna a couple of months back when my Minoura Closet Cyclist ended up selling for 99p. I thought about withdrawing it from sale but figured this would be against the spirit of ebay which I have never had any issues with in the past.

So off it went for 99p, Lesson learned set a reserve or higher starting price its not worth saving 50p in listing fees to sell someting way cheaper than you intended

I'd rather have £90 in my pocket than old kit gathering dust in a box.

Hora, like life, ebay is as good as those in it.

I've had sellers back out on me before. (I bought a roof rack worth £250 fo £30, I knew it was too cheap. It got stolen before I could pick it up 😐 )

If you’re going to do it, at least fake a break in and theft!

I don't think they are worth £200 BTW, may be retro but it's not like it's really retro like mint XT thumbies, Pauls, Fat Chance or Pre Trek Klein. £90 may be a bit light but is it worth the hassle?

Your middle age nostalgia money isn't after these.

not many bargains to be had on there now !

Because people won't honour the selling price on something that sells too cheaply?

I use Ebay quite a bit and have sold things at less than I hoped to get and got things more cheaply than I would have paid. Do the right thing – it's a strength of character thing really.

EDIT: Removed link: don't want to create an audit trail

Sorry

Was watching 'em

there was enough interest in the product (judging by number of bids) to suggest the real worth has been reached. just go through with the deal and use a reserve next time

If I have something of high value and don't want to risk it going for too low I just start the auction at a suitable price – often do this when there's a free auction promo.

Agree with 5lab, looks like they've reached market value. Not a great ad IMHO, which probably didn't help.

Surely we all use our secondary shill bidding account to avoid this situation? 😈

'Send' the parcel to the winner. In two weeks he'll get back to you and say it hasn't turned up.

Then apologise profusely and say you'll refund him/her.

And have enough sense to hang on a good while before putting it on again. Don't relist it – the seller may get (helpfullyu) informed you've relisted and get a bit shirty.

Or you could accept that you were never going to get £250 for it like you wanted and £100ish was fair market value. Just 'cos it's old and has a USA flag on it don't make it valuable….

maybe should have made available to US bidders?

I sold a trailer hitchlock a while ago. Sold for 99p. Buyer was almost too embarassed to collect, but when he did he gave me £3. Offset by the wheel clamp I also sold, would have been happy with £15 so when it went for £38 was very happy indeed. Few weeks before I sold a towbar, bought for £65, used for almost 2yrs then sold for £90. Most stuff on Ebay reaches a fair value, I wouldnt buy for some of the prices I've sold stuff for, but if the buyer is happy then all is well.

As for the OP, if these things had plenty of bids then what else are you going to do with them ? They have reached a fair market value. If your sure they will go up in value then cancel the sale.

I've…

~ sold a CD for £13 that was available newon Amazon for £6.99
~ sold a set of wheels for £50, had an email from the buyer saying (very nicely) that he now couldn't afford them, cancelled the sale, re-listed them and saw them go for £5.

Makes you a welcher.

You made a deal and you should stick to it.

sold a set of wheels for £50, had an email from the buyer saying (very nicely) that he now couldn't afford them

Now that would wind me up! Did you try the 2nd chance thing?

psychle – it wasn't a Trek Solo frame and carbon forks was it ? 🙂

You'd have to pay me at least £90 to put that SRAM stuff anywhere near my bike – seems like you've reached a market price so do the decent thing & stick with the deal

Sold an old Barbour jacket for not much, but went to do the zip up to pack it and the bloody thing broke a tooth off

Those brass zips are bombproof as a rule and felt very guilty saying sorry can't sell it like that. A new zip would have cost more than the chap paid for the coat.

Simple matter of right and wrong Id say. Complete the sale, you'll be over it in a week.

Some days you're the pigeon, some you're the statue.