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Ebay Selling Question

Started by HobieSport, October 01, 2009, 08:16:10 AM

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HobieSport

I am having a strange problem/experience as a new seller on eBay. I'm sorry to ask about this here on the phone forum among polite company but I don't know where else to ask. I'm hoping that maybe some folks here who have experience selling on eBay can maybe give me some friendly advice.

Here is my situation: I recently re listed my fine 1968 WE 500 on a ten day auction:

http://tinyurl.com/ycrj3jf

I re listed it on Sunday, September 27th for a ten day auction, which would end on Wednesday, October 7th. All in good faith. This is the first time that I have tried to sell on eBay.

But I just received a notification that the item has sold, and asking for an invoice, and it is only October 1st.

I could contact the "buyer" and ask them about this, but it is so strange that I want to ask here on the forum first, among friends, if anyone has an idea about what might be going on here. Could it just be some kind of glitch in the eBay software? Am I being scammed? I honestly double and triple checked to make sure that the situation wasn't due to some kind of glitch in my middle-aged brain.

Should I try to contact an officer at eBay and ask them about this discrepancy?

I'm sorry to bother the members of this fine forum about this, but I am honestly confused and am not sure what to do. I know that sometimes my mind can slip a little bit in my middle age, but I checked the calender and I have done everything correctly on eBay, so the problem is not due to any mistake of my own.

Has anyone on the forum ever had an experience like this on eBay as a seller? I'm really at a loss about how best to proceed. I want to become a good seller on eBay and this initial glitch is not encouraging. Hopefully it will just be a learning experience.

Please advise.

sincerely,

-Matt


-Matt

JimH

Matt,
I would contact ebay right away, and see what happened with your auction.  It seems it couldn't have sold until the auction was over.  I looked at the "bid history" of your item, and it states the auction went from Sept. 19 to Sept. 29.  It would have said "Bidding ended with 'buy it now'", if that had been the case, and it does not.  It looks like it wasn't re-listed, but the auction was just continued.  Whatever the reason, I would contact ebay and see what your options are.  They should be able to look and tell you exactly what happened, from their end.  Hopefully you aren't obligated to sell that beautiful phone for $15!
Jim H.

HobieSport

#2
Thank you Jim.

I just spoke with an agent at eBay and it does seem like the telephone did sell for $15, but somewhere something went wrong with the computer software, and I have been wondering if it was some mistake on my own part.

I'm pretty sure that I first listed the phone for a ten day auction, and it didn't sell, and then I then re listed it for a second ten day auction. But eBay computer records say that my first listing was only for a one day auction. Something is wrong here, and I would be the first one to think that I just made a mistake, but I don't think so.


Anyway, I'll contact the buyer today and ship them the telephone. It's been an interesting experience as a first time eBay seller. Not exactly confidence building, but if the transaction goes through okay and the buyer gives me good feedback, I'll just chalk it up as a learning experience.

Nice phone by the way. ;)
-Matt

Dennis Markham

Hobie, it may be a moot point now but I always used the "Live Chat" with eBay and found it to be the quickest way to communicate.  I don't know if they provide a telephone number.  I think they avoid telephone conversations.  The Live Chat works great.  Good luck.

HobieSport

#4
Thank you Dennis. I may try using "live chat" with eBay next time. I did phone them and it did take about a hour of listening to musak to eventually get through. But it was also good to speak with a real person, with human vocal inflections and all that.  :)

By the way, note to everyone: I hope my fledgling experiences here with eBay are educational for anyone interested. ;D
-Matt

Dan/Panther

Matt;
This may not be whats going on, but did you get that bid before you relisted the item, and it not being high enough, you decided to relist it. If that's the case you sold the phone for $15.00. That is what I see, when I look at your auction.
OR
Apparently the buyer put in a snipe bid for seconds before the auction closed. If that's the case Matt, I'm afraid it's sold for $15.00. You should put an opening bid, or reserve price otherwise it goes for whatever is bid.
By the date and time it looks like the bid was placed on 9-29, at 12:56 pm, but it also states the bid was made 7 hours earlier.

D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

HobieSport

#6
Thanks D/P,  I think you are very likely correct. Thank you for thinking about it and for such a reasonable explanation.

I am just packaging and shipping the phone to the buyer in due respect.

I telephoned the buyer this morning just to confirm. He actually doesn't speak English. That was a bit awkward. But I'm just sending him the telephone in sincerity.

I don't expect to get good eBay feedback on this, though; my first eBay sale.

It seems like the "mishap" was nobody's fault, and I'm taking it as a learning experience.

Nice phone by the way. What did you think of my eBay presentation? Was it way "over the top"?





-Matt

Dan/Panther

#7
Matt;
Why would not expect a positive reaction, unless you got nasty with the guy ?

It is a nice looking phone.
Don't feel bad, selling phones is heart wrenching at times.
I had an Orange hard wired ITT 500 that I completely went through polished and made look great. Final selling price $43.00. I was very disappointed at the sale price, then to make it worse, the next day a guy listed an unrestored, crimped cord dirty phone just like mine, and it sold for $84.00.
I will never understand what motivates a buyer. Finlovers figured it out, and to save my rear I don't know how he does it, but I'm glad someone does. I've since focused on restoration of trains for the most part, and I'm getting better results at sales time.
Here is a picture of the last phone I sold on ebay.
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

Dennis Markham

Dan, I can't believe that you only got $43 for that phone.  Those orange phones seem to do well.  I still believe that unless you need to get rid of it now, hanging on to them until the stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas will improve sales.

bwanna

hobie, i think you made a very nice presentation of your phone. the "date significance" hint was a good idea. my advice doesn't mean much, as i have never been an ebay seller. but i will give it anyway. i would set the beginning price at the lowest amount i would accept for the item. maybe it was the white modular cord that kept the bidding down.

d/p, i would have bought your "chevy orange" phone for $43.
donna