Ebay Etiquette

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,539]

This evening I was browsing through ebay, searching Wheel Horse things. I ran across a Wheel Horse brochure that was still reasonable. I noticed there were 2 bidders so far so I thought about bidding. Until I saw who the high bidder was. I recognized the username as a member of this site. So I didn't bid. Anyone else feel some sort of obligation to other members or to people you know when it comes to bidding on ebay items?

[Buzz 502]

I usually back off if I recognize the other bidder unless I REALLY need it. Then I contact them privately and ask how bad they need it. A lot of times they back off. Other times we bid against each other. One time one of the bidders said he REALLY, REALLY needed it so I backed off. As soon as he won it he offered it to me for 50% than he paid. I told him no thanks, and don't hesitate to bid against him now.

Buzz

[Jim_M 179]

I usually don't bid on something if I know the guy that's the high bidder on it. I did out bid a guy that I knew once, but it was a part that I HAD to have, we're still friends though.

Maybe we should all post our eBay user names here??

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,539]

Buzz,

That's good advice - to contact him to see if he really wants or needs it. And, that was a lousy thing for that one guy to do - not only did he claim to need it, but then knowing your desire for it, he tried to capitalize on that. I could see him offering it to you for what he won it for, but.....

Jim,

I thought of that also - to post our ebayer user names. I'm not sure if that would go over with the rest of the membership here. But, it's a idea that should be explored.

[kj4kicks 154]

Hi Guys, My username is the same everywhere, so I'm not hard to find. If I recognize any of you, I'll back off or contact you. I'd love a list of Red Squarians, so I can know who's who.

$.02.... in the bank!

Eldon.

PS. Hope nobody else was bidding on 520 parts tonight :D

[nylyon-(Admin) 7,433]

I use a different eBay user id (kgl30b). I don't do all that much on eBay but when I do I look at the bidders list. Recently though eBay is masking the bidders, not sure if that is a sellers option or not. I haven't been in the scenario, but I would assume that if I really needed a part, I would have posted it here first and you would all know anyway, and would hope that no one would intentionally try to mess things up, with the reverse to be true as well.

[Rollerman 290]

Hmm my ebay name's kinda easy to figure out.

Some people don't like it but with ebays new "anonymous" bidding on items over or a reserve over $300 it helps to avoid that.

Terry I understand how you feel about ebay etiquette.

I was given a talk from some of the old timers a while back about how we"collectors" don't bid against one another...LOL

Funny I have been outbid by many of them now?

I don't get in bid races, rather wait & watch.

I don't bid over people who have honored the etiquette with me also.

But yes it can be a touchy subject.

There are a few on ebay who bid on anything & everything I think just to see there name.

Stephen in northern IN

[kj4kicks 154]

Karl, ebay has a new policy where the block out most of the username on anything over a certain dollar value. I think it's $200 (?)

So your id would show up as k****b to the rest of the world. Mine would show up as k******s .

Hope that makes it a little easier.

Eldon.

Edited: Stephen and I typing at the same time !!

[Rollerman 290]

You did better though Eldon, said the same thing in a lot less words.

Stephen in northern IN....blah,blah,blah..LOL

[kpinnc 13,438]

Never thought about it fellas. I've read in some of the posts here that some people recognize each other's names. I've never really paid attention to the names of the bidders I've won over, or lost against.

Still, if I recognize a name, I'd certainly be concerned about offending one of you. Everyone here has been kind and courteous to me, and I want to be the same in return. I just went back and checked something I'm watching now to make sure I'm not stepping on any toes. I don't think this is a good thing...

That said, I am a bit reluctant to say I think we should all post our usernames. Reason being? If I lose a bid to someone I don't know, or they do the same with me, it's just a "well shucks" kinda thing. If we know one another, well, it sorta becomes personal. It's going to happen, no way around it.

I don't want anyone here to take what I'm saying the wrong way. It's just that I see the potential for a big mess if we start asking one another how much the other really wants something they are bidding on. Someone will bid on something in a hurry, or at the last minute without looking, and there goes the neighborhood. I don't think we should complicate the Ebay process for each other. Someone is gonna get ticked off, and this group is far too good for that kind of thing.

I look at an auction of any kind as working as well as it can. The person who wins is the one who wants something bad enough to pay the most for it. It's a fair process in my mind. Now, if someone says to a winner after the auction "I'll give you what you paid for it because I need it for whatever", that can be between the two individuals. The fair process has been satisfied, and whatever you make of it is between the two of you. Still, I don't see how you can do it. I think the "looking for" and "for sale" sections here are the best route to go.

My two cents- I hope I don't offend...

Kevin

[Rollerman 290]

Good & valid points Kevin.

In the end it is an auction

Stephen in northern IN

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,539]

I use my daughter's ebay user name when I bid on stuff, and I don't bid on a lot anyway.

I usually don't look at bidder's names, but have noticed a couple of members names here and I will respect anyone here. I'm not saying that everyone do that, it's just that's what I would do. If I really wanted or needed something, Buzz offered up good advice that I think I will use if I recognize someone's user name.

I too would rather see stuff posted here first, but I realize when someone wants to sell something, he or she just wants to sell it for what they think it's worth. Ebay is just another avenue for doing that.

Happy bidding, guys.

[Jim_M 179]

After thinking about it, it won't do me any good to post my eBay user name. I always bid in the last 5 seconds of the auction. If I'm not going to be near a computer when the auction ends I have a piece of auction sniping software set up to bid for me in the last 5 seconds. I don't buy a lot on eBay anyway, but I do sell a lot of spare parts there.

[CasualObserver 3,410]

Hrmmm... sniping software you say?... You aren't by chance "youalmosthadit" are you? I've seen that one pop up in the last minute of auctions before.

My ebay name's the same handle as here as well... well, close... it has my middle initial in it too. I've looked at some stuff, and watched it go because I recognized it was a fellow collector, and I didn't really NEED it. I know I've seen Brrly's name on a few things I would have liked to have gotten but didn't feel like trying to outbid a fellow collector. No sense in making him pay a higher price!

[Jim_M 179]

Nope, not me, that guy got me a time or two also. I'm some_great_things since I mostly sell Wheel Horse parts and they're some great things!

[CasualObserver 3,410]

It's funny to me that someone even invented "sniping software" :D

[Curmudgeon 28]

To me, it's an auction. Whoever is willing to bid the highest, gets it. If we back off because we see someone we know bidding against us, then the reverse should also be true. If the seller is someone we know, we should bid more, right?

To change a bid because it's someone we know is favoritism, and if you're gonna go one way, you darn well better go the other.

As for me, when I see something I want, I slap my highest bid on it, and wait. If I get it, great, if not, there is no difference because to bid again would be going against how much I think it's worth.

My opinion anyway.

Dale

[CasualObserver 3,410]

when I see something I want, I slap my highest bid on it, and wait. If I get it, great

Usually my philosophy as well, Dale, but sometimes (though rarely) if I get outbid... I may decide to go just a little bit more. I just don't get the people who don't get the concept of Proxy-bidding, and have to bid like 4 hundred times and fifty cent increments until they outbid you. What they're thinking, eludes me. :D

[Curmudgeon 28]

I won't say I've never went back and upped my bid, I have. I've wanted a Wheel Horse belt buckle for some time, and I did raise myself on that one. While the raise was $10, it only took $3 extra to get it.

Ebay is an auction, but like you say, it's proxy bidding. I don't care how fast your connection is, my higher bid via proxy will ALWAYS beat you, until you exceed my highest, then I'm done anyway, so the tiny increment bidder will have a false victory anyway, just won't realize it! LOL

Dale, believes in the easy route, in Michigan

[kpinnc 13,438]

Maybe the solution to the points raised in this thread is simple: If you feel a degree of loyalty to the people on this site, and I would imagine most of us do, post your item in the "for sale" forum with an expiration date on it (24-48 hours), and list it on Ebay afterward if no one is interested.

Or, if you list an item on Ebay, reserve the right to end the auction early because the item is for sale locally. If a member contacts you about it, and you feel compelled to sell it to them, drop the auction and do it as long as there aren't any other bids on it yet.

But, I still think we should be cautious about how this is handled. I think the idea of posting all our usernames is based on solid, and heartfelt good intentions for the members of this site to watch out for one another. But, it might get very sticky if we aren't careful...

Again, my two cents.

Kevin