There is another reason for existence (name that album.......) of ebay. Ahem..... It is a forum to match buyers with sellers (or searchers of unique stuff to those who have to clean out uncle morts attic), on a global scale. The advent of the Web made the service of the auctioning of goods available to the Masses. It is no longer an upper class party with tinking of champagne glasses.
Tom Martin
Oakland CA
<Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2003 11:32 AM Subject: Re: [CR]The ethics of ending auctions early on vintage items on eBay.
> sorry.........forgot my sign-off
>
> Skip Sinatra, a distant cousin
> Frog Level, VA
>
>
> >From: "skip sinatra" <skipsinatra@hotmail.com>
> >To: halbike@yahoo.com, Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> >Subject: Re: [CR]The ethics of ending auctions early on vintage items on
> >eBay.
> >Date: Tue, 30 Dec 2003 19:20:24 +0000
> >
> >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@yahoo.com>
> >>To: Classicrendezvous@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@aol.com wrote:
> >> > 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
> >> > _______________________________________________
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