Bid retracted by seller, no other explanation given

[Anonymous]

A listing came up for a Cossor Oscilloscope I was interested in, with an option to "Make Best Offer" – I sent two offers which were both reasonable for that type of equipment and the seller declined both of them immediately, so I gave up on the last offer and submitted one bid which was £20 plus bpf.

What I don't understand is that two bids were shown both "retracted by seller" and the second one came in at £118 on the listing "bid history!"

. . .Is eBay now submitting the buyer's maximum straightaway? – I have a feeling this is now happening as I recently lost an item I sniped on and the snipe went straight in at my maximum and not the previous bid shown, which was £79 plus one increment that I was expecting!

As there's no other bidder's involved can anyone explain if I did anything wrong here?

The item is now no longer listed for sale – have I simply come across a seller from the awkward squad with a vastly Over–inflated  idea of what his equipment is worth?

. . .I did have one seller get narky about me once asking if I could collect a tape recorder from the seller's nearest local station, but there's no question of a snag like this this arising on this cancelled listing I asked about as postage was offered with it!

[Anonymous]

PS!

. . .Now listed at £260 B.I.N. plus £22.55 postage!

[technthread]

It may be showing the maximum bid that was retracted as the listing was ended. I think I found the listing you mean but it only shows 1 bid retraction not 2. 

Regarding your offers, when a seller declines outright twice that is fairly emphatic. 2 things, I think they got cold feet that the auction would end below their valuation but also if you’re sending offers on this account it is worth noting that you have no feedback. Some sellers will refuse to sell a higher value item to accounts with no purchase history. 

[Anonymous]

. . .eBay's showing I've 2,014 feedback items, all positive in the last twelve months and a recent positive as a Seller – I've bought very frequently on eBay since 2006 and eBay shows that, with virtually all feedback acknowledging prompt payment of completed auctions (not b.i.n. listings) !

. . .On those occasions where I don't have the funds to complete immediately then I contact the seller stating when I will have the funds to complete, which is always within two days – if I know I won't have funds within 48 h of an auction–style listing ending I cancel any pending "snipes" or simply do not bid in the first place, and I've never had a seller turn nasty on that score alone!

[m25jet]

@technthread makes a valid point when he/she says "If you’re sending offers on this account it is worth noting that you have no feedback.  Some sellers will refuse to sell a higher value item to accounts with no purchase history", so if this is indeed the case then the best option may be to purchase some low value Buy It Now items to begin with, ensuring that you pay for the goods in fulll straightaway.  As you build up your buying history and your feedback history from sellers begins to accumulate, you could then start buying more high value items, but make sure that you always pay for the items straightaway, regardles of whether you bought them via fixed price listings or won them in auctions.

If you make a point of adopting the above approach then in the long run it ought to work in your favour, as if sellers leave you feedback in relation to the transaction and comment on your quick payment then if other sellers see a consistent pattern of that kind of feedback being left for you by other sellers then by earning yourself a reputation as being a consistently fast payer this may well prevent them from feeling somewhat apprehensive about accepting a Best Offer from you, especially if you make the seller an offer on a high value item.

[Anonymous]

Have I actually got two eBay accounts then and made an offer under the "auto–generated name" which only just started on this Forum then? It has "0" in brackets after the "auto–generated" User name on here!

[technthread]

The account you have posted off has 0 feedback so I didn’t realise you had another eBay account.

From what I remember seeing earlier, it looked as though the seller underestimated their postage on the auction, they were an infrequent seller and I agree their new buy it now price seemed very inflated based on the sold history of similar items.

It looked like an inexperienced seller unhappy with their own listing so they pulled it. I wouldn’t take it personally tbh just sit and watch it, when they realise it won’t sell for a crazy price that’s when to go back with fair offer. 

[christopher56000]

It does look as tho' there were inadvertently two accounts opened on eBay somehow, the second one from a Google "Gmail" log in, I've asked eBay to delete the account related to this "cwilli" login which is the "0" feedback one!

[technthread]

As I clicked on the listing a few times I have been classed as a watcher so just FYI the seller has sent me an offer of £73.52.

[technthread]

Aaand it’s now sold (it wasn’t me who bought it). 

[nigel_paul_wright7557]

It doesnt matter what seller thinks an item is worth.

At the end of the day it will go for what buyers think its worth.

Second hand tech is always a gamble, might last 10 years or last 10 minutes and the warranty period is 30 days.