Ending an auction early if buyer hasn't requested

Does anyone have a particular feeling about this one way or the other?

 

For example say a buyer buys one item from a seller with BIN and has a bid on another item. Is it cool to just go ahead and end the auction without consulting with the buyer in your opinions?

 

I'm of two minds.

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Ending an auction early if buyer hasn't requested

"end the auction without consulting with the buyer in your opinions?"

 

I do that quite regularly.

 

Typically, I may have 50 items listed at auction.  The same items are available (often in large quantities)  in my eBay store at fixed price (BIN).  Once I notice a buyer has placed a bid, I will end the auction immediately and sell the item at the opening bid (which is the same as fixed price (BIN) listings).

 

It is not unusual to have a buyer purchase an item at fixed price, place a bid on two other items, not realizing they are available for immediate sale at fixed price.  I make it easier by ending both auctions and sending an invoice combining all items.

 

Everybody is happy.  I have yet to find an unhappy buyer.

 

About fifteen years ago I had an item at auction (value about $3 at fixed price) that sold at auction for $34. Good you think?  Not really.  I would have had a very unhappy buyer if I listed a large quantity of the same item at fixed price at $3.  When I relisted one at auction with a starting price of $30, nobody participated. Smiley Sad  Tried $25 a while later.  No taker.  Smiley Sad  Then tried $20.  Still no taker!  Smiley Sad

 

That was the magic (and curse) of eBay at the turn of the century!

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Ending an auction early if buyer hasn't requested

Is it cool to just go ahead and end the auction without consulting with the buyer in your opinions?

 

Without consulting?

No.

I'd message the bidder and let her know that the same item is available at fixed price and ask if she wants to go for that instead. Note that you will combine and discount shipping as an extra inducement.

If she agrees then end the auction, first cancelling any other bids, and she wins at her standing bid.

 

Of course, you don't know if there is a sniper waiting with a nuclear bid for the last second of the auction. 

 

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Ending an auction early if buyer hasn't requested

If I am understanding you correctly you would like to end the auction and sell it to them at their current bid...is that right? I don't think that there is anything wrong with doing it but I would ask if they would like you to do that.   I can't really think of a downside to going ahead and doing but I think that it is always  a good idea to keep buyers informed about what you are doing. 

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Ending an auction early if buyer hasn't requested

thanks for the replies.

 

I could think of a few downsides to consulting.

 

The main one is - once you send the message, you're kind of obliged to wait till they reply.

 

Also, the slim chance that you would wind up with a misunderstanding of some type - or the again very slim chance the buyer might think something isn't kosher.

 

Maybe the combined approach of ending with a note of explanation - which I would do anyway...

 

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Ending an auction early if buyer hasn't requested

"eBay at the turn of the century!"

 

Smiley Happy

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Ending an auction early if buyer hasn't requested

Isn't it strange to realize that we have all lived in two centuries now.

And our children may live in three.

My DD will be 133 in 2100. Feasible if unlikely. But if your kid was born in 1999, there's a very good chance.

 

I was at a meeting recently when a woman tendered her resignation from the executive to give a younger person a chance.

She was 98.

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Ending an auction early if buyer hasn't requested

"But if your kid was born in 1999"

 

* ding ding ding ding *

 

Smiley Wink

 

Plenty of room to imagine that these kids (not to mention ones born today) could live forever...

 

 

 

 

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Ending an auction early if buyer hasn't requested


@femmefan1946 wrote:

Isn't it strange to realize that we have all lived in two centuries now.

And our children may live in three.

My DD will be 133 in 2100. Feasible if unlikely. But if your kid was born in 1999, there's a very good chance.

 

I was at a meeting recently when a woman tendered her resignation from the executive to give a younger person a chance.

She was 98.


In 1998 my apartment neighbour and I discovered we had the same birthday, just with a few years of separation. 😉

I would have figured her as being in her early 80's, instead of pushing the 100 mark. She joined the three century club and still had a few years leftover to use.

 

 

Back on original topic: the one disadvantage of ending early is when the auction bidder is not ready/able to pay before the scheduled auction end.

 

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Ending an auction early if buyer hasn't requested


@pierrelebel wrote:

 

It is not unusual to have a buyer purchase an item at fixed price, place a bid on two other items, not realizing they are available for immediate sale at fixed price.  I make it easier by ending both auctions and sending an invoice combining all items.

 


I'm trying to understand why listing the same items at FP and at auction is a good idea, and not a potential source of serious buyer dissatisfaction, in a situation where (unlike the one you mention) a seller doesn't keep a very careful watch on duplicated listings -- or have an exceptional memory.  This would be especially true if a seller has several hundred listings or more, with a number of BIN/auction duplications. 

 

It would of course make a buyer very happy to be informed the seller was ending the auction and they could have the item at the opening bid, as you mention.  This makes a lot of sense, as long as you catch the situation in time. 

 

However, what if the seller fails to recognize the connection?  The buyer could end up paying far more, then later see the same item at BIN at a much lower price.  I suppose if the buyer complained, the seller could cancel the auction transaction and sell the item at the BIN price, but this seems rather messy and could generate a defect through neutral/negative FB.

 

I'm just trying to grasp why a seller with a large number of items for sale would do this, i.e. how one would manage monitoring the duplicates consistently and reliably.  Also, why not offer the auction items with BIN equivalent to the same FP items?  Presumably the extra listing cost is the reason?  I think I'd rather pay the extra listing cost than have a possibly irate buyer. 

 

I presume the OP doesn't have thousands of listings and so was able to spot the problem in time (which is no doubt why he posted the question).  Still, even with a smaller number of listings one could conceivably overlook the situation, or realize it a bit too late.  

 

This is something I've never done myself (listing an identical item at BIN and auction at the same time), so I'd be interested in knowing the rationale behind it. 

 

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Ending an auction early if buyer hasn't requested

"I'm trying to understand why listing the same items at FP and at auction is a good idea,"

 

Very simple: more sales!

 

Some eBay shoppers still look at auctions only.  Others look at fixed prices (BIN) only for immediate purchase.  Others look at both.

 

It comes down to give buyers what they want, when they want it, in the format they chose.

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Ending an auction early if buyer hasn't requested


@pierrelebel wrote:

 

Very simple: more sales!

 

Some eBay shoppers still look at auctions only.  Others look at fixed prices (BIN) only for immediate purchase.  Others look at both. 

 


Yes, I do understand this of course.  

 

What I was wondering about was the how of monitoring duplicate BIN/auction items to ensure you don't end up with very unhappy customers, or a messy situation of cancellations, payment refunds and possible defects from all that. 

 

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Ending an auction early if buyer hasn't requested

As stated earlier, I only duplicate when I have large quantities of identical items: one at auction. many at fixed price (BIN)

 

Twice the coverage, twice the exposure, twice the opportunity to sell the item... without any additional fees!

 

Does it get any better than that?

 

"...ensure you don't end up with very unhappy customers"

 

With sixteen years selling on eBay (over twenty-seven years by mail order) with over 100,000 eBay transactions, still 100% feedback rating, 5.0 across the board in DSRs. I know by now how to avoid making my customers unhappy!  Smiley Happy

 

Life is good!

 

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Ending an auction early if buyer hasn't requested


@pierrelebel wrote:

 

"With sixteen years selling on eBay (over twenty-seven years by mail order) with over 100,000 eBay transactions, still 100% feedback rating, 5.0 across the board in DSRs. I know by now how to avoid making my customers unhappy! " 


Yes, I know your stellar record, and it's praiseworthy.  

 

But I don't think you've answered my question -- I wasn't doubting your record or whether your customers are happy, but wanted to know how you avoid pitfalls when listing duplicate items (at BIN + auction). 

 

Maybe an example will make it easier to explain what I'm asking (I'll use sewing patterns as an example so it's clear I'm not criticizing you in any way):  

 

I list 100 sewing patterns, all absolutely identical, same model, same company, at BIN for, let's say, $12 each.  I then list 2 more of the same pattern at auction, on the same day, with a starting bid of $12 (and without a BIN option on those).  

 

Buyer #1 puts a $12 bid on one of the auctioned patterns -- great, but this buyer is in California and bids 4 hours before I get up in the morning (I'm in Atlantic time zone), so I know nothing about it at the time.  Another bidder in the same time zone, who is paying no attention to the BIN items, outbids her, at $15.  Great for me, but now I have one buyer who has overpaid for an item offered elsewhere in my store and another whose bid would have bought her the pattern at the BIN price, but she's now lost the auction.  

 

Sure, she can look around in my store for the BIN pattern at $12, but if I were that buyer, I'd be rather miffed that I'd been hoodwinked into wasting my time getting involved in an auction when the identical item was available elsewhere for the same price as my bid.   

 

Meanwhile, Buyer #2 has won the pattern at $16.  I wake up the next morning and find I have two bids.  How can I back-track now?  Cancel the auction and let Buyer #2 have the item for $12?  Then direct Buyer #1 to my BIN items?  What if the auction has actually ended?  Do I refund Buyer #2 the $4.00 over the BIN price, along with a grovelling apology?  

 

I'm sorry, I don't see how this strategy can be completely free of complications, and you haven't answered that question.  I've wanted to try it for the very reasons you mention (to attract more buyers), but I've been reluctant because of those potential complications. 

 

I'm not saying that you personally didn't manage to navigate this tricky situation, I'm only asking how do you do it without any risk of this kind of scenario?  Do you keep a chart reminding you to check any duplicate auction item every hour or two?  Do you have some sort of software to track bids and send an immediate alert to your email or Iphone?  Do you provide a partial refund in the event you have a second (higher) bidder on a duplicated auction item?  I don't get it. Smiley Happy

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Ending an auction early if buyer hasn't requested


@pierrelebel wrote:

 

"Once I notice a buyer has placed a bid, I will end the auction immediately and sell the item at the opening bid (which is the same as fixed price (BIN) listings)."

 


To be precise, this is the problem I'm having in comprehending how this strategy works -- it apparently relies on the seller noticing a buyer has placed a bid.  What if a seller doesn't notice in time?  And especially if there is a second (or subsequent) bid(s)? 

 

Please see my post above for an example. 

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Ending an auction early if buyer hasn't requested

" I don't get it."

 

What can I say?  It works for me.  This marketing method helps me increase my sales at no additional cost and my customers are happy. It may not work for everyone.

 

And life does go on.

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Ending an auction early if buyer hasn't requested


@pierrelebel wrote:

 

What can I say?  It works for me.  This marketing method helps me increase my sales at no additional cost and my customers are happy. It may not work for everyone.

 


I can only conclude from your evasive replies that you'd prefer not to divulge your process for ensuring you can track such bids in real time (or at least in time to avoid any complications), which is fair enough, and I do understand.  I don't always want to broadcast my hard-earned "tips" on these boards. 

 

Since I frequently have buyers in time zones that are very much out of sync with my own, and I'm not always around to monitor bids and deal with them immediately, I'd consider this strategy (duplicate BIN/auction items) just a bit too risky for my taste.  For some reason that I can't fathom it has not been a concern for you, but you've obviously worked out a way to avoid the kind of complications I mentioned above.  

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Ending an auction early if buyer hasn't requested

"...your evasive replies..."

 

????

 

I was a clear as I can be be.

 

To repeat: sometimes I use the auction format to list items which are also available at fixed price (BIN) in large quantities in my eBay store.  The auction starting price will be the same as the fixed price (BIN).

 

Buyers may see one listing or the other or both.  Either way it does not matter as they have the opportunity to buy the item at the same price.

 

If the buyer uses the auction listing, that listing will be ended with a sale to the buyer at that price.  And I will often relist the same item at auction one more time.

 

I do not see problems nor do my buyers.

 

Now, possibly the sun will rise in the West tomorrow and I may have to reconsider the meaning of life.  In the meantime, I keep it simple and enjoy additional sales at, as stated earlier, no additional cost to me.  Does it get any better?

 

Now, possibly some sellers may not wish to use the same marketing method.  That's OK.  We live in a free world and sellers should do what works for them.  If it does not work for you or you see too many potential problems, by all means ignore the suggestion.

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Ending an auction early if buyer hasn't requested

We seem to be speaking two different languages, but that's OK.  I'm glad this works for you.  I really was just wondering what your "failsafe" method was for catching those bids at the right time.  I was not questioning the effectiveness of your method.  No need to be snarky. Smiley Happy

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Ending an auction early if buyer hasn't requested

I've listed the same item at a bin price and then had a separate auction and I know many other sellers do the same thing. I don't end the auction early because my auction prices are always less than the bin listings but even if the auction price does end up going higher, there hasn't been a problem. I think that you are over thinking this as I have never heard of a buyer being upset about paying more for an auction. No one is twisting their arm to bid and the onus is on them to shop around.  Is it possible that a buyer would get upset about this..I suppose. But the chances imo are very slim. It's possible that a buyer could get upset about any number of things and if I worried about them all, I wouldn't be selling here.

 

 

We seem to be speaking two different languages, but that's OK.  I'm glad this works for you.  I really was just wondering what your "failsafe" method was for catching those bids at the right time.  I was not questioning the effectiveness of your method.

 

I suspect that Pierre doesn't have a 'failsafe' method or feels a need to worry about having one so that could be why he doesn't answer your question.

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