Seller offered me a deal on an auction if I would buy outside of ebay to save her paying fees

[julieo459]

I was following an auction that ended yesterday. The seller emailed me on Monday (through the ebay messaging sysytem) saying that if I wanted to make her an offer that she that she liked, she would end the listing early. I asked her why she wasn't using the "Best Offer" option and she said outright that she is trying to avoid paying ebay final selling fees and Paypal fees. She also said that she has done this with about 5 other buyers and has successfully used ebay to advertise her auctions and then sold them outside of ebay to avoid fees. I told her that I don't do deals outside of ebay.  No one bid on the auction. Do I report this?

[rose-dee]

Well, somehow the entire text of my post disappeared when I hit the "Post" button - I give up for the moment.  Suffice it to say thank you Pierre for your usual factual and professional information.  This is a policy we may all think we know well, but it wouldn't hurt to review.

[i*m-still-here]

I am not suggesting for a moment that this seller described in the OP isn't really way over the line.

I agree with BB:  WOW!  Just wow!

I've never experienced much that is as blatantly over the eBay no-no line as that behavior seems to be.

The closest I've come was when I bought an item from a seller from France and then saw that he had an item which had ended which I wanted as well.

I asked him to re-list it for me as BIN.

He refused and told me that he had no plans to re-list it and I could send him the extra $ via paypal if I wanted it.

Is that crossing the line?

I wasn't sure.

I simply pointed out two things:  1) There are grey areas AND 2) Reporting sellers is fine if that's your style (I've done it too obviously), but does it get results?

I just don't happen to think so............. at least it has not in my experience.  Ane yes............ I would have seen the results even though eBay would not have sent me a private email to that effect.  (We all know by now that ebay would not send a private communication to that effect and there is no need to point it out yet again.)

[bb_cool_stuff]

Again, sad but unfortunately reality for a lot of concert shirts, & other items, coming out of Asia.

Not sure if it really has an effect on my business, but it must be tough for the sellers that are selling the licensed concert product.

[rose-dee]

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@i*m-still-here wrote:

The closest I've come was when I bought an item from a seller from France and then saw that he had an item which had ended which I wanted as well.

I asked him to re-list it for me as BIN.

He refused and told me that he had no plans to re-list it and I could send him the extra $ via paypal if I wanted it.

Is that crossing the line?

I wasn't sure.

---

I'd say it certainly was.  In fact, I've encountered a lot more of this kind of "pushing the edges" from sellers in France, whom I've dealt with quite a bit.  Perhaps it's just that eBay.fr is less diligent in keeping them in line, I don't know. 

[bb_cool_stuff]

Again, pretty gutsy move on the sellers part.

For the few extra bucks is it worth having your selling ID red flagged ?

Not for this guy.

[i*m-still-here]

Ok......... rose/BB........... but then what's the difference between that and sending a previous buyer an invitation to buy from you privately?

It's a very small step away from the experience I described above.  The item was no longer listed for sale.

Had that French seller waited a week ............. a month............... and invited me to buy from him directly........... what's the difference?

I'm not sure.

[bb_cool_stuff]

I've only had that happen years ago when i was a newbie.

Private messaging stopped the deal right in its tracks for me.

I had a unique jersey that i sold for a hundred a year ago, one other potential buyer offered, after the fact, a hundred & fifty if i would cancel the original buyers transaction.

Not that i would have done it, i had already made a good profit, but something didn't seem right with this other person.

[bb_cool_stuff]

Private messaging would be fine, I just don't think offers should be made through the eBay messaging system & then directed to their own websites.

Too easy to get spanked.

[mr.elmwood]

Op has not come back and I am confused. How did the seller know the OP was interested? How did the seller get the OP's address?

Listing has ended, so, it is impossible to have a policy violation as it is not an eBay listing.

Seller is not coherent, kinda like: "I will take less money to avoid fees rather than more money which will pay the fees". Not getting that rationale.

[bb_cool_stuff]

Not getting that rationale either.

Just sounds "Too Neat"

[pierrelebel]

"How did the seller get the OP's address?"

That was explained in post #8 by the original poster.

[dipmicro]

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The closest I've come was when I bought an item from a seller from France and then saw that he had an item which had ended which I wanted as well.

I asked him to re-list it for me as BIN.

He refused and told me that he had no plans to re-list it and I could send him the extra $ via paypal if I wanted it.

---

The policy seems pretty clear: was the item listed at the time of your interest? Were you a non-winning bidder on this item? Seller's contract for that item was over, ebay did not generate sales lead within alloted time frame and seller had no obligation to Ebay for that item anymore. Real estate agents protect themselves by adding clause that seller is liable for commission even if they sell their house 1/2yr after contract expires without sale, but I don't think Ebay has such clause.

There is a practical point too: If a seller makes this offer to overzealous buyer, who reports it to ignorant rep, who has trouble understanding basic english, let alone interpret subtle ambiquity in the policy, the seller having done nothing wrong will be penalized nonetheless.

[i*m-still-here]

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@julieo459 wrote:

I sent a msg to the seller about a week ago with a question about shipping, that is how they had my ebay ID.

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This is how the seller contacted the buyer.

It sounds like the item didn't sell and the seller contacted the buyer rather than re-listing the item .

[pierrelebel]

"Not getting that rationale either."

That is because you guys are honest.

The seller had a listing that went unsold.  He then tried to sell it off-eBay - to save the fees - to a member who had shown interest in the listing when asking for shipping information.

The seller was not the brighest when he informed the potential buyer that he often did business that way - breaking the rules to save money - some may call it theft of eBay's fees.

Would anyone want to do business with a seller clearly demonstrating he is less than honest?

[julieo459]

"This is how the seller contacted the buyer.

It sounds like the item didn't sell and the seller contacted the buyer rather than re-listing the item "

Seller contacted me with the deal while the item was still listed and said she would end the auction early if I wanted to deal. (all through the ebay messaging system no less) Item was not bid on and as far as I know it has not been re-listed. Have not heard from her since.

I contacted her originally about 4 days into the auction with questions about shipping.  That is where she goy my user name from.

[pierrelebel]

"there are grey areas like the one I described above......."

Why don't you start a new thread on that "grey" issue?  The issue outlined in the original post here is black and white.  Let's keep it that way.

A new thread discussing the "grey" areas - as you see them - could be interesting and offer different points of view how sellers work with and around the published "fee avoidance" policies.  We could even invite eBay staff to join in at a later time to express their opinion.

[i*m-still-here]

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@pierrelebel wrote:

Why don't you start a new thread on that "grey" issue?  .................

could be interesting and offer different points of view how sellers work with and around the published "fee avoidance" policies.  We could even invite eBay staff to join in at a later time to express their opinion

...................................................................................

If you find it an area of interest to you, be my guest.

[cumos55]

My rule is .....Once listed on eBay... it sells on eBay

Potential buyer,  a local buyer... got very unhappy because I refused to sell  without his buying the book listed on eBay.

One never knows if... this off eBay sale ....would not get reported.

Never play games... because  a seller can lose big...

Playing games is never worth, $$$$,  the effort  because what you save  could mean not being allowed to continue to sell on eBay...

----------------------------------------------------

There is nothing stopping eBay from looking into OP's problem even if the seller was not reported .....  These discussions are monitored... and if the problem is "big enough"  eBay will do a follow up...

Remember OP did contact the seller... via eBay messaging

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Grey areas can very quickly become black and white....  based on perception and interpretation....

[bb_cool_stuff]

Potential buyer, a local buyer...got very unhappy because i refused to sell without his buying the book on eBay.

I have had the same thing happen to me numerous times.

One never knows if ...this off eBay sale ...would not get reported.

That is why i would never do anything resembling this. It could have the potential for disaster.

Playing games is never worth, $$$, the effort because what you save could mean not being allowed to continue to sell on eBay.

 I'll just continue selling the way i was taught, with advice from the boards, years ago.

Not worth the risk. Again it could have the potential to be a disaster.

[i*m-still-here]

With that..............bb........... I agree 100%.........

There it nothing I will do that could even remotely cause me a problem here.

It means too much to me.