"Private listings"? Yay, Neigh?

beauxgoris · Jul 18th, 2008, 01:26 AM

I keep hearing that you should list items as "private" if it's an expensive item to save your buyers the hassle of getting offers for other things.

Sellers: do you do this? If so do you find that it helps your auctions?

Buyers: do you prefer private offers - or no?

KayMomto3 · Jul 18th, 2008, 02:00 AM

I have been on eBay for 8 years and I have NEVER had an offer from another seller (aka scam). Maybe I have just been lucky. Honestly for me, unless I know the seller from here or I have bought from them before I am wary of private auctions.

ladyisobel · Jul 18th, 2008, 02:03 AM

i've never listed a private auction, or had anyone contact me, and it wouldn't stop me buying/bidding either

juicy.97 · Jul 18th, 2008, 02:07 AM

Once the bidding goes over a certain price, bidders id's are private anyways.

KayMomto3 · Jul 18th, 2008, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by juicy.97

Once the bidding goes over a certain price, bidders id's are private anyways.

^^Yes that is very true -

Of course it is when people have their Feedback listed as Private that I really have alarm bells going off

ladyisobel · Jul 18th, 2008, 02:19 AM

ooh, yes, private feedback is a no-no for me ! i mean, whhyyyy ??

imonpurseblog · Jul 18th, 2008, 03:29 AM

1. So buyers aren't hassled by someone offering to sell them the the same item only "off eBay". They need to list their own stuff.

2. Some buyers don't want others to see what they buy
3. Some buyers are also sellers and don't want others to know how much they paid
for an item. Especially true if they are resellers.
4. Some people may not want their family/friends to know what they bought or how much it cost

Just a few I can think of.

Trocadero · Jul 18th, 2008, 03:12 PM

I won't bid from a seller with private feedback. I can see no other reason than the person has something to hide.

On the other hand, I can see a buyer wanting to to have private feedback. I'd hate for friends or family to know what I'm buying on eBay. LOL, here I am on a public forum saying I am a private person.

caannie · Jul 18th, 2008, 06:26 PM

I hate auctions with private bidders. I always feel like there is shilling going on, and I avoid bidding on those auctions. If the item is high $$ enough, the names of the bidders will be blocked anyway by eBay (except the winning bidder). I like to at least know if the person who keeps bumping up my high bid is a 0 feedback newly registered bidder or not.

beauxgoris · Jul 22nd, 2008, 05:52 PM

Yes, private feedback is a no no. I just thought that private sales on luxury items were standard...

ChristyR143 · Jul 22nd, 2008, 06:17 PM

I don't particularly like to bid on auctions that are private, but if it's something that I want badly enough and the price is right, I will go ahead and bid anyway. I do always wonder about shill bidding though...

beauxgoris · Jul 23rd, 2008, 12:29 PM

^^But isn't eBay cracking down on that? I thought they had a whole division to prevent stuff like that? I understand what you're saying though.

sarahsar · Jul 23rd, 2008, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beauxgoris

^^But isn't eBay cracking down on that? I thought they had a whole division to prevent stuff like that? I understand what you're saying though.

Supposedly they've cracked down on fakes, too. I don't necessarily trust eBay's methods of protecting us.

mmmsc · Jul 23rd, 2008, 12:59 PM

Example: one of the best sellers of (new) Bags on eBay is Erica Brenning HGBags/Eluxe Bags -- she is a member of this forum -- has private FB. If I didn't already know her, I would be suspicious of the private FB. In the old ebay days, when you could just click on any bidder or buyer's ID (they have since just put part of the name and then the ** to obscure the whole names of users), sellers could get harrassed or targeted by scammers. Maybe have their pictures or listings stolen?? I leave my FB open for buying and selling because I feel I have nothing to hide. But I am not doing huge volumes. It just makes me feel better (when I am buying or selling) if people don't have private FB. It's just seems suspicious . I want to be able to check items and feedback on buyers and sellers. But I am sure the ones with private FB have legitimate reasons. It's not only scammers who have private FB.

shoulderache · Jul 23rd, 2008, 01:02 PM

A good deal of the sellers of high-end items have private listings, so it really isn't a big deal. Mushroom_city comes to mind first, but there are many other sellers who do it too. It protects their finished listings from being stolen and it is handy to keep others from seeing how much was paid.

Jul 18th, 2008, 01:26 AM	#1
beauxgoris Member	"Private listings"? Yay, Neigh? I keep hearing that you should list items as "private" if it's an expensive item to save your buyers the hassle of getting offers for other things. Sellers: do you do this? If so do you find that it helps your auctions? Buyers: do you prefer private offers - or no?

Jul 18th, 2008, 02:00 AM	#2
KayMomto3 Member Location: Sunny SoCal	I have been on eBay for 8 years and I have NEVER had an offer from another seller (aka scam). Maybe I have just been lucky. Honestly for me, unless I know the seller from here or I have bought from them before I am wary of private auctions. __________________ Pondering a work in some kind of green and pretty much anything 04 or earlier What if the Hokey Pokey IS what it's all about??

Jul 18th, 2008, 02:03 AM	#3
ladyisobel Member Location: devon uk	i've never listed a private auction, or had anyone contact me, and it wouldn't stop me buying/bidding either __________________

Jul 18th, 2008, 02:19 AM	#6
ladyisobel Member Location: devon uk	ooh, yes, private feedback is a no-no for me ! i mean, whhyyyy ?? __________________

Jul 18th, 2008, 06:26 PM	#9
caannie Will Work for Hermes Location: Montgomery, AL	I hate auctions with private bidders. I always feel like there is shilling going on, and I avoid bidding on those auctions. If the item is high $$ enough, the names of the bidders will be blocked anyway by eBay (except the winning bidder). I like to at least know if the person who keeps bumping up my high bid is a 0 feedback newly registered bidder or not. __________________ To the world you may just be somebody, but to somebody you may just be the world

Jul 18th, 2008, 02:07 AM	#4
juicy.97 Member Location: AZ	Once the bidding goes over a certain price, bidders id's are private anyways.

Jul 18th, 2008, 03:29 AM	#7
imonpurseblog Member	1. So buyers aren't hassled by someone offering to sell them the the same item only "off eBay". They need to list their own stuff. 2. Some buyers don't want others to see what they buy 3. Some buyers are also sellers and don't want others to know how much they paid for an item. Especially true if they are resellers. 4. Some people may not want their family/friends to know what they bought or how much it cost Just a few I can think of.

Jul 18th, 2008, 03:12 PM	#8
Trocadero Member	I won't bid from a seller with private feedback. I can see no other reason than the person has something to hide. On the other hand, I can see a buyer wanting to to have private feedback. I'd hate for friends or family to know what I'm buying on eBay. LOL, here I am on a public forum saying I am a private person.

Jul 22nd, 2008, 05:52 PM	#10
beauxgoris Member	Yes, private feedback is a no no. I just thought that private sales on luxury items were standard...

Jul 22nd, 2008, 06:17 PM	#11
ChristyR143 But it was on sale!! Location: Texas	I don't particularly like to bid on auctions that are private, but if it's something that I want badly enough and the price is right, I will go ahead and bid anyway. I do always wonder about shill bidding though... __________________

Jul 23rd, 2008, 12:29 PM	#12
beauxgoris Member	^^But isn't eBay cracking down on that? I thought they had a whole division to prevent stuff like that? I understand what you're saying though.

Jul 23rd, 2008, 12:59 PM	#14
mmmsc Delta Dog Location: Mississippi USA	Example: one of the best sellers of (new) Bags on eBay is Erica Brenning HGBags/Eluxe Bags -- she is a member of this forum -- has private FB. If I didn't already know her, I would be suspicious of the private FB. In the old ebay days, when you could just click on any bidder or buyer's ID (they have since just put part of the name and then the ** to obscure the whole names of users), sellers could get harrassed or targeted by scammers. Maybe have their pictures or listings stolen?? I leave my FB open for buying and selling because I feel I have nothing to hide. But I am not doing huge volumes. It just makes me feel better (when I am buying or selling) if people don't have private FB. It's just seems suspicious . I want to be able to check items and feedback on buyers and sellers. But I am sure the ones with private FB have legitimate reasons. It's not only scammers who have private FB.

Jul 23rd, 2008, 01:02 PM	#15
shoulderache Member Location: Arizona	A good deal of the sellers of high-end items have private listings, so it really isn't a big deal. Mushroom_city comes to mind first, but there are many other sellers who do it too. It protects their finished listings from being stolen and it is handy to keep others from seeing how much was paid. __________________ NOT AN AUCTION LINK still not allowed, read our rules.