Dillemma: Pass on a long-hunted bag out of principle?

bulletproofsoul

bulletproofsoul

Always on the hunt
O.G.
Jan 18, 2007
4,692
43
#1
Alright, everyone. We all have our bags that we love. And there is always that bag or 2 (or 3 or...) that you spend ages hunting for, but just can't find. This is a story about one of those bags. To my astonishment, I found one on ebay last week. I was thrilled, and the price was very decent! There was no buy it now, so I just bid and hoped for the best. When there was one day left, I was still the only bidder, and things looked promising. Then, out of nowhere, the seller cancels my bid and ends the auction. I freak and ask the seller why and she states that she was contacted by another ebayer and made a deal to sell the bag to them, but that they seemed shady and so she didn't think she would relist it? (This is what started my rant a week ago about sellers ending auctions early). So this item I kept in my saved auctions so every day I checked to see if it was relisted. Then, one day, it was! I click on it and it was ended early to the only bidder! This item didn't show up in the listings, so it was obviously the person who had the seller cancel my bid to end the item before. The end price was the same as my bid price before! (Actually, mine was more, since I bid over the start amount) The buyer was someone I recognized as a reseller and I'm pretty sure a PF'er! So, just like I thought, the bag is now on ebay listed by this buyer! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :cursing:

I want this bag really badly, but I feel like I shouldn't bid out of principle. This buyer/reseller surely knows it's wrong and underhanded to have a seller cancel an existing bid to sell the item to them, just so they can resell it? I'm so angry but so conflicted because this bag doesn't really come along.

You all can just tell me if I'm being ridiculous about this too. :P
 
#2
Well, it was pretty dumb on the part of the seller because they may have gotten more than what the buyer paid for it. I know it's a free marketplace etc etc but, I can understand you being miffed in many ways. Not sure what I would do to be honest... it really depends on how bad you want it and if you will be ok after you get it with how the entire thing went down. How long have you been looking for this purse... I mean if we are talking years, then maybe you should go ahead and get it and just say oh well and be happy with getting what you have always wanted. If it is something that may just be a few months thing then maybe not.

Are there any bids on the new listing from the new buyer/seller? How many hits? I mean, maybe ride it out or something to see how it goes. I am such a witch though I would have to bite my tounge not to email them and tell them what happened about the way they got it, but then you would probably be blocked from bidding and have no way to get it even if you did decide to go ahead and swallow your pride.
 
#3
Oh no how annoying. I wouldnt be surprised if the buyer agreed to pay a bit more money privately on the side. I saw a lovely paul smith bag once and as soon as it listed, no bids the seller agreed to list me a buy it now for me. So I waited and didnt see anything. Checked my ebay and someone else had got there before me! What to do!! I guess they sell to whoever they like in the end. But something better always appears shortly after...keep looking your dream bag will appear
 
#4
I understand your frustration and disappointment...I think I'd pass on this. You don't want your dream bag "tainted" with any residual bitterness you might feel towards the reseller. Then you'd think about it everytime you used or looked at the bag.

You'll find another one! :smile:
 
#5
To be honest, my bitterness would be directed at the original seller, not the reseller. I think trying to cut a deal with the seller is a legitimate action (provided it wasn't a partially off eBay, under the table deal - that is clearly weaselly and wrong.) Lots of people make offers or request BIN prices; it's part of how eBay works. It's the original seller that made the ethically dubious decision to cancel your existing bid to sell to this other person. They're the one I would blacklist and be annoyed with. I still don't understand what they're thinking.

If I really, really wanted the bag and didn't think I'd find it elsewhere, I'd probably go ahead and bid whatever I'd bid the first time around. I wouldn't go over that, but I'd kick myself more for missing out again than for buying it. And, especially, if you get it for close to the opening bid, you'll know they didn't make much off it either...
 
#6
Not bidding "out of principle" doesn't accomplish anything. It won't keep the seller from taking down auctions in the future and it won't keep the buyer from making off-eBay offers. If you want this bag, go for it!
 
#8
Well, if you are really so eager to get this bag, why not play a safe strategy by contacting the seller directly beforehand and negotiate a reasonable price. This always works for me. Once I sold one bag to a buyer for a price even lower than what she offered because she is so eager to get it and I felt so happy to do her such a favor. You are just too anxious about a great deal of the bag but not merely the bag. So sometimes it make sense you lose what you want. But I still feel sorry that you have not got what you really want! Cross fingers for you!
 
#9
Thanks for the responses, everyone. I guess my "principle" issue was more to do with the reseller, because as I was the first and only bidder on the auction until the original seller ended it, this reseller obviously asked the original seller to sell it to her. For the same price as my bid. (I am going by what the original seller told me, when she said someone else wanted it sold directly to them). My main issue is that I'm positive this reseller is a PF'er and it's upsetting that another PFer would be this underhanded. I have no issues with resellers in general. I say, good for them. But I DO have issues with resellers who manipulate the system just to get a bag to resell. This bag had a perfectly valid bid on it. It's very indecent of the reseller, IMO, especially since they are a PF'er, to slight an existing bidder so that they could make a few bucks. I still don't know what I'm going to do, but it's still bothering me.
 
#10
I can totally understand your frustration, it has happened to me before as well. And the most maddening thing is I was prepared to pay more and I thought there'd be a bidding war, and if I lost out in the bidding, fine! At least that would be fair and square. My only consolation is that the seller has stupidly lost out on a lot of money. My frustration was also compounded by the fact that the buyer was a PFer too. Well, at least she wasn't a reseller (which made things a little easier to swallow), but I noticed that she does have a habit of contacting sellers and convincing them to end the auctions early for her. Unfortunately it appears that we both like the same things, so this frustration of mine surfaces again and again. She's a nice gal, so I let it slide, although in my opinion, I think her actions are very selfish as she's depriving other people the chance of getting their dream item.

If you really want the bag, maybe you could email the reseller and put in an offer of $xxx (the price that you were prepared to pay anyway to the original seller). If the reseller rejects it as too low, personally I'd probably walk away from this, because I know if I do pay more just to get it, somehow this memory will taint my love for the bag
 
#11
Oh, no. I am sorry this happened to you. I know it is unfair, but the seller has every right to end an auction whenever he/she wants, the item is still theirs.

Maybe the seller needed money quickly and jumped at the chance of selling the bag ASAP?

I know you'll find your bag soon, end you'll be happy you didn't buy this one!:flowers:
 
#13
It really depends how bad you want this bag. Out of principle will only affect you, not the seller...the seller has no idea if you have interest or not. If you don't bid, somone else will most likely come along and bid. If you really want this bag, and you don't think that another one will come along in the near future, go ahead and bid on it.
 
#14
LV Rawks said:
It really depends how bad you want this bag. Out of principle will only affect you, not the seller...the seller has no idea if you have interest or not. If you don't bid, somone else will most likely come along and bid. If you really want this bag, and you don't think that another one will come along in the near future, go ahead and bid on it.
Click to expand...

Actually, the seller DOES know I have an interest, as they were the one that had the first seller cancel my bid so that they could have it for less than my total bid was anyway. But, I've decided not to bid on the bag anyway, I think. It is missing its authenticity card. Hopefully one will come along in the future, but if not, that's OK. :smile:
Thanks everyone!

:heart:
 
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