eBay - when the buyer bids more than the item is worth

[Nurvingiel]

Sometimes I wonder about eBay. Then these stories make me decide to run far away.

The thing about eBay is though that it is a bidding site. Maybe the tickets you were selling were quite uncommon and there was a bidding war, and to the winner, the tickets were worth $90. I don't think you did anything wrong.

[audrey1962]

I once saw an ebay auction for "New BrandName Laptop Computer!!!"  Then near the photo of the laptop it said: "Photo of New BrandName Laptop Computer!!!"  The details included all of the specs of the computer and a bunch of consumer reviews (probably copy-pasted from BrandName's website).  Then at the very bottom there was a line that said "Note: Auction is for a picture of my new BrandName laptop, not the actual laptop."  The bidding was closed when I saw it, but had reached probably around $500.  Fascinated I investigated the bidding history, it wasn't just the one high winning bid. it had started around $100 and there had been a bit of a bidding war.  I meandered onto his feedback page and found a feedback comment from the winning bidder that said, "Hope Seller enjoys the picture of a check I sent him for payment!"  I was amused. 

Slightly related (and snopes says it's true!):
http://www.snopes.com/autos/law/handcuff.asp

[Queen of Clubs]

If you included the actual description from the coupon, you really can't be held responsible for someone overbidding.

Unfortunately, buyers don't always see it that way.  A few years ago, I sold some stuff for a friend of mine, including some hard to find dolls in two separate auctions.  I posted them on eBay UK, listed my location as being in the UK, and eBay listed the auction in UK £.

The winning bidders were in America.  One of them paid up, got the doll, and left glowing feedback.  The other realised the auction was in pounds not dollars after the auction finished.  She emailed me, complaining, then left negative feedback saying "$45 for this item is ridiculous!  Auction should have said it was in pounds!" before I even had a chance to reply to her. 

I cancelled her bid, replied to the negative feedback, and sold the doll to the person who'd been bidding against her, who was delighted to get the doll.  After that, I made sure to state in big red letters that the auction was in UK£ not US$.

While most buyers are (in my experience) very reasonable, you always get a few who misread then blame the seller.

The best ever though was a woman in America who won an auction, said she had to send the payment via airmail (though I'd specified PayPal only for anyone outside the UK) then sent me an American money order for the wrong amount and made out to the wrong person.  She seemed surprised that I couldn't or wouldn't cash it and wouldn't send her the item until she'd paid the right amount.

[DavidH]

If you write an honest description without the intent to deceive like the laptop ad, then it's up to the bidder to decide what the item is worth.  I see nothing wrong with people paying more than it's worth to the seller, presumably if it was less than it's worth to the seller, the item wouldn't sell.

[stargazer]

When I sold on ebay (before feedback changed), I used to sell lots of Clinique products - the samples you get during their Bonus Time.  I put them all on my table and took a snapshot.  There were probably 40 of them there.  When I wrote my description, I was VERY clear that your lot would consist of 5 of those items, including at least one full size lipstick.   Most bidders loved me because I always threw in at least one extra item as a thank you.   I realized one bidder was bidding more than most, but it wasn't a crazy high bid (my lots usually sold for around $6, she bid around $10).  I sent her order with the extra bonus and she wrote back that she thought she was getting all the items in the picture or she wouldn't have bid so high (umm, if she thought she was getting all of them, $10 would be insanely low).  She admitted right off though it was her fault because she did not actually read the description.  I wasn't really sure how to reply to her email and don't remember what I did.  But I remember feeling like she was trying to get me to return some money or something and I wasn't going to.

[Emmy]

As long as you described it accurately, you did OK.  It is up to the seller to describe the item as accurately as possible and up to the buyer to read the description before placing a bid.  Writing a check with the ticket was generous and not necessary, although it may have helped you avoid a negative feedback.  With this new feedback system, a buyer can leave an unjustified negative feedback if they did not read about the item and the seller can't warn others about the buyer.

I had the reverse problem.  A buyer was selling a $25 gift certificate for a store I liked.  I won and paid about $13.50 for it.  When it came in the mail, it was actually a coupon that I could tell was ripped out of a popular entertainment book for $25 off of $75 (these coupons are quite easy to find).  The coupon did have the word 'gift certificate' printed on it; however the seller did not mention anywhere in the description that you had to spend money to use this 'gift certificate'.

[Wen]

I sold an item of second hand clothing on ebay once.  While the auction was ongoing one bidder bid more than I had actually paid for the item new (I got it on sale).  Even though I had mentioned in the description that the item was second hand - I did email the bidder to re-iterate it was a second hand item.  The bidder was still happy with their bid, and was delighted with the item.

[Texas Mom]

My experience is that the newer the person is to ebay, the more they will spend on an item.

POD

There's a learning curve to obtaining good deals on eBay.

When I first started buying there 10+ years ago, I made mistakes.  It wasn't major amounts of money.  It never occured to me to blame the seller for my inexperience.

[nicetooths]

I once saw an ebay auction for "New BrandName Laptop Computer!!!"  Then near the photo of the laptop it said: "Photo of New BrandName Laptop Computer!!!"  The details included all of the specs of the computer and a bunch of consumer reviews (probably copy-pasted from BrandName's website).  Then at the very bottom there was a line that said "Note: Auction is for a picture of my new BrandName laptop, not the actual laptop."  The bidding was closed when I saw it, but had reached probably around $500.  Fascinated I investigated the bidding history, it wasn't just the one high winning bid. it had started around $100 and there had been a bit of a bidding war.  I meandered onto his feedback page and found a feedback comment from the winning bidder that said, "Hope Seller enjoys the picture of a check I sent him for payment!"  I was amused. 

Slightly related (and snopes says it's true!):
http://www.snopes.com/autos/law/handcuff.asp

Sort of related too - a very entertaining 'Judge Judy': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJDK6ctRjqw&feature=PlayList&p=EB9921B602E75CEB&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=5

[DaDancingPsych]

Although I don't think the OP owned the buyer any discount, I do think that part of what makes eBay work is trust. When people attempt to deceive others, it leaves people feeling cheated and not wanting to participate. Although I do feel it's up to the buyer to read all of the fine print and do a little research to know what the "going rate" is, it helps the eBay community at large when a seller takes the time to ensure that the buyer isn't being cheated (even when not the buyer's fault.)

[AprilRenee]

With the "buy it now" option, VS bidding, sometimes I think people like to "win". If they buy it now, they get the item, but they didn't beat someone else in the bidding contest, KWIM? where as, if they bid 20 bucks over the last bid, they "win" not only the item, but the bidding war as well.

[Brentwood]

I sold an item of second hand clothing on ebay once.  While the auction was ongoing one bidder bid more than I had actually paid for the item new (I got it on sale).  Even though I had mentioned in the description that the item was second hand - I did email the bidder to re-iterate it was a second hand item.  The bidder was still happy with their bid, and was delighted with the item.

If it was something in a size, style or color that was no longer available but that the buyer really really liked & wanted, it may well have been worth more to her used than you paid for it new.

I had that happen with a lot of the Gymboree clothes I sold years ago. People wanted a certain size or something from a particular line that was no longer available, and sometimes I got quite a bit more for the clothes than I had paid for them.

If I were looking for something like my favorite Hollister cords that they don't sell anymore, I'd be willing to pay a good price for them, even used, if they were in excellent condition.

[ladycrim]

Sort of related too - a very entertaining 'Judge Judy': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJDK6ctRjqw&feature=PlayList&p=EB9921B602E75CEB&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=5

That was AWESOME.  I love how the defendant claims "It clearly said 'photo only'" when it actually said "This is for the item as seen in the photo".  Your argument is invalid, sweetie.

[SiotehCat]

I am a buyer who has overbid a few times. For me, I just like winning. I do get satisfaction by beating other bidders, and for me that is worth the extra money.

[auntmeegs]

I am a buyer who has overbid a few times. For me, I just like winning. I do get satisfaction by beating other bidders, and for me that is worth the extra money.

I've done that too, but I try to resist the temptation!