Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > eBay rules

[MJS]

What are the rules on this? Is this just a case of tough luck??

Bidding and winning an item which ends today, received this messsage/email from the seller a few minutes ago

'Sorry to be a pain but I have sold this item through MCN, would you please retract your bid Ta! '

Doesn't say anything about item being advertised elsewhere - bl**dy annoyed

[khushy]

its just life!

Khushy

[Jools]

Yeah, not much you can do with the old "this item is advertised elsewhere..." clause.

eBay used to be good, but I think it sucks now

[antonye]

Originally Posted by Urban996

What are the rules on this? Is this just a case of tough luck??

Bidding and winning an item which ends today, received this messsage/email from the seller a few minutes ago

'Sorry to be a pain but I have sold this item through MCN, would you please retract your bid Ta! '

Doesn't say anything about item being advertised elsewhere - bl**dy annoyed

Selling regulations - you have made an offer but the buyer doesn't have to accept nor does he have to sell it to you.

That's just the way it works I'm afraid.

[MJS]

Originally Posted by Jools

Yeah, not much you can do with the old "this item is advertised elsewhere..." clause.

eBay used to be good, but I think it sucks now

If he'd put that clause in, I wouldn't mind, but he hasn't.... and there's only 6 hours remaining so I know he can't end the auction under ebay rules...

Sucks...

[antonye]

Originally Posted by Urban996

If he'd put that clause in, I wouldn't mind, but he hasn't.... and there's only 6 hours remaining so I know he can't end the auction under ebay rules...

Sucks...

ebay "rules" are not law.

By law he has every right to withdraw an item without notice.

I wouldn't hold your breath if you wanted to test ebay rules in a courtroom!

[dukess1999]

If you want to make life difficult for him you can let the auction run and he'll have to pay commission on the final price. More importantly you can leave feedback...

[MJS]

I accept that ebay 'rules' are not law.

Just strikes me as a bit odd, that if I bid on an item I enter into (according to ebay) a legal contract to buy an item, but a seller can pull out at anytime??

What about if I haven't seen his email and win the item and go ahead and pay for it through paypal?? All seems a bit cr*ppy to me

[MJS]

Originally Posted by dukess1999

If you want to make life difficult for him you can let the auction run and he'll have to pay commission on the final price. More importantly you can leave feedback...

That's what I'm going to do - I don't want a 'bid retraction' on my history

[antonye]

Originally Posted by Urban996

Just strikes me as a bit odd, that if I bid on an item I enter into (according to ebay) a legal contract to buy an item, but a seller can pull out at anytime??

IANAL, but that's not quite true...

The process is that you make an offer as a purchaser, and the seller can than either accept or reject that offer.

Should the seller accept your offer, you've then entered into a contract, at which point you must purchase the item.

Auctions are a bit funny because it includes a timed element (deadline) to which all offers are submitted. Until that deadline passes and the seller accepts your offer, there is no legally binding contract.

ebay just makes up their own rules to suit them - remember they get paid for the listing, get paid commission at the end and get a cut of the money if the transaction takes place using PayPal. It is in their interest for auctions to finish and not be withdrawn!

However, it is a bit *****, so I agree that you should keep your bid in ("but I didn't receive the email in time!") and let him worry about it. He can easily end the auction early if he knows where to look ... and again ebay hide this quite well as they want their cash!