Another curious Ebay transaction

RallyJon · 04-03-2003, 10:01 AM

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2409035985

This auction was due to end at 8:16 EST this morning. Looked like a decent deal for a core, even if both engine and gearbox needed a rebuild. Maybe worth $1500 as represented, maybe even a little more.

So I jump on at 8 to have a look and give a bid if it was less than that, and amazingly enough the auction had ended nine hours early! unclezak was listed as the winning bidder, but at a very low price.

I'm wondering what happened here? Did unklezak get screwed, too as the high bidder at the point where the auction ended? Did the guy just pull the auction since it was so low?

I e-mailed the seller but got no response yet. I was thinking about filing a fraud inquiry with Ebay, but I'm waiting a bit longer to hear back.

rsr808 · rsr808's Garage

eBay gives you the right to end the auction early to sell to the highest bidder if you so choose. The buyer and seller could have struck a deal off eBay as well. Sometimes the buyer wants/needs the money quicker so they end early in this case as well.

Hope this answers your question.

RallyJon · 04-03-2003, 10:41 AM

Well shame on me for trying to snipe, then.

I hope unclezak got a great deal, and I guess the unscrupulous seller got what he deserves.

Rot 911 · 04-03-2003, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by RallyJon
Well shame on me for trying to snipe, then.

I hope unclezak got a great deal, and I guess the unscrupulous seller got what he deserves.

I must be missing something here. Why is the seller unscrupulous. If he ended early and sold to the highest bidder at that point, what is the problem? That he should have waited and sold the engine for even more money?

RallyJon · 04-03-2003, 11:40 AM

Notwithstanding the arbitrary regulations of Ebay, by placing his auction as a "term" auction, he was essentially stating that his item would be for sale to the highest bid received up until a certain date and time. Given the way Ebay auctions work in practice, the ending date is a piece of information that bidders in many, if not most, auctions rely upon.

Perhaps "unscrupulous" is the wrong word. What do you call someone who says they're going to do something, then they do something else instead?

Moral questions aside--he may not have gotten the best price by chickening out early. And that's just dumb.

HarryD · 04-03-2003, 11:43 AM

Interesting for another reason also. Unclezak is in the business of selling rebuilt engines on e-bay.

RallyJon · 04-03-2003, 11:52 AM

And another bidder was Steve Timmons, whose company Instant-G does a lot of engine swaps and 911 performance. He apparently only thought it was worth $1,032.12, so maybe it wasn't such a good deal after all...

ruf-porsche · ruf-porsche's Garage

Brought My P car on Ebay.

Seller ended the auction early when I stop to see the car and made him an offer. He tried selling the car earlier on Ebay before but couldn't so when someone came with cash in hand he decided to take the money and run.

There are a lot of auctions were the high bidders sometime don't follow through with the auction especially if it is a big ticket item. Why do you think sellers are always telling bidders to bid only if they are serious about buying.

Wayne 962 · Wayne 962's Garage

It's an okay deal. Core 2.7 engines are at Pomona all the time. I know someone who picked up 3 last Pomona for $500 total. I would estimate that a core 2.7 engine not running (question mark motor) is worth about $500 max. This engine appeared to have SSIs on it, which are probably worth $500 or so used. The FI and stuff on top is worth a few hundred dollars.

Based on this whole package, I would estimate that this engine was worth about $1200. That would have been a good price.

-Wayne

RallyJon · 04-03-2003, 01:47 PM

It included a 915 gearbox, too.

old_skul · 04-03-2003, 01:48 PM

Sounds like another case of Ebay heartbreak. "I had a good deal going, and the seller welched before I could get a chance to get a good deal!"

UTKarmann_Ghia · 04-03-2003, 01:51 PM

Jon, I bought my car off of ebay motors and I contacted the seller and offered him a few hundred bucks more than the current price (as not bids yet, peeps were waiting to snipe). I detest the last second thing and wanted to get my finances in order without worring about getting outbid. My terms were that he would end the auction and consider it sold and I sent him a down on it. That could have happened here too.

unclezak · 04-03-2003, 03:36 PM

Yeah , hi RallyJon - unclezak here - I buy alot of core engines , and rebuild and sell them on Ebay - I have found Ebay to be a great ( although somehwhat still undefined/unrefined ) market for hard-to-find items and bargains. You should know though , that if you wait until the last few minutes to snipe , you will probably lose out on an item. I sell things all the time to people who make reasonable offers , and end my auctions early. Very often , I follow an auction to it's end , only to have the high bidder be a flake and never connect with me again - SO - My ( and more and more savvy Ebayers , I suspect ) motto is MONEY TALKS..... I am not trying to rip anyone off , and I do not want to be ripped off as well - I offer rebuilt engines at prices that are much lower than most shops. At any rate , waiting until the last minujte to bid may not be a good policy if you REALLY want something. You should bid , and/or contact the seller to impart your intention. The seller may lose money by ending the auction early , but that is his/her decision to make. Especially when it is clearly stated in most ads ' buyer has the right to end auction early ' - And FYI - I pay usually $700 for a 2.7 core , and $400-$500 for 915 cores. My agreement with the seller was for $1499 , and I pay shipping on these items. Not exactly a screaming good deal , but fair. I completed the auction through ebay for the opportunity to leave feedback , let Ebay collect fees ... I don't think there is cause for any resentment here - - Just maybe that you should have bid when you had the chance? - HHmmm. ... And that's all I have to say about that. meout.

rudy sanchez · 04-03-2003, 04:58 PM

hi there unclezak,

could you shoot me an email or reply to mine?

RallyJon · 04-03-2003, 05:49 PM

Well, unclezak, I certainly can't argue with the outcome in this case--as I posted above I lost out by relying on the stated terms. I've only been using Ebay since '99, so I guess I have a bit to learn. As a seller, I've had the bid price on some of my items double in the last 5 minutes. And as a bidder, I've had an early bid shilled up a few bucks at a time. I guess you've had some bad experiences, but I know with a fair degree of certainty that my checks don't bounce.

You got yourself a novice seller there, and he went for the sure thing. I explained to him how that might not have been in his best interest, but then again, if I'd overslept, the auction might have finished at $1100.

Do me a favor--when you get the motor, let me know if it has any pulled studs.

I was hoping I might be able to put it in as-is and get a year or so out of it.

deo911 · 07-18-2003, 03:48 PM

Yeah Unclezak. But you did not complete our WEBER transaction. You duped me in shelling out $500.00. and you forgot or you ignore it the transaction completely. One person talking about honesty and doing something in contradiction. I hope you are happy.

dad911 · 07-18-2003, 04:15 PM

I don't even try to snipe anymore. Bid early, and the max I want to spend. Keeps me from bidding over my head, and if I get outbid, they want it more than I do.

If I was bidding on a big ticket item like a car, I would never bid more than a token amount without contacting seller, and aranging a PPI.

trader220 · 07-19-2003, 02:24 PM

Ebay is a tool for selling and buying. It’s my opinion that people here take it much to seriously. I have bought and sold over 100 items on Ebay including whole cars. Sometimes I contact the seller directly and cut a deal outside the auction, and others have done the same with items I’ve sold. All my auctions clearly state that the item is for sale locally and the auction might end early if the reserve is not met. If you think you’re going to sit around and “steal” something off Ebay at the end of an auction odds are it’s not going to happen. Unless the seller is truly clueless of the value of the item pricing or valuations are pretty clear just by following similar auctions. If you see 6 motors trade on Ebay you can figure out what yours is worth. As a rule of thumb cash in had is worth 10 bids in a bush!

Moses · 07-19-2003, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RallyJon
What do you call someone who says they're going to do something, then they do something else instead?

A politician?

TomTurtle · 07-19-2003, 04:11 PM

I have no problem with the seller ending the auction early, my only gripe is when he does it after the reserve is met but before the bidding ends; usually selling to someone not even bidding on eBay.

I suppose its not "illegal", just does not seem to be a "true" auction in my mind if outsiders can outbid an eBay bidder who is bidding in good faith. I guess I don't like the one-sidedness of it all.