Reserve price again

[pjaj]

There was a post on this forum on the 3rd August "lowering the reserve price" by marschenegger. It is now closed, but he didn't seem to have got it resolved. I have asked support a very similar question and will report back here when they answer.

I have an item for sale that has hung around for several weeks. At last a member has bit on it (twice) but not quite reached the reserve. I'd be willing to let him have it at that price but can see no way of reducing the reserve. As a 1st time refugee from greedBay, will I be able to contact him once the auction is over?

[marschenegger]

There was a post on this forum on the 3rd August "lowering the reserve price" by marschenegger. It is now closed, but he didn't seem to have got it resolved. I have asked support a very similar question and will report back here when they answer.

I have an item for sale that has hung around for several weeks. At last a member has bit on it (twice) but not quite reached the reserve. I'd be willing to let him have it at that price but can see no way of reducing the reserve. As a 1st time refugee from greedBay, will I be able to contact him once the auction is over?

For clarification, I closed my own thread and there was a resolution to the matter. EBid Support basically said they don't intend to make the reserve price flexible and I was a silly person for asking. On a side note, there was one poster making really stupid comments in that thread and I wanted to freeze the thread before their posts could get pulled.

I lost the potential sale of a $400 item because of the inability to change the reserve price. So thank you very much eBid. However, I don't believe the high bidder on that particular item was sincere (because he did not come back and bid when I relisted the item at a lower price), and by not selling the item, I continue to attract more attention to eBid.

ANYHOW, when the auction is over and the reserve is not met, you will not receive the contact information of the high bidder. However, you have the option to pay a fee to eBid to obtain the high bidder's contact information. Just go to the auction page and scroll down to the list of bidders. There should be links there stating what you have to pay to get the bidder's information. The fee is usually 2% of whatever their bid was. It's eBid's way of getting the equivalent of the 2% Final Value Fee even without a successful sale. Sneaky!

[islandbuckman]

I am not trying to get around the fvf, but do you not know whom is bidding on your auctions and could you not just PM him after the auction. To let him know that it will be re-listed at a lower price. Also there has been talk / requests for a best offer option. This would solve that problem if it was put into practice. Just musing - slow night.

[pjaj]

Thanks for the info. However the question is now moot, another bidder has come along and met my reserve.

[marschenegger]

I am not trying to get around the fvf, but do you not know whom is bidding on your auctions and could you not just PM him after the auction. To let him know that it will be re-listed at a lower price. Also there has been talk / requests for a best offer option. This would solve that problem if it was put into practice. Just musing - slow night.

Sending a PM to a member telling them about your auctions sounds kind of like solicitation, even if the person is a bidder on your auctions. In fact, I'm pretty sure eBid would have a problem with PM'ing a bidder since they charge a fee for allowing you access to that bidder's information (thus it could be considered a fee evasion infraction).

The best offer option does not apply to auctions with reserves. Apples and oranges.

[deltadelta48]

Makes sense, no changes after auction starts, espec the reserve price. No contacting non winners without a bit of trouble.

That seems fair. I would not want a reserve or starting bid changed while I was bidding on the item. Also, I don't want the seller chasing me to try to get me to buy something else if I did not win an item.

[HannaHolly]

It would be a fundamental flaw on any site of a seller could change the reserve price on a listing after someone had bid. The vast majority of sellers set their reserves at the minimum they would accept for an item. Those that don't will loose sales.

[bykimbo]

It would be a fundamental flaw on any site of a seller could change the reserve price on a listing after someone had bid. The vast majority of sellers set their reserves at the minimum they would accept for an item. Those that don't will loose sales.

I honestly can't see what harm *reducing* a reserve price can possibly do. And I can see how the "minimum they would accept" can change with events.

[terry5732]

Example:

I bid on your widget and see reserve not met
I go buy widget elsewhere
Now you tell me I won your widget

[bykimbo]

Example:

I bid on your widget and see reserve not met
I go buy widget elsewhere
Now you tell me I won your widget

Good point!