Contact from an Auction as an Under Bidder

[parkplace33]

Two questions from different lens about under bidders.

As a bidder: I am sure this isn’t prevalent, but have you ever bid in an auction, lost the item, but then were contacted by the auction as the under bidder to see if you wanted buy the item at the lower price? If so, what was your decision? Curious on experiences. I have had this happen to me twice in auctions. Once I bought the item (really wanted it), the second time I did not (less interested in the item due to other purchases in that auction).

For auction reps: Is it normal protocol to go the under bidder if the high bidder doesn’t complete the auction sale? Or is this a decision made with the consignor?

[darwinbulldog]

Can you clarify if this is about eBay sellers or auction houses? I've had it happen several times through eBay (which, as a seller, I realize has a serious problem with non-paying bidders) and have gotten a few pretty good deals that way. I don't think I've ever had it happen with any of the auction houses I've bid with.

[parkplace33]

Originally Posted by darwinbulldog

Can you clarify if this is about eBay sellers or auction houses? I've had it happen several times through eBay (which, as a seller, I realize has a serious problem with non-paying bidders) and have gotten a few pretty good deals that way. I don't think I've ever had it happen with any of the auction houses I've bid with.

I will leave it open ended, but my original thought was auction houses.

[x2drich2000]

Yup, had it happen to me with this card. When it was auctioned I wanted 1 of this type for my collection and 5 were in the same auction. 1 was higher grade so I figured I couldn't afford it. Another was in a large lot and figured I couldn't afford the whole lot and I wanted this one more anyway. Going into the auction, this was my priority. Well auction night came along and I got outbid on this and ended up settling for my lowest priority. Was definitely thrilled to pick up one though. Shortly thereafter the one in the large lot popped up on Ebay and I grabbed it. Then the auction house contacted me about buying this one at my max. Since it was the one I really wanted that I could afford, I jumped at the chance to get it. Today I have 4 of the 5 (still interested in the other, hint hint) that were in the auction and anyone that knows me knows my obsession with these.

[Snapolit1]

My immediate response to this scenario (has happened a few times) is that the winner was a shill in cahoots with the seller and the price was unfairly run up. Someone "accidentially won" and there was an "oh shit" moment. Depending on the circumstances (partucular AH, etc.) I could be convinced otherwise.

My fraud antenna would be up big time if I was contacted 20 minutes after the auction ended. And that has happened on eBay. That's real fishy. (Somehow seller already knows that 20 minutes later that this is a non-payment situation?)

I'd day most of the time I walk away from these situations. Wait for the next one.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

My immediate response to this scenario (has happened a few times) is that the winner was a shill in cahoots with the seller and the price was unfairly run up. Someone "accidentially won" and there was an "oh shit" moment. Depending on the circumstances (partucular AH, etc.) I could be convinced otherwise.

My fraud antenna would be up big time if I was contacted 20 minutes after the auction ended. And that has happened on eBay. That's real fishy. (Somehow seller already knows that 20 minutes later that this is a non-payment situation?)

I'd day most of the time I walk away from these situations. Wait for the next one.

I usually have the same thoughts about shill bidding.

On the other hand as someone who sold a lot of cards in the early years of eBay. If I had multiples of the card I would always offer all the bidders at or above the price I would sell it for a chance at buying one. Sometimes I still do. In my experience it is about 50 50 on if they buy it from a second chance offer.

I have very little AH experiance.

[Rhotchkiss]

This has happened to me several times over the years. My decision to buy or not is sometimes based on how badly I still want the card and sometimes based on whether I trust the auction house. In the first case, sometimes I agreed to buy the card bc I still wanted it and sometimes I no longer wanted it (at that price or otherwise) and declined. In the second case, there are auction houses that have hidden reserves and others I feel don’t police shenanigans as well as other outfits. If the offer is from one of these auction houses, I have decide if I was really the “underbidder”, and if not, do I care/do I still want the card. This has happened twice and both times I declined bc I felt like I may be getting played

While I won’t publicly name AH’s I have less faith in, I will state that I have strong confidence in REA, LOTG, Memory Lane, Sterling, and Collector Connection; please note that my failure to list an AH as having strong confidence does not mean I don’t trust and otherwise have concern about that AH, but rather this list represents who I feel most confident about if I were to be contacted in the manner asked by OP

[Casey2296]

When I was building my E98 Master I won a 3 card lot, I think it was Chance in 3 different colors, I only needed the one so I asked the AH to contact the under bidder to see if he wanted the other two. He did, we agreed on a price through the AH and did the deal. Worked out for all parties.

If I was contacted as the under bidder on an item I lost I'd appreciate the opportunity and decide whether it was something I still wanted.