T206 Buyer Beware

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Posted By: Lee Behrens

I came across this lot listed today:


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=31719&item=4132298792&rd=1

The same lot was sold May 12 with poistive feedback:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=31719&item=4130975788

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Posted By: jay behrens

I've also noticed several other lots that sold around the 10-12 May that have all the sudden reappeared on eBay with the same exact pictures, but different sellers.

Jay

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Posted By: Judge Dred

Are you sure they're the same cards? Those photos are so fuzzy it'd be hard to tell for sure....

You've got to like the name of the seller. It sounds so worthy of trust...

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Posted By: steve k

The scans are definitely identical on the two lots. The winning bidder on his older lot also had "john" in the ebay name. Maybe that's his shill bidding account.

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Posted By: jay behrens

I didn't even notice it is the same seller selling the same cards with the same scan.

Jay

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Posted By: t-206collector

...for whatever that's worth. Maybe the buyer didn't come through for this item. Stranger things have happened. Definitely raises a red flag, but the fact that it's not a high ticket item means it's probably legit, in my humble opinion...

This is what the positive feedback was for...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=60477&item=4130548941

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Posted By: jay behrens

The first auction only closed a week ago. It's a little soon to be giving up on a buyer. And if the winner did back out, you'd think there would be a neg left on the feedback.

Jay

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Posted By: t-206collector

People often don't leave negative feedback for fear of retaliation. Though my experience on ebay has not been without its glitches, I have never left negative feedback for this exact reason.

All I'm saying is that there are just as many good explanations as bad ones. (And that there are a lot of conspiracy theories on this board.)

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Posted By: t-206collector

"Hey, I noticed that the cards in this auction went a few weeks ago. Is this the same lot of cards and, if so, did the buyer not come through?"

Let's see what his answer is. I have been offered ebay second chance on auctions in certain instances where the original buyer opted not to pay. In one such instance, the buyer e-mailed the seller after the auction closed and told him that he did not think the card would sell for as much as his final bid and that it would take him a few weeks to come up with the money. The seller said no thanks and gave me a second chance offer. Now, could the seller have been "shill bidding"? I guess, though his feedback and sale history did not support such a finding. But was I happy to get the card? You bet.

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Posted By: t-206collector

...the first buyer in this auction had only 3 feedback, whereasa Firefighter John3000 has 67 positive feedback (100%). To me, it's much more likely that the seller didn't want to spend this kind of money on this item than it is that Firefighter John makes his living fraudulently selling mediocre T206 cards.

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Posted By: jay behrens

If someone offers you a second chance offer, only offer what you winning bid would have been if you were the winner. This is a favorite manure to get people to pay the max on an item and been around as long as I've been on eBay. And that is 8 years.

Jay

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Posted By: t-206collector

The only reason I would accept it at your final bid price is if you believe that the card would sell for more if it were relisted. Also, it pays to do the research and see if the winning bidder has been the winner in any other auctions for this seller.

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Posted By: t-206collector

This was firefighter john's response:

"the winner didnt pay attention to the fact i only take paypal and they wanted to pay be mail. so i sent second chance offers to the other bidders but no response, so here they are again. thanks . the weird thing is the winning bidder hase bought from me before. oh-well"

Given the circumstances and this response, I'd have to say that I buy this explanation.

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Posted By: Lee Behrens

That is the same response I received in questioning him about the auction. If he sends me I better scan I might bid.

Lee