Small Scale Military Headquarters

It's possible the seller had two of the item, and chose to take your bid as well as the high bid.
But if you're not happy with the outcome, complain to Ebay.

Sounds about right. Chunks posted a link to an article about people working together to run up bids.
So far as I knew, the second chance amount would have to be whatever YOUR highest bid was, though--so unless you bid $39, something is really fishy. More likely, the seller is working with 2 or 3 "bidders" to push the price up.

Was your high bid $39? If so, then he probably did have 2 and is just trying to save a buck or two on a sale. I bought some photographs a while back from a very good e-seller and caught on quickly that if I was to just bid what he started the auctions at, I would get the photo for that even if I was out bid. It’s a fairly common practice. If you feel uncomfortable at all then pass on it.

yes - run away from this - Id even block him as a seller or report him -

very common -

run away from this. and bid on one of the cheaper ones.

Total scam... Its this type of phantom bidding that ebay is "trying" to prevent. Of course they really dont try that hard because in a way they hurt themselves., the lower the bid they less they can claim in "final value fee"

FH

not fishy at all. I send out second chance offers often. It just saves the seller relisting and paying listing fees when he's satisfied with the price you were willing to pay.

If most have been going for under the $39 you bid then the seller would see your bid as a good deal and thus send out a second chance offer. It doesn't mean the winner didnt pay; the seller most likely had duplicates, is all.

Hi,
Without knowing all the details, its hard to say if its a scam or not. For openers, if you didnt think the item was worth $39, then you shouldnt have it set as your maximum bid. Secondly, we see items sell for strange amounts all the time, particularly within the last minute or so of an auction. Alot of times its not the "day-to-day" price you should concern yourself with, its the final selling price of comparable items. For instance, we currently have a 1:24 FM Sherman on ebay. Right now, it could have a nominal high bid of just $61. By the end of the auction, it coule easily double. There's no telling where it'll end up.

You might want to send an email to the seller asking why he's offering it to you so soon after the close of the auction. When we sell on ebay, about half of the buyers dont get back to us for up to 4-5 days. Others pay us within minutes of the close of the auction. Its all a matter of when they have spare time to respond, have the money available to pay, etc...

I just dont think you can make a blanket statement and say that its automatically a scam without knowing more details. By doing so, it just raises the conspiracy bar one notch higher. By all means it could very well be a scam, but these are some of the issues each of us has to address with auction sites...

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net

caesarbc wrote:I received a reply back from the seller who said he had duplicates of the plane, although only 1 was listed for sale in the Qty line. I still walked away not because I think it is shady after his explanation, but because it left a bad taste in my mouth.

He could still be using a ghost buyer who drives up the price for second offers. Not sure if that is the motive here, but the uncertainty turned me off.

I bid $39 because I got caught up in the auction frenzy in the last 20 seconds or so. I'm not ashamed to say it. I'm sure it has happenned to every one of us at one point or another.

Hell, I do that all the time. It’s the, "I don’t like to be beaten by anyone" complex. I wish I didn’t have it. I sure could have saved a bunch of money if I didn’t.

caesarbc wrote:I received a reply back from the seller who said he had duplicates of the plane, although only 1 was listed for sale in the Qty line. I still walked away not because I think it is shady after his explanation, but because it left a bad taste in my mouth.

He could still be using a ghost buyer who drives up the price for second offers. Not sure if that is the motive here, but the uncertainty turned me off.

I bid $39 because I got caught up in the auction frenzy in the last 20 seconds or so. I'm not ashamed to say it. I'm sure it has happenned to every one of us at one point or another.

very good - there is really no way to know - unless you see the same trend by the same seller - but always go with that gut - If you think something is fishy - don't walk into learning another lesson - learn from the mistakes - build up better gut feelings - instincts -

I would say the guy is trying to save money and the hassle of listing multiple items on ebay. the less evil bay fees you pay the better.

I just had that happen on a 32xw blue 12, based on the sellers history ie bidder history, it was quite obvious he was driving the bids up. He also sent a second chance offer but I declined. I have gotten some sellers kicked off ebay before due to that, doesn't really matter though, those types just resort to another userid. In the early days of ebay, before the checking and verifying, one could have several userid's. Those types do ruin it for the guys that do have more than one, or if the high bidder backs out and the seller honestly offers it to the 2nd highest bidders as the system was intentionally designed. You just never know..

All of this, the above discussion, points to the fact that it is good to purchase from us, the fellow boardmembers-in-good-standing. Check out the "Good Trader" information and all should be smooth. We need to stick together! (where and when ever it is possible)

dV

I have had some of the ebaystores - send a second chance offer and I decline - but next thing I know - I'm on a mailing list for their store online catalogue -

besides Id rather try to start over and try to get a lower bid price.

If I have multiples of an item, I usually only list one at a time so my auctions don't compete with each other. I see it as the seller was just trying to save some time and sell you the aircraft at what you would have paid for it. If he did have someone bid it up, you still had $39 listed as your highest bid. Thats my opinion at least.

Your high bid is the walmart price, your area WM doesn't have any? The ebay seller is likely going to rip ( oops, I mean charge) you $20 for shipping as well.

I find ebay is useful to buy toys no longer in production, from 60's and such and their sellers are the only source for items.

DH

gary1930 wrote:It's possible the seller had two of the item, and chose to take your bid as well as the high bid.
But if you're not happy with the outcome, complain to Ebay.

I've had plenty of situations in the past where I've sent second-chance offers out to people, and my offers are entirely legitimate. No shilling, no collusion, no scam. Usually buyers don't take them, but sometimes they do.

Usually a seller will not list multiple items at the same time as the bidders become confused about which one to bid one, and will either not bid or bid low. Also, when you advertise the fact that you have a "bunch" of something, people will be less inclined to bid/buy it. That's just a fact - and if you as the consumer think about it for a minute you'll know it is true.

When I have multiple of the same items available for sale on eBay, and I've just sold one and I liked more than one of the top bids I will send out one or more second chance offers.

I understand that from the buyer's standpoint that these can appear suspicious.

All I can suggest is that you look over the feedback ratings of the other high bidders involved. Are they somewhat new to eBay. Is most of their feedback provided back and forth to each other and/or the seller? Such things usually indicate a seller operating w/ multiple IDs or cohorts.

luftpanzer wrote:I would say the guy is trying to save money and the hassle of listing multiple items on ebay. the less evil bay fees you pay the better.

Sorry, but no. Second-chance offers on eBay are subject the same final value fees as an auction.

caesarbc wrote:Scbvideoboy,
As I already ranted, I live in the XD wasteland otherwise known as the East Coast. I doubt the Migs or Sabres will show up here within the next year or so. There have been plenty of products that have never shown up here at all. The WM's around here still have nightfighters sitting on the shelves

That sucks, especially in that big city area. It all comes down to the wm management at each store. I've seen a wm that used to be the first ones to get all the new items and now are crap, while others that used to be piss poor and have nothing are now the ones with migs and f-86's piled up on the ends units.

Interesting is the discounted TBMs are gone. Are there any members in your area that will help you out?


Dave

coreystinson wrote:

luftpanzer wrote:I would say the guy is trying to save money and the hassle of listing multiple items on ebay. the less evil bay fees you pay the better.

Sorry, but no. Second-chance offers on eBay are subject the same final value fees as an auction.

You do save on ebay fees with a 2d chance offer - you don't pay listing fees twice, only the FVF.

Based on your description, I'd say there is nothing to worry about-it's just a normal second chance offer by a seller who had multiples of the same item. Very common.