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ebay gazumping

I’m not sure if the term gazumping travels well but it basically means that someone agrees a sale and then backs out because a better offer is received. I suspect I have been gazumped on ebay.  

I was the highest bidder on an item and paid my £100+ straightaway. Three days after winning and paying I received a refund, an order cancellation and an odd message from the seller  saying that the item couldn’t be found. It had mysteriously gone missing along with a box full of other “stuff”. 

I strongly suspect that someone else made a higher offer, either because they forgot to bid or because they saw it while trawling through completed items. I have written to sellers a few times because of just those reasons, but I always say that the seller should only revert to me if the buyer doesn’t pay or if a paying buyer would be interested in re-selling (with original seller and buyer each taking a cut of the instant “profit”).

 I have expressed my deep disappointment to the seller but have stopped short of making any direct accusations as yet. She now tells me that she suspects a break-in and also that many other sales had to be cancelled. I ask myself whether a burglar really would take a box of 10” x 8”s but that’s neither here nor there. 

I have spent considerable amounts with this seller in the recent and more distant past and have helped her as a highest under-bidder many times. It is likely that she will have more “good stuff” that I would otherwise have liked to buy in the future. 

I am thinking of asking ebay to intervene. They could check for other cancelled sales or even check for counter offers in the seller’s message box. 

After that long introduction my questions are brief: 

  1. Has this kind of thing happened to other members? If so, what did they do and were ebay useful?

  2. In this particular case (with a known seller and potential future business) how would other members take this forward, if at all. 

I am torn between feeling indignant and “wanting my rights” on the one hand and feeling like a “moaning Minnie” and wanting to keep the peace on the other. In the overall scheme of things I know we are not talking life or death but I still don’t like people taking liberties with me. 

Any thoughts?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Joe W. on July 11, 2015 at 12:28pm

My advise is to forgive and move on. Least you got a prompt refund. I guess you can cross them off your seller list but things happen once in awhile. 

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on July 11, 2015 at 12:36pm

I have had sellers refund buy it now offers and once a few years ago a week later it was back but at a much greater amount.  I think I agree with Joe I would let it go since dealing with eBay can be a nightmare.  Frankly I doubt eBay would be of much help i have never found them to be.  I think I would still bid on items but only if they were ones I really wanted.

Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on July 11, 2015 at 1:19pm

Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to compel someone to follow through with a sale if they have seller's remorse for whatever reason. It stinks and I can understand the disappointment and frustration... I'm sure it has happened to all of us on occasion when you get that super deal to suddenly learn the item has "gone missing." It's an old and common tale.

Permalink Reply by Paul on July 11, 2015 at 1:26pm
It happened to me on a 2600 hundred dollar item. Since then I've only purchased one item on ebay. I usually try to avoid ebay. It's fun to look at unless you know the seller is solid I don't bother.
Permalink Reply by Joe W. on July 11, 2015 at 1:31pm

I've done a lot of buying on ebay and rarely have a problem with a seller. Things happen but usually a seller will follow through. Although I do think there is a lot of sellers who will "help" bump the bidding up. Stick with sellers who honor proper business practices. 

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