Any Ideas on How to Approach This eBay Sports Tickets Problem?

Discussion in 'Marketplace Discussions' started by Mark, Feb 16, 2004.

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  1. Mark

    Mark I Am Gort, Hear Me Roar Staff Thread Starter

    Here's my tale of woe for today. I'd appreciate any suggestions on how to report it to eBay. I responded to an invite on an eBay auction for UConn basketball tickets. The invite, printed not as "Buy It Now," but in the body of the description, said "e-mail me(meaning the seller) with any private bids." I had done this once before, about two weeks ago, the bid was accepted and I got the tickets. Naturally, the one with the problem was for tickets for my wife and her friend. Anyhow, we went back and forth on the private e-mails (the seller is right here in Connecticut, but I don't know where), and we reached an agreement on the price. I wrote him three times confirming it, and asked for his PayPal link. I didn't get a response to the first two e-mails, but after a third e-mail, this morning, he wrote back to tell me that he sent the PayPal link to me yesterday, Sunday, and when I did not respond, he sold the tickets to another person. I am steamed because he claimed he sent me the link in our first transaction a couple of weeks ago, I didn't get it (like this time) and I wrote and he sent it again. We had a clear agreement on the price, and simply the mode of payment had not reached me. Since it was not a "Buy It Now," does anybody know if I have any recourse with reporting this to eBay,and, if so, how I would go about doing it? Thanks in advance for the help.
     
  2. poweragemk

    poweragemk Old Member

    Location:
    CH
    Bet he got a higher offer, Mark...
    I think eBay won't have anything to do with it if it's privately negotiated. Sorry to say...
     
  3. Mark

    Mark I Am Gort, Hear Me Roar Staff Thread Starter

    Michael: I am certain, given how the responses went in the negotiations, which I will not bore you with, that he got a higher offer. Just steams me, though. I negotiate for a living, and would never pull this kind of crap.
     
  4. poweragemk

    poweragemk Old Member

    Location:
    CH
    Yeah, it's a bummer when the other end of any transaction has never heard of the word "ethics." I will say, though, that when I was listing Red Sox playoff tix last fall, that I got quite a few private enquiries. I decided not to go for any of them because I wanted to have eBay to fall back on in case of deadbeats...
     
  5. Holy Zoo

    Holy Zoo Gort (Retired) :-)

    Location:
    Santa Cruz
    Ebay expressly forbids this kind of thing, so I think you're out of luck there. Unless you want to narc on him - they'll send him a nastygram not to sell this way again.
     
  6. Mike V

    Mike V New Member

    Location:
    Connecticut
    Hi Mark. If you won the auction, then he was in violation of eBay policy. His excuse is lame, and the 2nd chance option (selling to 2nd highest bidder if highest cops out) of course isn't an option with Buy It Now (1 bidder), so he was way outside the rulebook. Privately negotiated deals are fine (I've done a couple) but there are proper and improper ways to go about it. You should file a complaint just so it's on record if nothing else, IMO.
     
  7. JonUrban

    JonUrban SHF Member #497

    Location:
    Connecticut
    Mark, I think you are hosed. This guy, by negotiating outside of eBay, does not have to abide by any rules at all. Consequently, he can do whatever he wants with impunity.

    Bummer- but so was Sunday's game...... :(
     
  8. DanG

    DanG On Green Dolphin Street

    Location:
    Florida
    What happens, he lists the auction, encourages private bids ON the auction, accepts one, then pulls the auction, item no longer for sale?
     
  9. Mark

    Mark I Am Gort, Hear Me Roar Staff Thread Starter

    All's Well That Ends Well, Sorta, Maybe.....

    Not completely sure. I believe that he had four tickets to sell, but only two were ever listed on eBay. but, he told me that he sold all four.

    However, I think, repeat, think, that I just scored my wife and her friend two other tickets for the Notre Dame game. Seats slightly worse, but much cheaper. They are happy. Or, I should say after all this, will be happy, once they are in the seats and the game starts.
     
  10. mal content

    mal content Guest

    I think if you report to Ebay the only thing that might happen is you getting kicked off for attempting to make a deal "behind Ebay's back" so to speak. They're very dour toward that sort of thing although definitely plenty of it goes on. I suppose you could report the auction since he was offering to sell things outside Ebay but he might in turn narc on you for attempting to buy them, epsically if he still has your emails. Best probably just not to deal with him in the future.
     
  11. -=Rudy=-

    -=Rudy=- ♪♫♪♫♫♪♪♫♪♪ Staff

    Location:
    US
    That "auction" was actually an example of "fee avoidance" also...listing on Ebay, but selling outside Ebay in order to avoid paying a final value fee. Since you both were party to it, you're better off just dropping the issue. You could both get nailed for it, as I see it.
     
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