amber
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posted on May 17, 2007 05:51:07 PM new
Can someone explain the advantages and disadvantages of having private auctions please?
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ewora
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posted on May 17, 2007 06:23:29 PM new
Well...I believe this to be true...maybe someone knows for sure...with the new feedback system what your item is and what it sold for no longer shows up when the buyer leaves feedback.
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sthoemke
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posted on May 17, 2007 06:25:03 PM new
Good to use if you are selling types of items that bidders don't what other bidders to know that they are bidding on it (monkey porn DVDs, etc)
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amber
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posted on May 17, 2007 06:47:39 PM new
The reason I am thinking about using it is that I think some other sellers are offering copies of craft books that I have listed to my bidders. Has anyone else had this problem?
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sthoemke
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posted on May 17, 2007 07:49:04 PM new
If the bidders report the sellers, the sellers can get banned for "Auction Interference".
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hwahwa
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posted on May 17, 2007 08:17:44 PM new
There are many dealers shopping on Ebay,esp antique dealers and they dont want their customers to know .
So the sellers would make their auctions private so these bidder dealers can be anonymous .
Another reason is that some sellers want to make believe their stuff is really special.
*
Lets all stop whining !
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bizzycrocheting
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posted on May 18, 2007 04:28:39 AM new
Amber ... I had the same problem with my auctions. And it was happening regularly. I worked with a customer to prove auction interference to Ebay, and they did absolutely nothing. Since then, I have gone private with my listings. I was nervous to do it because no one was offering private listings in my category. I was the first. Since then, most of the major sellers in my category jumped aboard the bandwagon and have gone private, too. If you look in my auctions, you will see that I put a little paragraph explaining why the auction is private. I worded it so that it gives my customers a feeling of security, which it does. Many of the other sellers have copied it, some with permission and some without. I don't care though. Feel free to use it if you like.
Diane
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amber
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posted on May 18, 2007 05:51:30 AM new
Thank you so much Diane. I love the way your auctions are set out. I would love to use your explanation in my auctions. I often think that when bids are cancelled on my auctions, it is that buyers have been contacted by other sellers.
Like you, I put a lot of pictures on my auctions, and I find that buyers ask questions about my auctions, and when I check their bidding history later, they have bid on an auction for the same book with one fuzzy picture. Not much you can do about that I guess. I sell mostly knitting patterns and yarn.
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jewl1
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posted on May 18, 2007 08:08:21 AM new
"The reason I am thinking about using it is that I think some other sellers are offering copies of craft books that I have listed to my bidders. Has anyone else had this problem?"
How would you know if the other sellers are offering copies of the craft books that you sell? I would hope they are up to par on copyright law.
I have mixed feelings about private auctions but have come to understand why some seller's use them.
1.) They want to protect the identity of their bidders. Many bidders don't want other eBayers to be able to snoop around their auction history. Some buy on one id and sell on another id.
2.) The seller may be practicing shill bidding.
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bizzycrocheting
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posted on May 18, 2007 08:12:44 AM new
You're welcome, Amber.
Jewl ... It goes on constantly. Prior to going to private auctions, I have had many customers contact stating that another seller wrote and offered to sell a copy of an item that I was selling.
Diane
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otteropp
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posted on May 18, 2007 08:27:11 AM new
Amber...slightly off topic here but could you possibly send me a link to your auctions. I had no idea that you sold patterns and wool. I am otteropp on EBay too so you can send me a link through there if you like.
I am going to be a GREAT Grandmother in August and I have been knitting but am so bored with the patterns I have and can't find much in the stores.
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ST0NEC0LD613
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posted on May 18, 2007 08:46:56 AM new
I can think of a reason not to do it.
If you make your auctions private, then no one that isn't on your approved list will be able to bid. That means no new customers can bid unless they go out of their way to contact you for permission to bid. You can put it in the bank that most will pass on your item.
IMHO if you are going to do a private auction, you might as well deal direct with the person and keep eBay out of it.
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bizzycrocheting
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posted on May 18, 2007 08:52:48 AM new
Stone ...You are mistaken. A private auction simply means that the only one who can see who is bidding on the items is the seller. ANYBODY can bid without being preapproved. You're thinking of a pre-approved auction, which ebay discontinued.
Diane
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amber
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posted on May 18, 2007 09:51:30 AM new
jewl: I didn't mean I made copies, I meant that I buy more than one copy of the book from the store. I have many regular repeat buyers, and they have been offered books of mine that they have been bidding on. As you see from Bizzy, I am not the only one.
sthoemke: Like Diane, I have tried that. I also found someone that had over 400 hand made copies of patterns she said were from the 1920's. I have many of the same patterns, and many are marked in the 1950's. I laboriously wrote out the auction numbers of about 40 of them and reported them to eBay, NOTHING was done.
otteropp: Thank you for your interest. I will contact you directly through eBay. Some people on this board know my user ID, but on the whole I prefer to remain anonymous.
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sthoemke
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posted on May 18, 2007 10:21:51 AM new
amber, I'd just keep reporting to ebay.
Make sure you email the complaint to ebay after selecting the violation. Most people miss that link (under the "Contact Customer Support" link).
Choosing the complaint only gives you a selection of help pages, and doesn't direct ebay to take action.
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amber
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posted on May 20, 2007 08:09:02 AM new
Diane, is it necessary to make store auctions private? As it is a BIN, I guess no-one would have the opportunity to offer a cheaper copy to the bidder. I have over 440 auctions in my store, and I don't feel like changing them all!
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bizzycrocheting
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posted on May 21, 2007 04:07:33 AM new
Hi Amber ... No ... I wouldn't make store items private. There's really no reason for it.
Diane
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amber
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posted on May 21, 2007 04:28:35 AM new
Thanks Diane, that's what I thought. I appreciate your help.
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