http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290359576875&ssPageName=ADME:X:SCO:US:1123 Hi all. I just finished bidding in the above auction. The price went up very quickly near the end of the auction, and I put in an unreasonably high bid. I still was not the high bidder when the auction closed, but I immediately received a second chance offer? Something seems fishy to me.... The coin was jumping up in $5 increments for a coin that's worth less than $100. It should've sold for about $80. Could this be shill bidding? I want the coin and the price isn't that big of a deal because I have no nearby coin stores, just the occasional small show. What thinks ye?
The seller probably has more than one and he liked the price you offered, that's why you got a second chance. Now you have to decide if you want it that bad.
I got an NGC graded PF70 Ultra Cameo off ebay last year for $82. (The seller wasn't happy.) They may have went up though since there's no 2009s coming out now. I agree with Pennywise. It is likely he has several and would be glad to sell you one without him having to pay the additional ebay fees. If it was something more unique, I would assume shill biding and decline the offer. It might be worth doing a search of past auctions and see what they've been going for lately before accepting.
Okay, The going price is about $80. The auction ended with a high bid of $97. I sent the seller a message through eBay stating that I'm still considering the coin and asked what happened to his high bidder? I'll post his reply when I get one. I need one of these coins for my proof ASE collection and his auction ad makes it sound like the quality of the coin is what I'm looking for. Maybe I'll just go for it, he does offer a 7 day return policy and also said that he would accept a USPS money order. I don't buy graded coins of modern issues, so if it was PR-69ish I'd settle for that.
First off, the link you gave us is for a listing still active. Could it be shill bidding, yes, but I would guess not (just shooting in the dark). As for your second chance offer, be sure it came through eBay. They are or were having problems with fake offers. They were not coming thought (i.e. there is a copy at eBay) eBay. If it is on eBay, you were willing to pay that much for it. If you still are, go for it. I have picked up a couple what I consider nice buys from 2nd chance offers although mine usually come when the reserve is not met.
The 2nd chance offer did come through eBay. I think I posted the new offer link. I'll try to put the original in here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290357197531&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
I'm seeing some 'Buy It Now's for $80-90 bucks. Maybe I'll point that out to the seller and see if he will accept a lower offer. I believe his shipping was free, so I have to factor that into the overall price. I think I'll ask him a coupla more questions to make sure that he really has the quality that I'm looking for. I don't think I've ever seen two proof ASEs that looked the same. I go for the maximum frost and spot/haze/toning free surfaces, front AND back and no scratches on the plastic capsule. I'm picky! LOL
The only possible shill bidder I see is "r***f" and I am reasonably sure that is you. As for why the second chance offer, I will bet he has 2 (at least) and eBay offers a discount for selling as a 2nd chance.
Yeah, it's kinda strange that as fast as I could bid, someone kept bidding higher, but it wasn't from a maximum bid or it never would've shown me having the winning bid. It just didn't seem right. I'll see what the seller says. I guess if the seller put in a $150 max bid for example, he will win the auction and immediately send a second chance offer to the one that tried to keep up with him. I need to exercise a little more bidding discipline....
That is not what happened. eBay bids are automatically adjusted to one step over the next higher bid (or his bid, which ever is lower). e***s bid $96. When you bid $80, e***s automatically went to $81. When you bid $92, e***s automatically went to $93. Read this; http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/automatic-bidding.html
Several of my bids showed me as being the high bidder. I'm used to it immediately adjusting the bid when someone else has a higher max bid and then it wouldn't show me as being the high bidder, but I was the high bidder several times. Something just didn't seem right. I'm still waiting to hear back from the seller and then I'll go from there.
You may be right to be a bit cautious with the second chance offer...just make sure the offer came from the same e-bay user who ran the auction, check with e-bay customer support if it still seems fishy....
Yes, you were the high bidder through $86.40. Then e***s bid and you were the second highest bidder for the rest of your bids. You obviously do not understand how the bidding works. You need to read http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/automatic-bidding.html until you understand it. BTW, e***s bid something in excess of $96
My initial impression is that this is a reasonable seller and probably has (as others have said) multiple items for sale. However, it's good for you to question Second Chance Offers. I've had many cases (in the 30-40 range) where I've been outbid on a seemingly unique item only to receive a Second Chance Offer at my highest bid amount. If the price still seems fair and I really want the item, I may go ahead and accept the Second Chance Offer. If it's an item I can do without but would consider at a lower price, I look to see what the winning price would have been had the winning bidder not bid. I then counter with (what I believe to be) the fair auction price. I've only had my counter offer accepted twice. In every case, I'm polite and respectful. I have to assume each seller is behaving ethically, but I hope this approach discourages any possible unethical behavior should that be the case.
I can't believe those are selling for that much. Maybe it's time I started selling on ebay again? I must really be behind the times, LOL. :eat:
Yep, you folks are right. The seller replied that he had 4 of the same item and that he had sent out 3 more second chance offers. I wonder what price was offered to the other bidders that bid less than I did? I think I'll hold off on buying the coin...I know that I can get it for $80 on eBay. Maybe I'll ask the seller if he would accept a lower price, and if he won't, I'll pass. Thank you all for your replies to this thread, I've gained some knowledge from it!
The one thing I've learned about ebay.....there will always be another auction later. So, your only question is: Are you willing to pay the 2nd chance offer price or do you wait for the next auction. bob
He accepted my offer of $85 delivered, which I feel is a fair enough price. He's also willing to accept a USPS money order. Thanks again for everyone's input on this thread!
