Is this fair/allowed (Ebay)?

[Poppy7]

I wanted to get my sister a mirror crackle glass for Christmas. Next is her favourite but when I was looking they didn't have one in their current range.

I went on Ebay and found one brand new with tags and just what I was looking for. It was on for a buy it now price of £25. I offered £18 and it got almost immediately accepted. This did not included postage at £7.

After searching and paying I thought it appeared that I had paid too much, more than the original value of the item. I contacted the seller asking what the original price was but they said they didn't know.....

Today (over a week later) I have received the vase. I must admit it is beautiful. However, the price tag IS on it and it says £12!!!!!!! I must admit I was and still am rather cross!!!!

Is this right? Can someone do this? I feel like I have been totally ripped off. I could have gone to my Next At Home store down the road (who now have a crackle vase in stock ) and got one, with a receipt and guarantee for less.

What would you do?

 

[Creative]

Not a lot you can do sadly. You agreed to pay a price and paid it. I've had items on a shop buy it now and yet offered the same item on an auction and people have outbid the buy it now price. It's down to doing your research.

 

[lilyd]

If it was worth £18 to you and you like it, then it is still worth it.

The seller has done nothing wrong x

 

[Poppy7]

I guess what I am most annoyed about is that I messaged the seller about 20 minutes after buying the item asking what the original value was and they said they didn't know. It feels like the seller was deceitful to me as the price tag was on the item and they clearly did know.

I just couldn't lie like that to somebody, whether I knew them or not.

 

[Creative]

But they have no responsibility to tell you the original price whether or not they know it. In a shop you can't go up to the assistant and say what was the original price? They usually only paid one third of the retail price.

 

[Poppy7]

I understand that. I work in retail so know how much it costs to make a product and then how much margin is put on before it is sold to the end user.

I don't know I just feel it is very dishonest. I'm not that kind of person so would feel tremendously guilty if I did this to someone on Ebay.

I know some items sell for more than their original value because they are rare/discontinued etc but I don't think this item falls in to that category.

 

[Butterball Ma]

People sell on Ebay for 2 reasons. 1. Just to get rid of something that they don't need/want. 2. To make a profit. The seller made a profit from your sale. It kinda sucks, but that is business.

 

[lilyd]

If you had messaged her prior to purchasing it and she said she didn't know, then I would agree it was a bit deceitful, but not after you bought it. If she had said £12 when you asked her, it wouldn't have changed anything as you had already made your offer?

 

[Poppy7]

If you had messaged her prior to purchasing it and she said she didn't know, then I would agree it was a bit deceitful, but not after you bought it. If she had said £12 when you asked her, it wouldn't have changed anything as you had already made your offer?

I know, I see where you're coming from. I guess if the seller had been honest and told me the price, even though I had already paid, I would have tried there and then before they sent the item to get my money back.

It may not have worked but at least I could have tried.

 

[binxyboo]

caveat emptor I'm afraid.
Roughly translates to 'Buyer Beware'
It was YOUR responsibility to check out the actual price of the item before you made a decision to pay the seller.

I once sold some car part that I bought for something like £5 in Halfords, but never used. I put it on an auction, and someone paid over £25 for it. It was still in stock at Halfords for the price I originally bought it, but if the buyer couldn't be bothered to do his research, then it is not my job to point him to a place that does it cheaper - certainly not when the £25 was heading my way.
Its Dog Eat Dog on eBay!

 

[Poppy7]

I guess an auction is slightly different? You can't control how high the final bid goes. However, the buyer set the buy it now price much higher than was originally paid.

I guess I'm too trusting. I just "trusted" that they were selling it at the original price as surely no one would be so greedy (this is my own thought.....).

 

[binxyboo]

I guess an auction is slightly different? You can't control how high the final bid goes. However, the buyer set the buy it now price much higher than was originally paid.

I guess I'm too trusting. I just "trusted" that they were selling it at the original price as surely no one would be so greedy (this is my own thought.....).

Even with Buy It Now on a an item, I STILL google the item and see what the original price should be before I commit to buy!!

 

[Poppy7]

I guess an auction is slightly different? You can't control how high the final bid goes. However, the buyer set the buy it now price much higher than was originally paid.

I guess I'm too trusting. I just "trusted" that they were selling it at the original price as surely no one would be so greedy (this is my own thought.....).

Even with Buy It Now on a an item, I STILL google the item and see what the original price should be before I commit to buy!!

I googled too late.....

 

[maryp0ppins]

I guess an auction is slightly different? You can't control how high the final bid goes. However, the buyer set the buy it now price much higher than was originally paid.

I guess I'm too trusting. I just "trusted" that they were selling it at the original price as surely no one would be so greedy (this is my own thought.....).

Even with Buy It Now on a an item, I STILL google the item and see what the original price should be before I commit to buy!!

I googled too late.....

The seller probably wanted to make a profit, also ebay and paypal take 10% for fees (including postage now!) So they probably would have marked it up anyways.

 

[Poppy7]

I guess an auction is slightly different? You can't control how high the final bid goes. However, the buyer set the buy it now price much higher than was originally paid.

I guess I'm too trusting. I just "trusted" that they were selling it at the original price as surely no one would be so greedy (this is my own thought.....).

Even with Buy It Now on a an item, I STILL google the item and see what the original price should be before I commit to buy!!

I googled too late.....

The seller probably wanted to make a profit, also ebay and paypal take 10% for fees (including postage now!) So they probably would have marked it up anyways.

They probably did but I just think that £11 profit is a bit much. Oh well,once bitten, twice shy....I won't let it happen again!

 

[Poppy7]

My sister had better like it after all this!!!

 

[MrsBandEgglet]

I think it was deceitful, the seller could have easily looked and told you the price but they knew if they did you may have backed out. However, I think you hold have just researched them a bit to see how much you should have been paying. They sound lovely, I'm sure your sister will love it x

 

[Louise88]

just take this as a learning curve and do your research before buying I sold a used game on ebay for £20 through auction and the person could have bought it brand new on ebay as well for £12 lol but I understand auction is different to buy it now and I agree it was deceitful of them considering the price was on the item.

 

[special_kala]

Its the buyers responsibility to pay the price they think its worth.

I dont think its unfair

 

[Pearls18]

If you had messaged before the auction ended and they lied then I would understand feeling like you'd been duped, but once you had won the auction it was a moot point it was worth whatever you bidded for it (I understand your frustration though).

Be weary of eBay in that you get people who trawl the big sales like Next to sell on ebay so even if their price looks good they're still making a profit from you, nothing wrong with this of course, it's quite clever really, but never pay more for something than you personally think it's worth to you.

I bought a table in argos for half price, I sold it less than a year later on Facebook, I gave the link for it in the catalogue which showed the price it was selling for at the time which was twice what I paid, I sold it for exactly what I paid for it (I wasn't aiming for a profit) it's worth looking on reviews because sometimes people say "so happy with this product especially because it was on sale" and you can usually work out how often things go on sale, because of this I refuse to pay full price for anything!!