John Bracher Posted September 16, 2015 Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 Well, there you go, life in a nutshell..... I (like some other register members, I am sure) was watching a TR6 hardtop listed on EBay. I took the time to go and have a good look at the item, to see if the description was accurate, check condition etc. The top had no trim, all the fixings and bright trim missing, some rust/paint damage and all the rubbers/headlining/trim are shot. The seller told me they were "expecting" / "usually get between £350 and £500" for hard tops...... Offered £200 based 'on the spot' condition, which was declined (fair enough?!) Checked at lunchtime today (Wednesday), and we 'bidders' had reached £90, against a sale time of Thursday afternoon. Went to check the bidding this evening, and it had mysteriously 'ended'???? Only to be immediately relisted at £375!!! Did someone feel they may not make their "£350 to £500"????? Perhaps it's just me......? Does anyone else object to 'having their chain pulled'???? :angry: :angry: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
seanlen Posted September 16, 2015 Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 This Hard top was first on at £675!!! Then put to auction clearly had no confidence and pulled it today after some bids. I think the market will determine it's worth. Yes I was following it as well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colin_c Posted September 16, 2015 Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 Move on, forget it and keep looking. I bought (and subsequently re-sold) a fully finished ready to use hard top with fixings for under £200. They are out there. Not everyone's cup of tea hence the price. Colin. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alec Pringle Posted September 16, 2015 Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 A used car dealer being more than a tad optimistic . . . . . This appears to be no more than a rusty tin top with glass only, and in need of complete restoration - £100 tops if you ask me ! The simple answer for any ebay seller is to start the auction at the lowest price which he or she is prepared to accept . . . . . that practice avoids a good deal of time wasting and ill feeling, for seller and potential buyers alike. Cheers Alec Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Bracher Posted September 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 Gents, thanks for your support! It angers me that a 'classics dealer and enthusiast' would operate such practices. Still, it will perhaps serve as a lesson, and a reality check over what these accessories are really worth! Maybe I'll post the pictures I took of the hardtop, without all the 'sunny day gloss' on them...... I'll get the colour right too! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don H. Posted September 16, 2015 Report Share Posted September 16, 2015 I wouldn't give it another thought, John. Not worth the headache. When a serious collectible comes up for auction, you would simply not believe the behind-the-scenes work done by some people to end the auction early. Some people get rightously pi**ed off about it, considering it unfair. I shrug my shoulders -- it's eBay. A bit of a shark tank for really important things. The idea that the seller "owes" bidders the full run of the auction is probably too much to expect. He's trying to maximize his income just as you guys are trying to buy it for the lowest amount possible. Rather than put a reserve on the auction he got nervous and cancelled it. Happens all the time, just like auctions ended early for private offers. That he'd relist it with a high opening bid seems kind of odd -- he's paying higher fees to do that and the market was already telling him the value of the hardtop. At least he didn't shill bid the original auction to what he wanted. If you'd won it for £90 would you have felt you owed him more? Nah -- it's just the chaos of online auctions. Consider yourself lucky, I'd say. The seller didn't seem that easy to deal with and a number of things could have gone wrong with a winning bid before it was over. It's eBay, so unless the item is truly rare and special, there'll be another one along before long. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bazza Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 Beware of ebay. I received all the notifications that I had won an auction only to find out that someone else had contacted the seller claiming they were the winner and the object was dispatched to them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TRseks Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 (edited) Some people I hear say that they never buy from eBay, as they don't trust it. Remember it's just a marketplace, and at as far as I can see if you want to sell something as a private person it's probably the best place to do it, which means it's usually a good place to buy as well! I have sold a lot of things on eBay and bought even more, in 99.9% of the time it's good, just remember to forget the few bad experiences and all is well. Many people claim that "the market is always right", which means that the price you get is the correct price, always. This is a truth with huge modifications, I have sold identical products, listed in the same way with the same pictures and the same description. If the market is always right one would expect more or less the same price, this is far from the truth as an object sold today can easily sell for double next week, or half, you never know, that's why it's often very risky to auction an object in an no reserve auction, still I do this anyway most of the time. From this I deduct that the market can be very frustrating for both seller and buyer, that's life.... Anyway when I buy and sell objects related to classic cars and classic motorbikes I have found that most people are extremely nice to deal with and often very interesting, a tribute to the classic car scene! Magnus Edited September 17, 2015 by TRseks Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Bracher Posted September 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 I agree with the 'risks' of buying on Ebay, but life is just like that, and when it works well, it is brilliant all round! I use it loads, and would give it 5 stars! What angered me, was that this is plain and simple greed! When I visited his premises, the seller asked me what I thought it was worth, and I said, "if it was £200, I'd buy it right now" That is what I (personally) would have paid, despite it being 'far from complete/ready to use', and needing double that (+ paint) to have it 'finished'. They obviously felt it wasn't going to get the ££££ they wanted! It is just silly. If you want £375 for something, price it as such, and live with selling it, or not. That is the seller's privilege........ Sod 'em, I'll buy a hat and gloves instead, as recommended by someone sensible on this forum!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pjc615ukuk Posted September 19, 2015 Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 John. I know exactly the roof you're referring to. I've asked the seller a couple of questions but he didn't afford me the courtesy of a reply. He originally listed it with a buy it now price of £675, and to my knowledge he has just listed it again for the 3rd time! For me, ebay should have a rule that if an item is withdrawn when bids are already placed, the item cannot be re listed for a period of time.A month maybe? That way there'd be an incentive against those tossers that end auctions early when they suspect it's not going to achieve their 'fantasy' figure. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Bracher Posted September 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2015 Agreed! I lodged an enquiry with EBay on the same point, but so far, no response. I guess while seller's fees still get paid, business is 'as normal'! anyway, we can only hope that this hardtop sits forever and a day, with all the others in their storage unit!! I was out in the TR with the top down today, glorious! Who wants tin 'overhead' really, anyway!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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