Andrew Prince
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2010
- Messages
- 2,232
I think the point Chris is making is that many people bid on stuff on the off-chance they can get a bargain and wouldn't pay close to new price for the item.(i.e. a speculative byer rather than serious) I fall into this category 99% of the time on ebay. Another person may desperately want the item and be prepared to pay much more. Does our forum etiquette mean that the speculative buyer (i.e. example no 1) get carte blanche to bid without forum competition simply by virtue of calling dibs on the forum first? And if he has his bargain bid sniped, then such is life? The desperate buyer has to sit on his hands and be a good citizen observing the gentlemen's rules and see the original guy's lowball bid not win anyway? And lose out on a great opportunity to buy a cheap bumper that he needs because his bumper is toast?Chris said:.... I have to say that if I really wanted an item that someone had declared interest in and decided to bid myself despite the informal agreement - I wouldn't say anything on the forum frankly. If I won, I wouldn't shout about it.
I'm all for us playing nice and not costing each other money in a bidding war but IMO there is a limit. In this case Chas was 1st register interest here but had bid a very low amount that was almost certainly never going to win the item. To then beg the indulgence of the forum in not competing is probably unrealistic in practice. My 2c - not saying what is right or wrong.
What is the best way of playing this without falling out over it? Every man for himself? Or a system where a serious buyer that arrives late PM's the 1st registered person and explains his interest and indicates roughly what he'd pay. The 1st registered person can then opt to stand back or to tell the serious buyer that he intends to continue bidding and would bid in excess of that offer?