To date (02/19/2005)
I only have a single negative feedback. This page was created to provide a
detailed description on the circumstances of this neg.
Item 2024280568
I left instructions with my e-snipe account
to place a bid on this e-bay item on 5/14/02. E-snipe is an automatic bid
mechanism, in which e-bay bids are placed at any particular time that the user
defines (usually seconds before the end of the auction). I often give multiple
e-snipe bid instructions early on (meaning far from the end of the auctions)
and then cancel them in case I no longer want to bid on an item. This way,
since an actual e-bay bid has never been made, you can freely cancel any
auction bid without any penalty or explanation.
Because I found some solution in another way,
I did not need to buy the item, which is the subject of this dispute. I
logged onto my e-snipe account and cancelled the bid. However, due to a
server error, the cancellation did not take effect. (Later, upon my
questioning, e-snipe actually acknowledged that they had recorded my action to
cancel it in their log.)
On 5/20/02 I realized that I won the auction
of above auction, after believing this bid would not be placed by e-snipe. I immediately contacted the seller to explain the
situation and offered my help. In my e-mail (1) I expressed how sorry I was
for not being able to buy the item; (2) I explained why this happened; and (3)
I offered my help finding a solution that was favorable to the seller. The
first solution I
offered was that I was going to check with the second/third highest bidders if
they wanted the item for the amount of their bid, and if so, I would connect
them
with the seller, and pay the seller the difference between my winning bid and
the amount of the second/third highest bid (that the second/third bidder would pay). I also
indicated that in case this did not work out, I was ready and willing to
explore other options, such as paying for the re-listing of the item and/or
compensation for the re-listing delay & inconvenience.
The third highest bidder indicated that he
wanted the item. I assumed that this was going to be a good solution. This bid
was in the amount of $60.00, which the third bidder was willing to pay. I then
contacted the seller again to offer to pay the difference between that amount
and my winning bid ($61.99) = $1.99.
The seller, although in her first e-mail
indicated some dismay over the fact that I could not buy the item, later seemed
to understand the situation and to acknowledge my efforts to straight this
out. I assumed that it was because the arrangements I helped with worked out
(I still assume it did).
Despite all that, to my shock, she left a negative
feedback for me.
It is important that (1) I definitely would
have even bought the item (even though I no longer needed it) in case my solution
with the third highest bidder did not work and if no other solution worked
either (such as paying for the re-listing, etc), in order to avoid a negative
feedback (so that I could maintain my 100% pos feedback status), but I was in the assumption that
the solution I worked out actually pleased the
seller; (2) I never was malicious and I did everything I could to help find an
acceptable solution; (3) I sent numerous e-mails, I was available for any
questions; (4) based on above and my previous e-bay history I think I would
have deserved at least a warning from the seller about her plans to leave me a negative
feedback so that I could do something to avoid it (such as even buying the desk!),
but I was given no such chance. That was unfair and unjust.
Here is the zip file with all related e-mail
correspondence that documents the above statements: Item_2024280568.zip