Posts: 583
From: Bothell, WA
Registered: Jan 2013

posted 03-03-2014 10:30 AM               

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I just wanted to say thank you for everyone's opinions on the matter here, it's nice to hear so many people weigh in and give their thoughts on the matter, suggestions for recourse, and even thoughts on how to discuss future occurrences of this type on the forums (a two week grace period).

Thank you and happy hunting, — liem

Posts: 583
From: Bothell, WA
Registered: Jan 2013

posted 03-05-2014 06:59 PM               

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Well golly, gee. There it is again (261416148258).

Funny, considering the seller told me, "This was given to me by my grandma and was never meant to be sold."

Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 03-05-2014 07:15 PM               

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Liem, I just spoke to someone at eBay. He strongly suggested you call them, explain the situation (as I did, recounting as you've described here) and file a claim against the seller.

I was told specifically that in doing so the seller's current auction will be ended and that if the seller does not complete the transaction as originally reached on eBay, then there will be ramifications.

Posts: 731
From: Upstate New York, USA
Registered: Mar 2001

Posts: 1397
From: Kew, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2003

Posts: 21
From: Boynton Beach, FL
Registered: Oct 2013

posted 03-06-2014 02:18 AM            

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Maybe the zero feedback bidder will buy it? LOL.

It's funny how Chris' website information on the Apollo 11 Crew Patch suddenly showed up in the description of the new auction listing. But with a buy-it-now price like that, it would actually be cheaper to just buy it directly from Farthest Reaches for $750 or from Astronaut Central for $395.

Posts: 318
From: West Sussex, England
Registered: Jan 2011

posted 03-06-2014 03:04 AM               

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Robert, that's great news. I am pleased to see that you were able to use your 'influence' to make eBay see the immorality of this seller and take same action. The seller's audacity to give a sob-story and then put it straight back onto eBay is unbelievable.

Liembo, you must follow this up now that Robert has lit the path ahead. Go get your patch!

Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 03-06-2014 03:33 AM               

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I actually didn't use any special influence at all: I called eBay like any other of its members, explained that I was not the seller but was concerned for one of our readers, described the situation and asked to know specifically their policies for handling such a situation.

I was prepared to use other "tools in the shed" if the reply was that they couldn't discuss an auction that wasn't mine or that I didn't bid on, but it wasn't necessary.

eBay's customer service rep took interest in what I was saying, though he couldn't act on my report alone. Perhaps I just lucked upon the right person, but there was no question that what the seller did was against eBay's policies.

Posts: 731
From: Upstate New York, USA
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 03-06-2014 07:48 AM               

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It's clear that if someone did try to buy it out from under the original winner, it backfired in their face. They just alerted the seller who then decided to milk it for all it was worth.

Or maybe some misguided "do-gooder" took it upon themselves to educate the seller because they were too lazy to do it themselves.

In either case, as Jeremy wisely pointed out earlier in this thread, if you are not the buyer or seller, and the material isn't counterfeit, the best policy is to not meddle in matters that don't involve you.

Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 03-06-2014 08:02 AM               

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quote:

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Originally posted by Steve Zarelli:
...the best policy is to not meddle in matters that don't involve you.

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I don't think there is anything wrong with alerting a seller to the potential value of what they have before any bids are placed. At worst, you might be depriving someone who may have gotten a steal, but you're not interfering in any active transactions.

Contacting the seller after bids have been placed and the auction is still active is questionable and probably ill advised, unless you are (or will be) the leading bidder and are prepared to pay the higher value you're suggesting.

Reaching out to a seller after an auction has closed in order to inform them of the mistake they just made serves no other purpose than interfering with a completed contract to sell the item. At best, you're rubbing in someone's mistake; at worst, you are sabotaging someone's purchase (as was the case here).

Posts: 583
From: Bothell, WA
Registered: Jan 2013

posted 03-06-2014 09:14 AM               

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There's still not a lot eBay is willing to do. They stated without any sort of commitment that they can investigate the seller for a pattern of this behavior, but that's about it. My only course of action was to leave negative feedback (hard to explain the situation in such a small amount of characters!).

Grandma needs a new pair of $3500 shoes I guess.

Posts: 2454
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009

posted 03-06-2014 11:14 AM               

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I'm not an expert in US law, but I'm fairly certain that in the UK a contract is a contract and that action could be taken through the civil courts.

In this case, as I understand it, the contract was to buy a patch at a given price. The fact that the seller then opted to withdraw after the price was agreed is a breach of that contract.

In this country we have the Small Claims Court. Is there anything similar in the US?

Posts: 583
From: Bothell, WA
Registered: Jan 2013

Posts: 719
From: Albany, Oregon
Registered: Jul 2006

posted 03-06-2014 12:40 PM               

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The listing was ended by the seller at 9:58:33 PST on 6 March 2014. "Item is no longer available."

There were no bids.

Posts: 282
From: PA
Registered: Apr 2004

Posts: 583
From: Bothell, WA
Registered: Jan 2013