Seller absent during auction?

[goodlittlekitty]

I sent a seller a question. I have a bid on their item.

I received a reply from someone who said the seller would not be available until after the end of auction.

I said that there was no banner saying, "seller will be gone and will be back on ~whatever date". They did not identify the nature of their relationship with the seller, but they apparently have access to read and respond for seller's messages.

Is this considered invalid contact information?

What are my options? I don't want to complete a transaction with a seller who acts this way.

Thanks.

[pierrelebel]

"Is this considered invalid contact information?"

No

Frankly, I do not understand your problem.

A seller puts something for sale with a scheduled ending date.  The seller may be away for a period of time (whatever the reason - it is none of your business or mine) yet makes arrangements for someone to answer the mail.

Your question - if important - should have been asked before bidding.

I suggest you cancel your bid.

[goodlittlekitty]

They did not make arrangements. The person who replied gave me the impression they are a minor and as such, are unable to answer questions as (the exact words): " they were not the person in charge."

Your reply was presumptious and rude to me. If you sell here, please do us both a favor and block my ID now, I would not want to be your buyer.

[pierrelebel]

Can I ask you a simple question: why do you hide your feedback?

[goodlittlekitty]

Frankly, you are right, you do not understand my problem.

[goodlittlekitty]

Why do you use a pseudonym? It's called privacy. Something Americans still value.

I have glowing feedback.

I'll show you mine, if you'll show me yours. Deal?

[goodlittlekitty]

This is my buying user ID. Is that your selling ID?

Didn't think so.

Sigh. Is anybody else home to address my question who doesn't have a chip on their shoulder?

Or has his royal huffiness shooed everyone else away?

[pierrelebel]

"It's called privacy. Something Americans still value."

With all due respect, that is nonsense.

The vast majority of eBay members make their feedback public, not private.

To see mine is easy: click on my feedback number 26535 (at left) and you get the whole picture.  Keep looking at the feedback I left for others and it tells you I have over 106,000 transactions on eBay in seventeen years.  Only once did I encounter a buyer hiding his/her feedback.

[goodlittlekitty]

Whoopdeedoo. You met a person who used their right to privacy - that is AWESOME!

Actually, privacy is not "nonsense", unless of course, you have a perverse curiosity..

My use of private feedback is my choice. Why do you want to see it again? That would affect your answer to me, how?

[pierrelebel]

30

[mater721]

"Sigh. Is anybody else home to address my question who doesn't have a chip on their shoulder?"

Pierre is correct - you should ask your questions before you bid.

[goodlittlekitty]

goodlittlekitty is correct too. The seller needs to post a vacation notice to their listing to the effect that they will be away on vacation leaving no one but a minor in charge.

Buyers need to know that so they may accurately guage readiness to engage the listing. Duh.

Thanks for showing the chip on your shoulder, too. Boy, this place is full of unhelpful answers not addressing the question.

I don't want your opinion and judgement on my reputation as a buyer. I want an answer to my original post.

Any takers yet?
Does a seller need to be able to be reached by a buyer or not?

Does a seller need to post notice of their absence during an auction or not?

Can a seller leave their store in the hands of a minor?

My curiosity's killing me now. Wondering... does anybody know?

[goodlittlekitty]

"30" - ??? To what are you referring? What is that supposed to mean? Secret Seller language? LOL 😛

BTW, I believe you assume I can access the view listings feature from your avatar or wherever it is nowadays. Ebay's updates removed that from my compatibility view; I apologize for not being able to see it.

Doesn't really matter though. Feedback's a bust, buyers can only get pos, right? Why are you interested in my negative reports? Some sellers are entitled to privacy too. It's considered a sin of detraction to make known the faults of others without a sufficiently pressing reason (real danger).

As you pointed out, it's completely "buyer beware" here anyway, as far as you're concerned: "No touchy no listing with no bids unless all questions answered first." Got it. Meanwhile, back in reality land....buyers can and do have questions. It might help them decide if they would like to bid higher or bid on multiples. See how that might help? Hm. Maybe you don't, apparently you are using Jedi mind tricks..

Oh brother. Guess no hope for direct answers here.

I use private feedback?! How DARE I! lol!

[pierrelebel]

–30– has been traditionally used by journalists to indicate the end of a story. It is commonly found at the end of a press release.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E2%80%9330%E2%80%93

[goodlittlekitty]

Thank you, a real answer. Really, no sarcasm meant, I appreciate a direct reply to a direct question.

Got any more for me? Is it in the Ebay User Agreement that a seller can leave their store in the hands of a minor who is not "the person in charge?"

If you're all 30'd out, that's okay. >But I would like it if you could show off some of that vaunted extensive selling experience and the inner workings of ebay.

[pierrelebel]

"you could show off some of that vaunted extensive selling experience and the inner workings of ebay. "

I guess I could but I will not.

In Canada we have an old saying:  "One attracts more flies with honey than vinegar."

Once again: 30.

Try to get an answer on eBay.com (USA) boards.

[pjcdn2005]

Does a seller need to be able to be reached by a buyer or not?

Yes, a seller should be able to reply to a buyer within 24 hours..sooner if possible.

But in this situation you are not a buyer, you are a bidder.  It is a good

idea for the seller to be available during an auction to answer questions 

but there is no rule saying that they must do so. They are required to be available or

arrange to have someone who can send out the item once the auction is over.

eBay actually allows sellers to block all questions from non buyers so obviously

there is no rule that the seller has to be available to answer questions.

Does a seller need to post notice of their absence during an auction or not?

No, eBay doesn't require that.

It is a good idea to do so but it isn't necessary. They or someone responsible

does need to be available once the auction is over so that the item can

be shipped within the handling time. If the item is not going to be shipped on time then yes,

there should be a notice or the auction should be cancelled until the seller returns.

Can a seller leave their store in the hands of a minor?

It sounds as if minor is not actually doing anything other then

replying to messages saying that the seller is not available so there is

nothing wrong with that.  Again...I think that is a good idea for a seller

to check for and reply to messages when they are away but that isn't

always possible. Many sellers are a one person business and when they

are away from a computer, they may not have anyone else who is familiar with

the business and who can answer any questions. At least this seller had someone

who could tell you that they would not be able to answer your question in time.

You asked in your first post what your options are.....

If the answer to the question you asked the seller is the deciding factor on whether or not you want the item, then you can cancel your own bid. If not, then there is nothing for you to do other than wait and hope that you win.

[pjcdn2005]

Many sellers including myself are uncomfortable with buyers who have private feedback. We can't see on your feedback what you have purchased so I don't understand why you want to hide it unless you do not want sellers to see what sort of feedback you leave for other sellers.  Perhaps you are the best buyer ever  and usually leave glowing feedback but since we can't tell...many are going to think that you are hiding something. It's human nature.

[pjcdn2005]

Pierre is correct, you do catch more flies with honey. I was going to reply to your original post earlier but you give off the attitude that regardless of what anyone else says, you believe that you are right. Perhaps you can prove me wrong.

[maggiebvintage2010]

Only a store owner can post notice of absence.  For a non-store seller, each individual listing would have to be revised with that information - not really plausible for most sellers.

You have had a reply.  I'd like to suggest that you cut the seller some slack - perhaps they were called away by a medical or family matter.  As others have suggested, the simple straightforward way to deal with this is to either let your bid stay, or cancel it.  Not too difficult, and certainly not worth the ranting you have engaged in here.

It seems you have taken your original frustration and allowed it to escalate until you are making mountains out of molehills.  Your caustic censure only reflects on yourself.  Suggest you take a coffee break and calm down.

By the way, won't you post your seller id?  I'd like to be able to block all of you.