eBay - about second chance offers?

[Sugar]

So I was poking at eBay this morning, and lo and behold I saw a particular lot of ponies I'd bid on (and narrowly lost) about two months ago.  Same ponies, same photo, same accessory, etc.  I can't recollect if it's the same seller too, but I'm reasonably sure.  (The location's the same; I remember 'cause it was the setting of several books I'd enjoyed!)  My question is this: if they didn't sell to the original winner, why no second-chance offer?   I've got them on my watch list, but I'm somewhat leery of making a bid in case the same thing happens again. Could some ponies with more eBay experience enlighten me, please?   Thanks!

[kakenterprise]

Were you the second closest bid??  The second person they offered it to could have turned it down or they might not have even bothered with a second chance offer.  Thanks to eBays system it takes a while to get back your fees when you file so the seller might have figured the second party lot interested, by that time.

[tulagirl]

Well, its up to a seller if they want to sell to the person who was outbid by a winner.  I just wonder though why they didn't sell...was it a non paying bidder issue?  Did the person return them as not as described? Or did the seller not like the original price.  So many unanswered questions.  Have you looked through the feedback to see if anyone didn't like the lot originally?  If there were problems with the lot initially I can understand reselling later.  Not everyone bothers with second chance offers sadly.  Bid amounts can be a reason.

[FantasticFirefly]

I've scooped up items I was the 2nd bidder the first time around when they've been re-listed. I've never gotten a 2nd chance offer from any of these sellers, which is strange as I would have taken them. In my case I've won those items once listed again for less then they sold for originally.

It was likely a NPB stringing them along and perhaps they just got around to re-listing now. Of course there is a chance it was a return, so ask any questions about condition if you do want them. Smoke/Mildew, foul pet odors and flaws not visible in photos, or damage on receipt from poor packing (newspaper stains, rubs from no padding) fuel a lot of returns.

[ponylady]

I would have to say it is probably a case of someone not paying. I have seen it happen alot with bigger lots.  And it is completely up to the seller if they want to offer it to the next highest bidder.  They may have felt it was worth more than what the next bidder had bid.

But if your concerned I would message the seller and just flat out ask. Just tell them you had bid on this lot previously and you noticed that the listing is back up. 

[Saoirse]

Actually I know its not true in most cases, but second chance offers always freak me out because I think of shill bidding

I'm sure most sellers are fine, but I got a second chance offer on a pony about a year ago, less than two minutes after the auction ended. It seemed fishy and I kinda bid higher than I was hoping to anyway so I passed it up

Having said that, if I got a second chance offer on something I wanted it would be handy enough

[Sugar]

Thanks, everypony, for the good advice!   I'll give it a good think, and message the seller too, and let you all know.

[tulagirl]

Actually I know its not true in most cases, but second chance offers always freak me out because I think of shill bidding

I'm sure most sellers are fine, but I got a second chance offer on a pony about a year ago, less than two minutes after the auction ended. It seemed fishy and I kinda bid higher than I was hoping to anyway so I passed it up

Having said that, if I got a second chance offer on something I wanted it would be handy enough

Actually this is very true it can be shill bidding to force the price up. 

[Shenanigans]

I gave someone a second chance offer one time and they never responded so I relisted the item. Sometimes there is no communication

[rosierjay]

never heard the term shill bidding, but i know i've had it happen where i got a second offer on a tv series set, bid about 100$, which was a really good price. so i jumped at it. got the tapes in the mail (yes it was long enough ago that vhs were still popular and expensive) and they were bootleg copies poor reproduced etc. i called the better business office. never got my money back though.

lesson learned. nerfherders.

[fingerpaints]

There are a hell of alot of NPB's on ebay as a seller, I actually had one person bid on something like 9 seperate lots, totalling up to around $80AU, and didn't pay :/ sometimes its just easier to relist instead of stuffing around hoping that the 2nd in line is possibly still interested. I am also windy about giving 2nd chance offers as I have been accused of "shill bidding" for offering it up to someone else after the highest bidder never paid. I can honestly say, I put my items up for the lowest price I am willing to let them go for, everyone hopes it goes better, but, I refuse to drive up my own auctions in hope that it will get better money it angers me when others do it.

I wouldn't be too worried, the seller is probably genuine and just over time wasters