So, the car went through again last night. This time it had 5102 views, 340 watchers, 11 bidders. The auction ended with the car bang on reserve, whereas last time it had passed reserve with two days to go. I was happy with reserve, anything else is a bonus and I’ll simply never know what it might have done had it been left alone. What’s the issue? Last week the four bidders still in the fight were all solid 300+ feedback profiles. My ‘winner’ this time has 17, two of which say they never pay. I’ll give them 24hours to contact me before I try them but I’ll be blown away if it goes through. Why am I so bothered? The car is a small bumper mk2 Golf GTi 16v. It’s pretty much completely original, it has original medi kit, safety triangle, toolkit, parcel shelf. Never been crashed or painted. It has surface rust, but no holes as far as I can tell where they all go. Interior is mint. If you know your old golf’s, one of these on its second owner (me) with all its history, and all its parts that’s been dry stored for 20 years is pretty rare. It was my first genuinely nice car so I’d like to think it’s far better than a parts car, so was delighted it went for a fair amount. I auctioned it as I thought I’d let the market decide….the views and watchers on both occasions blew away any car or any item I’ve sold on eBay in 20+ years so I conclude the car had some decent interest. Feeling very hacked off this morning as I can’t see this person responding. I think I’ll look into giving it a spray if something that will slow the surface rust down, maybe duck oil, put it back in the garage and wait another couple of years.
Hope the sale completes. I 'sold' a car on eBay, as soon as the listing ended the winning bid pulled out. Re listed it, the next winning bidder did the same. There are idiots on eBay, Facebook and everywhere.
I sold a car on Bay once, that was an experience. Apart from a load of ridiculous buy it now offers, after pressing the buy it now button the person then wanted to renegotiate the price. I threatened to report them to eBay. Anyway when they turned up with two mates having travelled about 80 miles to pick it up they then started to want to haggle. My response was "you see that car you came down in get back it in and go" In the end I knocked £25 off and they paid the rest about £1k in £20 notes. I was at the bank paying in the notes within 30 minutes having done the change of ownership. I also ensured they had some photo ID.
I think that's really common. It's a tactic - bid to haggle, or rather screw up the sellers sale by seeing off any other interested parties so it's just you and then haggle. It works because some people see it will just keep repeating if they relist and they just whatever it is gone.
I think it'll go back in the garage for another couple of years - I don't 'need' to sell it - I just hit a crossroads of 'will I ever get to it' and concluded I won't. I might have a look at an actual physical car auction - the thing is covered in dust - not a 'barn find' per se as it wasn't in a barn and I knew it was there, but does have 20+ years of storage dust and apparently cars of this ilk are all the rage, or at least were. I'll have a look into what I can spray underneath, everywhere to keep the rust in a holding pattern.
To be fair, there are sellers who list as 'immaculate' which being a very different definition of my immaculate! Of course you should make every effort to view, but if not and the item is not 'immaculate' then why on earth would feel obliged to pay the full amount? Messers exist on both sides of the game.
