Practically Classics Forum

Because eBay, in spite of their insisting otherwise, is nothing bar a venue and not an auction in the legal sense so people are quite entitled to sell things to anyone who comes up with the cash, or to hold their goods back without eBay's reserve feature provided that no payment has changed hands.
Think about it; put something up at a free listing day so no fees to pay, this allows some several tens of millions of worldwide eBay members to see the item is for sale, so end it for a decent offer and then you've no final value percentage to pay, no fees to pay and a proper sale uninhibited by the threat of leaving or having left feedback, which is now very difficult if you need to leave a negative for a buyer since that can only be done by asking eBay's permission.
It's the only truly free way to sell that gives you that amount of coverage, the genuine buyers are the ones who'll ring and ask to do a deal, to hell with eBay's cut of the price!

JPB wrote:It's the only truly free way to sell that gives you that amount of coverage, the genuine buyers are the ones who'll ring and ask to do a deal, to hell with eBay's cut of the price! :roll:

I was with you until you said that. I've found that some of the biggest timewasters are those who try to do a deal outside of eBay. Some may be genuine, but most are just chancers who'll make an offer then never be heard from again.

Some do, that's inevitable, but the difference is that, with those who are happy to buy outside of eBay; a no-show doesn't cost the seller their final value fees since you wouldn't pull an item on their say so alone but would do so only when they tip up with cash to buy.
I still reckon that 90+% of time wasters on eBay are members who fail to go through with a transaction, the tossers!

We've had different experiences then. I've only ever had two winning bidders who didn't go through with the sale, but have had loads of chancers involving me in lengthy email communications over offers outside of eBay, then falling silent at the time to pay.

Still looking sent an email about one on here no reply.