Disallow auctions in buy/sell

[Xiao_shin]

Why is there a problem when the seller sells the item to someone who is not the highest bidder? It is a case of willing buyer, willing seller. Are we so jealous of the good fortune of the buyer that they should not be allowed to get at a good price?

You are not reading what I am saying leh.
If it is not to be sold to the highest bidder. How can it be an auction?

Like I said, Marketplace was not meant to be an auction and should not function like one. Otherwise, might as well post ur thread in Yahoo Auctions and free this forum's bandwidth.

Exactly what I am saying but in your own words..
I am proposing auctions to be disallow as this forum is not tuned to autction mechanism.

Assuming that I have a brand new EOS 40D (brand new selling price $2099) for sale n posted a thread for $1400 as start bid. 100's of ppl start bidding. Then my childhood kaki realised that I am selling and ask to buy it at $1400 to go for his overseas trip the next day. Cos he is my childhood kaki, I dun mind making a loss. I will tell him, "OK, I sell it to you now at $1400. You put a bid for $2,500 in my auction".

There should be a buy-it-now price where your friend can bid.
If there is none, you shouldn't have asked your friend to bid at $2500. Cos that is cheating.

In this senario, your childhood kakis will have to be LL and go get it somewhere else. Is your reputation more important or your kakis having to get a new camera more important. You will have to decide.

 

[arpinkor]

Like some have mentioned, even if you ban auctions, seller can still conduct them thru private comms like PM or SMS.
Personally, I think free market is best. The B&S forums is just a place for buyers and sellers to be able to see what's on offer. Buyer and seller have to take their own precautions when dealing.

 

[arpinkor]

For auction based sales, the key element is not for the seller to sell to anyone that they like but to the highest bidder. That is auction.

For having to stay up late to bid, unless you are those sniper type of bidder, you can enable proxy bidding. You should know how it works, right? This really has nothing to do with what I am suggesting cos this forum doesn't work well with auctions.

I think we have to go back to square one and ask why the seller conducting an auction in the first place. He/she wants to get the best price for whatever he/she is selling. If he decides to sell eventually to somebody who is not the highest bidder, that's his problem (he may have a reason). Just like tender exercise, the one that finally gets awarded is not necessarily the highest bidder. Anyway, as in anything, if you are a keen and serious buyer, you can contact the seller directly and make him an offer he can't refuse (that's what BNP is all about). If he still don't sell you, because he don't like your face or whatever, then too bad, just move on. There's always another one coming along.
As for bid padding, you shouldn't worry too much about those. You just have to figure out what's the highest price you are willing to pay, and pay no more than that. If you are outbidded, that means the item is not worth it to you anymore. You don't have to up your bid blindly, just to "win".

 

[shinken]

I think we have to go back to square one and ask why the seller conducting an auction in the first place. He/she wants to get the best price for whatever he/she is selling. If he decides to sell eventually to somebody who is not the highest bidder, that's his problem (he may have a reason).

That sure wastes a lot of people's time. Especially sincere buyers.

Just like tender exercise, the one that finally gets awarded is not necessarily the highest bidder. Anyway, as in anything, if you are a keen and serious buyer, you can contact the seller directly and make him an offer he can't refuse (that's what BNP is all about).

It should be, but because this 'pseudo-dunno what benchmark/mechanism' that the marketplace is running on, we have tons of auctions that goes on running even though BNP has been reached. Yeah, it's a free market. And a huge waste of time again.

If he still don't sell you, because he don't like your face or whatever, then too bad, just move on. There's always another one coming along.
As for bid padding, you shouldn't worry too much about those. You just have to figure out what's the highest price you are willing to pay, and pay no more than that. If you are outbidded, that means the item is not worth it to you anymore. You don't have to up your bid blindly, just to "win".

Not everyone has time to waste. And I'm quite sure many people would appreciate time saved. All these time wasted could have been saved if proper mechanisms or benchmarking is in place. But I have to agree it should not be a burden on the mods to invent, administer and maintain a mechanism. Which is why I proposed doing away with auctions, and all forms of replies altogether.

UPzing is no different from a "cut and paste" repost so banning it is illogical as one can just repost quickly if an individual is intrested in keeping his item in view.

It's not illogical. Limit the number of reposts for the same item. That one is a whole lot easier to implement and monitor. Systemically, technically and admistratively. Can always ban those who insists on flooding.

 

[creampuff]

B&S should stick to merely be a bulletin board for items people want to buy and sell, no more, no less. It's not an auction and it shouldn't be one because there isn't any auction mechanism in place.

However it has often time become a pseudo-auction because either the seller allows/encourages bids in order to fetch the highest price or because would-be buyers hope the to get the item cheaper. Frankly I detest bidding because things get frivolous, complicated and disputes can arise. B&S is no different than a notice board outside Cold Storage supermarkets and frankly my wish is for the mods to disallow bids. Post a price and negotiate outside. Simple and straight forward.

Other pet peeves:
Upzing till the post runs into multiple pages. Why not limit the number of posts per transaction thread or put a time limit for the transaction, say 1 or 2 weeks max. before the post expires.

Why don't people close their threads after the item is sold or found? Can something like that at the bike forum togoparts be used.

Again like togoparts, perhaps CS mods should limit the number of ads a member can post at any one time. So until the item is sold or withdrawn, that could minimise posts that run to many pages as they need to resolve whether to withdraw the item in order to post further ads. Taken to an extreme, one could concievably post multiple sell ads for many items at a price the market is not expected to buy and continue upzing for weeks on end.

 

[Xiao_shin]

Creampuff, you really hit the nail on it's head.

Now only wait to see if the admin is agreeable to this.

B&S should stick to merely be a bulletin board for items people want to buy and sell, no more, no less. It's not an auction and it shouldn't be one because there isn't any auction mechanism in place.

However it has often time become a pseudo-auction because either the seller allows/encourages bids in order to fetch the highest price or because would-be buyers hope the to get the item cheaper. Frankly I detest bidding because things get frivolous, complicated and disputes can arise. B&S is no different than a notice board outside Cold Storage supermarkets and frankly my wish is for the mods to disallow bids. Post a price and negotiate outside. Simple and straight forward.

Other pet peeves:
Upzing till the post runs into multiple pages. Why not limit the number of posts per transaction thread or put a time limit for the transaction, say 1 or 2 weeks max. before the post expires.

Why don't people close their threads after the item is sold or found? Can something like that at the bike forum togoparts be used.

Again like togoparts, perhaps CS mods should limit the number of ads a member can post at any one time. So until the item is sold or withdrawn, that could minimise posts that run to many pages as they need to resolve whether to withdraw the item in order to post further ads. Taken to an extreme, one could concievably post multiple sell ads for many items at a price the market is not expected to buy and continue upzing for weeks on end.

 

[user111]

Why is there a problem when the seller sells the item to someone who is not the highest bidder? It is a case of willing buyer, willing seller. Are we so jealous of the good fortune of the buyer that they should not be allowed to get at a good price?

Like I said, Marketplace was not meant to be an auction and should not function like one. Otherwise, might as well post ur thread in Yahoo Auctions and free this forum's bandwidth.

By and large, this manner of B&S allows flexibility for buyers and sellers to negoiate prices, trades and promote a friendlier community ...

Having said that, Auction does not gives inherent fairness to the system but an impression of fairness. What do I mean?

Assuming that I have a brand new EOS 40D (brand new selling price $2099) for sale n posted a thread for $1400 as start bid. 100's of ppl start bidding. Then my childhood kaki realised that I am selling and ask to buy it at $1400 to go for his overseas trip the next day. Cos he is my childhood kaki, I dun mind making a loss. I will tell him, "OK, I sell it to you now at $1400. You put a bid for $2,500 in my auction".

Here you are, back to Sq 1 ... An auction does not ensure that no other private arrangements can be made. Even if you wake up in the middle of the night to put in ur "best price", you still get beaten by a private arrangement ...

there are no fool-proof systems, only leaky systems that people have not exploited yet ...
Desmond, 2007

i will just sell direct to my childhood buddy for $1300 and let the thread die off by itself.hehehe

 

[ricohflex]

If a person is serious about buying, do you think he will bother to tolerate the auction?
Just make an offer and deal if ok. No meeting of minds on the price? Then forget it. And never ask the seller again. Don't understand "auctions" that drag on for a ve..r...y... long time just to get few $ more. Think both sellers and buyers got better things to do with their time.

 

[USM]

Just one example of an auction. :dunno:

http://forums.clubsnap.com/showthread.php?t=313863

 

[creampuff]

No disrespect to TS, how about this for a long post. Been running since March.
http://forums.clubsnap.com/showthread.php?t=264377&highlight=voigtlander

 

[Xiao_shin]

If a person is serious about buying, do you think he will bother to tolerate the auction?
Just make an offer and deal if ok. No meeting of minds on the price? Then forget it. And never ask the seller again. Don't understand "auctions" that drag on for a ve..r...y... long time just to get few $ more. Think both sellers and buyers got better things to do with their time.

I am not against auction.. But the fact that this forum doesn't provide the correct tools for it..

Making it a very messy and confusing matter.

 

[Xiao_shin]

While we are at it. Maybe can restrict the number of thread per member.. Like 3?

Cos I am seeing some turning the section into his personal virtual 2nd hand shop.

 

[Hairi]

Well, I frankly think there's no right and wrong about it..... Frankly, it's up to the integrity of the buyer/seller.... If you are the buyer and you thk the price is right for you, then go ahead and buy, or not just wait for another potential seller..... that's my 2 cents...

Cheerios......

 

[mattlock]

hi, for my sales I usually state my price and ask interested buyers to sms me.
There's no need to do everything on the forum, I think it's become so common for people here to believe everything is an auction. It varies from culture to culture, so the best way is to just state that your price is firm when you want it to be a non-auction
the laws of demand and supply will decide everything else.

 

[slaam]

hi, for my sales I usually state my price and ask interested buyers to sms me.
There's no need to do everything on the forum, I think it's become so common for people here to believe everything is an auction. It varies from culture to culture, so the best way is to just state that your price is firm when you want it to be a non-auction
the laws of demand and supply will decide everything else.

true i think to each his own.
if you are not happy about a buyer/seller. jus post a feedback somewhere..
there will never be a shortage of these ppl.
demand and supply will dictate everything else..
the best advice is still caveat emptor