Ebay is really trying to go after people who do this because it evades the final selling fees. An offer is more to the seller since he doesn't have to pay that last amount. Good snipers say this offer is now or forget it. The seller has to decide if he wants to risk $1000 on this. As it only works with naive sellers this sounds like a real potential loss to them and they take it. Ebay has the right to refuse to stop an auction early. They do it if the person says the item is no longer available. This is usually done if the item is damaged or stolen. Some people say in the description it is available for prior sale as it is in a store or some such but he didn't say that here. Because the bids >$2000 are no longer shown it was not just stopped, something else happened. -Barry BruceY wrote: > Yes, I agree, but what we are talking about here is a legal contract > that has been broken between Ebay and the Seller, and the person who > breaks the contract knows that, and the collector urging him to sell to > him and pull the goods off the ebay auction knows that is well. That is > why to a certain extent, both are guitly of behavior that is not in any > way shape or form on the up and up. Sure, I can see how it happens, but > we live in society of "laws" not men (ever hear that one before?) where > conduct in business matters have certain rules that have to be followed, > and believe it or not that includes the selling of something that you > may really, really, really, want, and must have, but for god sake if you > want it, get in line and follow the law and the rules like the rest of > us honest hard working souls who want that rare baby just as much as you > do, but have the good sense to play ball by the rules!! > ----- Original Message ----- From: <phonolist at mac.com> > To: "Antique Phonograph List" <phono-l at oldcrank.org> > Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2008 1:06 PM > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] re Opera gone > > >> A very well known collector frequently is able to talk an ebay seller >> into accepting his offer and ending the auction. He has bought >> several desirable items this way, always for much less that the final >> auction price likely would have been (much less than I was planning >> to bid, in one case). When I've mentioned it to him, he just >> chuckles. He feels it is just part of the way the game is played. I >> don't agree, but as long as there are some sellers who can be >> persuaded by a smooth talker, it will continue to happen. >> >> >