Why I don't like trademe

[KarlSten]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... &archive=1

Listed for less than 24 hours and withdrawn after bids above reserve for a private sale negotiated through the q+a

[Beaglz]

Totally agree. I saw that auction and noticed the Q&A with them attempted to do a deal. Only thing you can do is report the listing to Trade Me - if several people complain them maybe they will hit them with a wet bus ticket? I guess that is harder to do nowadays given the bus tickets are plastic cards?
Cheers,
Beaglz

[tezza]

I agree. I thought the ruie was once bidding started, the only option was to include a buy now for someone who made an offer? Even that's a dodgy practice.

[Gibsaw]

I agree. I thought the ruie was once bidding started, the only option was to include a buy now for someone who made an offer? Even that's a dodgy practice.

I don't think it's a dodgy practice... From memory, bidders get notified when buy-now gets added and more importantly... anyone can click the buy-now. There' only a very marginal difference when it's added, if everyone is paying attention - and you can't do it once reserve is met, so no-one who has bid above reserve loses out.

If we're saying it's a dodgy practice, then what we're kind-of saying is that we don't really like buy-now at all. I'm the opposite. I think it should be able to be left enabled.

There's this nonsense propagated by trademe that once reserve is met, the auction process is sacred, but frankly it's ridiculous. An auction is just an agreed process for deciding the highest bid. I see no good reason why a seller can't effectively say "it's reached the price I will accept. Sold. No more bids."... As long as everyone knows that outcome is available.

[tezza]

- and you can't do it once reserve is met, so no-one who has bid above reserve loses out.

Actually I forgot about that. In that case I take my comments back.

[KarlSten]

There's this nonsense propagated by trademe that once reserve is met, the auction process is sacred, but frankly it's ridiculous. An auction is just an agreed process for deciding the highest bid. I see no good reason why a seller can't effectively say "it's reached the price I will accept. Sold. No more bids."... As long as everyone knows that outcome is available.

That would certainly change my bidding behaviour. No more sniping...

But in this case, the rules are pretty clear and appear to me to have been broken. I did send an email to trademe, I hope the other watchers and the other bidder did as well.

[Gibsaw]

That would certainly change my bidding behaviour. No more sniping...

Yep, I imagine it would. Although it's not really possible to snipe with TM with their two minute auto-extend. That's one thing I do agree with and ebay should adopt it... Nowhere else in real auctions does anyone call "time's up" when bidding is still going on.

But in this case, the rules are pretty clear and appear to me to have been broken. I did send an email to trademe, I hope the other watchers and the other bidder did as well.

Looks that way. I'm surprised TM allowed them to withdraw an auction with reserve met.