I have bought lots of items off E Bay sellers,(including 3 cars 4 motorbikes and 1 caravan)some thousands some pennies,I always look at the nearest seller first,and Always go and look at the item if it's a lot of money before bidding,(you can make offers and buy when face to face)whatever it is,you can bet your life there will be another for sale,so don't get carried away with the bidding
When we advertised our old Elddis for £900 we got offers of £200 and £500 by text, without the texters even asking any details about the caravan, and the best one was an offer of a swop for an i phone! I notice some advertisers put "NO TEXTX" on their ads - I can see why. It weeds out some of the time wasters.
------------- Sometimes You're the windscreen; sometimes the fly
At this time of year you will get plenty of dealers looking for stock. They know how much they can sell a caravan for so they will simply offer a fixed price on any ebay ad that looks promising & hope seller will take a cash offer. They won't tell you they are dealers obviously.
Actually folks, there's a nice chap (ooer....) been in touch by email and phone and is coming to see tomorrow - with cash. Some of the gumtree lot have a very dodgy feel to them. Can't explain it but it's like having an irish tarmac specialist knocking at your door. Lots of people on ebay watching but no interest. No rush!
------------- Too old to put up a tent but still like waking up to skies and grass...not a cold hotel
Doesn't matter what you are selling,or how, you always get time wasters and chancers. That is the risk you take. I have had people buy stuff off me on Ebay that live a few miles away and never collect it, while others have driven the length of the country for a low value item where their fuel cost has been higher. Nowt as queer as folk!
I don't agree with the Ebay thinking of bidding in the last seconds, it makes no difference. You get it for that price because that is all somebody is willing to pay. I stuck a bid on an item recently that ended in the middle of the day,days before it ended, bought it, the under bidder put their bid in a few seconds before the end, the outcome would have been exactly the same. I have never seen anyone at a "live" auction suddenly stick their hand up as the auctioneer is saying "third and final time' and about to bang his hammer. They have all made their minds up what they want to pay.
Quote: Originally posted by Bob61 on 24/2/2016
The strangest thing that happened to me once, a long time ago, was on a well known auction site. Every time I bid on the caravan I was immediately outbid by just a few pounds. The auction lasted quite a while and true to form right at the last minute I was pipped at the post again by just a few pounds.
A few days later I got an email from the winner asking if I wanted to buy it for the winning amount because for personal reasons he couldn't keep it.
Throughout the auction I had become quite friendly with the elderly sellers so I contacted them to ask if there were any problems. Apparently when the winner went to pick up the caravan he had brow beaten the old couple into selling it to him quite a lot cheaper...a lot cheaper than I and another bidder had bid, and now he was trying to make a fast buck by flogging it to me at the winning price!
I politely told him where to insert the caravan.
Has no one here heard of "Bidsniper" "baytomat" or "goofbay" these Apps automatically place bids at £1 or so above the highest bid in the auction at the last second. One reason I don't bother with eBay auctions. Also second hand items seem to sell for the price of new in some cases.
------------- First van bailey ranger 550/6
Now the proud owner of a coachman amara
I agree sniping apps are a waste of time. If you want something you will be there at auction end. If a bidding war starts between 2 or more bidders early in the auction then the price may go daft too early. Bidding in last few secs is best way to secure item because one can use one's judgement right at the end according to present price.
If it's still much lower than you are prepared to pay then bid your best price 15secs before end & you may well outbid the bidders bidding against each other at 20quid a time & still secure item for less than your best price.
If you check bid history of caravans, particularly nice ones, you may notice 2 bidders bidding against each other throughout auction but at the end another single bidder gets it in the final secs.
It is wise though to decide on your best price at start of auction. If that price is reached during auction then walk away but if still below your best price at end then bid that price at end of auction as described.
& yes, I do have a moral code. If I win I buy provided item is as described. If I sell & buyer arrives to try to beat me down they are gone & reported as a non payer.
Sniping apps were useful before smartphones, now you can bid any time anywhere (wasn't that an advert?). I usually bid at the last minute, sometimes I win, sometimes I don't, but had some real bargains.
Quote: Originally posted by fleck2 on 26/2/2016
Sniping apps were useful before smartphones, now you can bid any time anywhere (wasn't that an advert?). I usually bid at the last minute, sometimes I win, sometimes I don't, but had some real bargains.
Last time I bothered with an eBay auction I was out bid in the last second by a few pence I manually bid a few seconds before that. I am guessing the other guy had a bidding app running.
But what happens if several parties are running apps?
------------- First van bailey ranger 550/6
Now the proud owner of a coachman amara
Well, Elvis has left the storage. Making room for Lunar tomorrow. He was a lovely and genuine bloke who saw the old 'van for what it was - dry and useble. Not too bothered about the little things, function over form. he had an S reg Disco so he's used to fixing things....ha ha ah etc.
On a side note, I tend to use Ebay for new stuff when I can't get to shops in rooral noorfeck.
------------- Too old to put up a tent but still like waking up to skies and grass...not a cold hotel
I put one of my past vans up for sale in local rag with mobile number and home phone. to arrange viewing suitable to both parties.
This guy turns up out of the blue saying my son had sent him ??
After looking at the van he wanted everything I told him that was not included in the sale ie waterbarrel waste water, my good steps. Also wanted all in for half value because he knew my son.(turns out he visited same pub as my son) not a friend.
Went away shouting something about the law as I had no intention of selling and wasting his time.
I think he changed his mind when the wife came to the kitchen door holding the dog by his collar to see what all the row was about.
Quote: Originally posted by Phil Ness on 25/2/2016
I don't agree with the Ebay thinking of bidding in the last seconds, it makes no difference. You get it for that price because that is all somebody is willing to pay. I stuck a bid on an item recently that ended in the middle of the day,days before it ended, bought it, the under bidder put their bid in a few seconds before the end, the outcome would have been exactly the same. I have never seen anyone at a "live" auction suddenly stick their hand up as the auctioneer is saying "third and final time' and about to bang his hammer. They have all made their minds up what they want to pay.
I have got several bargains by bidding in the last few seconds. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, I agree. It all depends on how many bidders there are, and how determined someone is to get it. Bidding in the last few seconds only works if you get in before time runs out and before anyone else has a chance to outbid you.
I set my maximum price in my head, and if the price goes above it well before the auction ends, I give up.
I bought my current caravan off ebay, but there is no way I would buy a caravan without thoroughly examining it first, which I did. I would also never think of bidding on one at this time of year. Sell in spring, but buy just before Christmas is my way.
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Topic: Selling the old caravan - some funny peop
