Vectis website prebids

[theguiltyone]

Folks, can I please ask if anyone has experience of dealing with the issue of bidding against yourself using the Vectis website?

I placed prebids in advance but on the day I stupidly assumed that their own website would recognise my prebids and reflect that in the live auction like the Invaluable website does. When my lots came up and it didn't say "highest bidder" I took it that my prebids weren't working so I bid live. Turns out I bid against myself and won on at least 2 lots, both ended exactly £20 above my prebid amounts which is the increment amount for bids in the £200 - £700 range, this convinces me that it wasn't an in the room bidder I was up against.

Vectis said they cannot discern between in the room bids, my live website bids and my prebid so its pay up in full or face a ban from future auctions (real nice considering the amount I've paid to them over the years). In the year 2016 it seems utterly ridiculous that this has happened. Nowhere in the small print on their website do they give warning about this being an issue.

Obviously I'm not happy so I'd love to hear if any of you have had the same problem and if you had any joy. I know of 1 case where Vectis resolved the problem so maybe there are more. PM me if you don't want to post here.


Thanks
marc

 

[ScruffyLookingNH]

Folks, can I please ask if anyone has experience of dealing with the issue of bidding against yourself using the Vectis website?

I placed prebids in advance but on the day I stupidly assumed that their own website would recognise my prebids and reflect that in the live auction like the Invaluable website does. When my lots came up and it didn't say "highest bidder" I took it that my prebids weren't working so I bid live. Turns out I bid against myself and won on at least 2 lots, both ended exactly £20 above my prebid amounts which is the increment amount for bids in the £200 - £700 range, this convinces me that it wasn't an in the room bidder I was up against.

Vectis said they cannot discern between in the room bids, my live website bids and my prebid so its pay up in full or face a ban from future auctions (real nice considering the amount I've paid to them over the years). In the year 2016 it seems utterly ridiculous that this has happened. Nowhere in the small print on their website do they give warning about this being an issue.

Obviously I'm not happy so I'd love to hear if any of you have had the same problem and if you had any joy. I know of 1 case where Vectis resolved the problem so maybe there are more. PM me if you don't want to post here.


Thanks
marc

Marc, I did the same in the last auction I bid on at Vectis. I too was incredulous they could have such a **** system. When I spoke to them they couldn't give a **** and came back with the excuse "the seller is already aware of the total so we can't change it". Frankly, it's not good enough and it is no great effort to tie the two system in to each other. It should be one system, anyway! I don't think there's any appetite to do it given they only ever make money from these mistakes. Still, even though I overpaid by £10 I still got the figure for cheaper than I had hoped

On the other hand, I do understand them taking a tough line otherwise this flaw could be used by unscrupulous sorts.

 

[itfciain]

Just throwing this out there - and just for general discussion - but has anyone ever put an internet pre-bid in on any internet website and then wondered why it always seems to finish up just that one bit lower than your max bid

Iain puzzled in Florida

 

[ScruffyLookingNH]

Just throwing this out there - and just for general discussion - but has anyone ever put an internet pre-bid in on any internet website and then wondered why it always seems to finish up just that one bit lower than your max bid

Iain puzzled in Florida

Ooh you cynic :lol:

Simon broke in London

 

[rdpla]

Just throwing this out there - and just for general discussion - but has anyone ever put an internet pre-bid in on any internet website and then wondered why it always seems to finish up just that one bit lower than your max bid

Iain puzzled in Florida

Have to agree with you on that for the UK auctions...total shite in that respect..
US auctions are far better...it will tell you you are winning bid up, still winning...etc
i have gone to bed many times to wake up and find i am the winning bid 20-30 % below my max bid...
In the Uk, just a smidge under my max tends to be the norm,,,

and its not as if they are a few bob short to fund a system upgrade..20% from both sides in fees.... fantastic..

if you walk away its 50 quid saved, and you might find the same item cheaper on ebay...you can always ask a mate to bid on your behalf next time

Robert

 

[maxf]

Tales like this over the past few auctions have stopped me from leaving pre-bids. If I can't bid live now, I wont - they certainly lost out on a few quid yesterday on some of the palitoy lots as I ended up away from my desk and couldnt bid.

I can't believe they can't see how many bids were placed against a single lot. The vast majority of bids look like they are made online so there must be a record on their servers.

 

[Lee Gregory]

Was chatting with Palitoyjunkie earlier and pretty certain he got a bid cancelled earlier this year, although I could be wrong Marc, check with him. Quite frankly it's a disgrace in this day and age.

Defo with Max on the bidding live, with virtually every commission bid I've placed recently the winning amount has been that maximum amount or just below.

Didn't someone comment about this the last auction and say how auction houses can 'bid up' to commission bids as it's better for them in terms of buyers and sellers fees???

 

[palitoyjunky]

Yes last year I ended up bidding on myself and the lot in question finished £200 higher than it should have :!:
This was just due to my own panic and stupidity however Vectis did indeed knock off the £200 as it was a clear unintentional mistake :!:

I am in agreement with Max and Lee that surely records of online bidding must b available and therefore it should be clear to Vectis a genuine mistake has occurred!

What with their multi million pound turnover I think it is a disgrace they are still using an out of date website :!:

I hope something can be done Marc.

 

[spoons]

I bid against myself at the last one which cost me an extra £10. To be fair I saw it as a result of my own stupidity rather than Vectis' fault.

I did ask about it and was told they couldn't be sure someone else hadn't also bid the same as my lower bid so the bid had to stand.

And I do agree that my prebids tend to teach maximum price.

 

[SAVORY100]

Any of theirs I've won on a pre bid have ended at my top price, not even a smudge below, despite them all being above estimate too... :roll:

 

[ScruffyLookingNH]

Didn't someone comment about this the last auction and say how auction houses can 'bid up' to commission bids as it's better for them in terms of buyers and sellers fees???

No, that's illegal.....above the reserve, at least. Below the reserve they are permitted to take bids "off the wall" (i.e. you are bidding against the wall, a non-person!) in order to get the bidding up to the reserve but there's the danger in their stupid estimates as I believe that the estimate must encompass the reserve. So in stupid example, a VC Jawa is estimated as "£50-£60". Bidding starts at £20. The auction house know it's worth more than 10x that but if for some freak occurrence the bidding stops at £60 they are no longer (legally) allowed to take bids off the wall and must sell at £60 if bidding stops there.

This, I think, is why you only get stupid low estimates on things they know will fly. It's a dark art this auctioneering business. And to think, some of you guys don't think auction houses deserve their 40% fees for knocking a hammer against a desk :lol:

 

[Lindo]

This is exactly why I never post bids online unless I'm bidding in the live auction.

 

[sith-smith]

They know if your prebid is the highest and if someone has bid the same as you but earlier and even pre auction outbids.

You'd think they'd be able to tell if someone is bidding against themselves...even eBay doesn't have this problem

 

[theguiltyone]

Thanks for the replies y'all.
Best outcome of this now would be for Vectis to recognise that they need to overhaul their own website where like Invaluable for example, your own prebids are reflected live. Also, why not add multiple pics to lot listings too, they are more than capable of taking a decent photograph.
The last time I checked my Casio calculator watch it said it was 2016 (or was that 20:16)

marc

 

[stormcab]

Even with an up to date system, companies will always take the piss, as I'm convinced that's how they make a profit. There will be 10% who will contact them to complain and they'll be quickly refunded, as the company will still rake in 90% of those that either didn't spot it, or can't be arsed.

Recently I upgraded my phone package with Vodafone, £23 a month for 10gb. First 2 months unlimited. While on holiday in Europe I was getting warnings I was being charged for international data, even though I selected the Euro traveller option which means I can use my UK package for £3 a day. I contact Vodafone who were confused about warnings, but said I wouldn't be charged it, it would just come off automatically. Well 2 days ago when checking my bank statement, I had a charge of £87 from Vodafone, which should have been £35 (£23 +4x3). I contacted Vodafone and with no trouble at all was not only refunded without question, but was given extra monthly data.

This sort of thing has happened a couple of times with them over the years, and speaking to a family member in the US who is a stocks trader, he said after Vodafone pulled this on him, far from being pissed off, he bought a ton of shares and made a mint.

Look in the news recently - Vodafone sales better than expected http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-revenue-beats-estimates-on-european-recovery

 

[Lindo]

Even with an up to date system, companies will always take the piss, as I'm convinced that's how they make a profit. There will be 10% who will contact them to complain and they'll be quickly refunded, as the company will still rake in 90% of those that either didn't spot it, or can't be arsed.

Recently I upgraded my phone package with Vodafone, £23 a month for 10gb. First 2 months unlimited. While on holiday in Europe I was getting warnings I was being charged for international data, even though I selected the Euro traveller option which means I can use my UK package for £3 a day. I contact Vodafone who were confused about warnings, but said I wouldn't be charged it, it would just come off automatically. Well 2 days ago when checking my bank statement, I had a charge of £87 from Vodafone, which should have been £35 (£23 +4x3). I contacted Vodafone and with no trouble at all was not only refunded without question, but was given extra monthly data.

This sort of thing has happened a couple of times with them over the years, and speaking to a family member in the US who is a stocks trader, he said after Vodafone pulled this on him, far from being pissed off, he bought a ton of shares and made a mint.

Look in the news recently - Vodafone sales better than expected http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-revenue-beats-estimates-on-european-recovery

you on commission mate

 

[maxf]

Recently I upgraded my phone package with Vodafone, £23 a month for 10gb. First 2 months unlimited. While on holiday in Europe I was getting warnings I was being charged for international data, even though I selected the Euro traveller option which means I can use my UK package for £3 a day. I contact Vodafone who were confused about warnings, but said I wouldn't be charged it, it would just come off automatically. Well 2 days ago when checking my bank statement, I had a charge of £87 from Vodafone, which should have been £35 (£23 +4x3). I contacted Vodafone and with no trouble at all was not only refunded without question, but was given extra monthly data.

This sort of thing has happened a couple of times with them over the years, and speaking to a family member in the US who is a stocks trader, he said after Vodafone pulled this on him, far from being pissed off, he bought a ton of shares and made a mint.

Look in the news recently - Vodafone sales better than expected http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-revenue-beats-estimates-on-european-recovery

You definitely win a 'best tangent' award

 

[80s_collector]

Vectis do a great job and after all the years I've bought and sold through them...I will admit apart from a few minor things, overall they are a brilliant company to deal with...they lot and describe items as good enough as any other auction house and they are prepared to sell.
Some lots go high and some low...that's how it is...!

They have a great team with incredible knowledge also...

 

[stormcab]

Lindo & MaxF

 

[wrighty]

I also have similar concerns, especially not knowing what the starting bid is? For example, I place a £100 bid on an item and so happen to be the only bid, does that mean it automatically goes to £100 or does it still start at a lower bid hence I could win the item for £60 or £80? :shock: