While we're on the subject, €90 Tri-Logo Madine!

[Capetown]

As a follow up to Robbie's FS thread, how about this for a bargain!

If it's real, that is.

Edit: I'm thinking I shouldn't 'out' the auction yet as it only ended on tuesday. Any thoughts?

(Thanks for the hat tip on the ended auction Mirco)

 

[PGowdy]

Holy ****! How did this fall under the radar?? Wonder if it's real and what lucky beggar bought it?

 

[Capetown]

Guys, I've removed the link as it could lead to someone approaching the seller for a better deal? Maybe I'm wrong though.

 

[PGowdy]

Yeah that did cross my mind... not to do it but that someone might. If i was selling it and someone offered me 500 for it i'd have to take it so... :?
Hopefully the buyer will come forward at some point.

 

[Capetown]

Well, it seems the damage has already been done (not by me I think as I was pretty fast & I know it was already outed on a German forum last week).

Here's the auction:

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rt=nc&nma=true&_rdc=1&item=170567307454&si=oFfNIRyf0hFBE8nGxSBam0Jbkn4%253D&viewitem=#ht_500wt_1156

And here's the sellers feedback... Sold off ebay for more money. :evil:

http://feedback.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=nicolas180479&ftab=AllFeedback&myworld=true

This should serve as a prime example of why ended auctions shouldn't be outed too early.

 

[Capetown]

Posted this on RS:

Last tuesday an auction on ebay.fr ended in an absolute bargain for someone. A tri-logo Madine was won on a BIN for 90 euro's.

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rt=nc&nma=true&_rdc=1&item=170567307454&si=oFfNIRyf0hFBE8nGxSBam0Jbkn4%253D&viewitem=#ht_500wt_1156

Shortly after that the auction was outed on a German SW collecting forum (and maybe more I don't know about).

And now, check the sellers feedback for the item (left today).

http://feedback.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=nicolas180479&ftab=AllFeedback&myworld=true

I'm not fluent in French, but I know the buyers follow up feedback says:

For him selling off ebay for more money. Beware, fraudulent seller.

So obviously someone messaged the seller after the sale, told him he had gold in his hands and then offered him more money for it (possibly not what it is worth though).

So I guess this is a prime example of why auctions that have just ended shouldn't be outed until feedback is given. Now someone who thought he had the bargain of the century is robbed from his item by a less than scrupulous buyer and seller.

I would not be surprised if we see this item for sale again pretty soon by the way.

 

[Caswellbot]

Well done emiel. I think you have done the right thing here. This is a very unfortunate case for someone. The seller has a lot to answer for and should be reported to eBay. As far as I'm concerned the seller has broken a contractual agreement and should be penalised. It stinks to high heavens. I have been approached loads of times at the end of an auction and been offered more money but you simply have to turn it down as far as I'm concerned.

Oh well. That's my two cents worth anyway.

 

[silver grin]

here here

 

[Joe]

Well done emiel. I think you have done the right thing here. This is a very unfortunate case for someone. The seller has a lot to answer for and should be reported to eBay. As far as I'm concerned the seller has broken a contractual agreement and should be penalised. It stinks to high heavens. I have been approached loads of times at the end of an auction and been offered more money but you simply have to turn it down as far as I'm concerned.

Oh well. That's my two cents worth anyway.

I posted my thoughts on RS and TIG and while I agree with you on the fundamentals (guy sold something, the buyer should get it) I think it would be hard to go through with a 90 euro deal when you may have literally just found out you were sitting on 6-7k. That's a lot of money and I wager even someone with 200,000 feedback on ebay would risk getting kicked off over this (if that was the consequence which of course its not)

Of course it's low to go and email the seller and perhaps snag the figure yourself after the deal is closed but its happened before and will again, - we also have no idea if the original buyer would have kept or flipped the figure at a profit, I suspect (and sorry if the buyer is reading) that he would have probably graded it and sold it, it seems logical based on its potential worth - he may not even be after a Madine and just saw an opportunity.

While we can be mad at the supposed underhanded dealings of "another ebayer" (if that happened) we shouldn't forget the first person to hit the buy it now button probably didn't entertain the idea of being honest to the clueless seller.

 

[PGowdy]

I think the main issue was the sale being outed on the forums. If i was the seller i would have done the same thing i think most would. It's just the issue with collectors as a community being a bit more careful about outing auctions too early and potentially blowing someone's deal. After all. it could and probably will be, us in a similar situation one day.

 

[tiefighterboy]

True...but a deal is a deal.

 

[PGowdy]

Oh i agree and i feel gutted for the original buyer but had the auction not been outed by gossipy collectors the deal probably would have gone through just fine and both parties would have been happy.

 

[Joe]

Just my opinion but I reckon before that figure landed on the buyers doorstep someone would have found the auction and got to the seller regardless of it being on a forum, it looks like it lasted just under 30 mins (listing says last updated at 22:15 and it ended at 22:42) now even though thats not a huge amount of time I think its likely a few people saw it when it was listed and perhaps were even deciding to hit the BIN, I know I have clicked on a newly listed item in the past whilst I decide what to do and in that time its gone from under my nose.

Then you factor in the people that may check completed listings just in case...

I just wish it could have been listed as a 0,99 start and it go to real auction bids, then again- we may still get to see it happen if he relists it.

Edit- not to mention it was listed in 2 categories as well, might not have doubled his views but it certainly wasn't unfindable !

 

[Caswellbot]

I do totally understand and mostly agree with your points Joe and I don't doubt that most people would sell to the I.coming interested higher offer but I just think as a seller you have to live and die by the sword a little more. The guy must have had some idea that it was worth something otherwise he wouldn't have had a 90 buy it :idea: now on it. If I've learnt anything about buying and selling stuff its that you shouldn't buy or especially sell without doing your proper homework. You just never know.

At the end of the day it is a shame and someone out there will be gutted to bits but it is one of those almost unavoidable instances.

 

[Joe]

I know where you are coming from Chris, I think I am not as shocked about all this just because I have seen it done so many times, almost all the good stuff that sells low on ebay has a way of finding a different home after the bidding is over or the BIN is hit. It is an unfortunate aspect of collecting but where there is competition and rarities being sold there will be some ruthless people.

I was thinking also about the homework thing and the price, both great points and I agree, if it were me selling something I would at least run a search based on what I could see on the package or item and see if I could get it compared to some pictures on the net, but with Madine its possible (not knowing to use the word "trilogo") that he did google or ebay search it and just found Kenners, the price was also high for a carded figure but high prices with noob ebayers isn't something that's new, if it was a Klaatu figure we might be ridiculing him for his ridiculously high BIN yet its a Madine 90 Euros is just such a strange price for him to have put on it for him to be close to realising its worth.

I think the guy saw Star Wars on the package and thought it was worth trying to get about 100 Euros for it, little did he know eh? haha

I think all in - its a great story and I certainly saved the auction picture (even if the buyer didn't actually get his 90 Euro tri madine!)

 

[Caswellbot]

Fair point on all fronts Joe. Well just have to sit back and see who ends up with this in their collection. Whoever it is, I'm jealous. Even though crix Madine is about as **** a character that I can think of in the entire star wars line. perhaps side combed bowl cuts are all the rage in a galaxy far far away! Lol.

 

[weasel]

I saw the thread about this on RS.

It's a tricky one. I can totally understand the seller shafting the buyer. YES, he had a contract and had got what he thought the item was worth. But, if any of us where in his position and were told it was worth a shed load more, would we not at least consider doing the same.
Tough luck for the buyer, I'm sure he thought he had got the bargain of the century.
Bit of a sly move by whoever contacted the seller after the auction ended, but again, as Joe says, when a rare item comes up people often find their morals are easy things to ignore!