Just wanted to open the floor up to discussion .

What do you feel is Pony Etiquette when it comes to Bidding on ebay? How would you handle, if you were bidding on ponies that other members of the forum were bidding on?

Is there a common curteousy that should be followed when bidding on an item that you see another member of the pony community bidding on or is Ebay considered a Every pony for himself ?

The reason why i ask, is that i have been hearing about issues from people with regards to people outbidding others. ( I actually got IM's from someone cussing me out because I outbid them at the last second thing) I dont know who the person is. ( I highly doubt its any person on this board) But it did bother me.

Just would like to know some thoughts.

snipping happens all the time and you can no EVERYONES ebay name things happen. I have bidded against memebers and not realized it but I hope they were mature enough to just move on. I know a couple of people have outbidded me and I just shrug and searched for a new pony. You cant control what happens on the internet for petes sake

For me, ebay is pretty much a free zone. because there is no stopping everyone from bidding on what you want. not even "i wont bid" cant prevent the person from going after the pony.

I do try to avoid bidding on ponies i know arena-ites are trying to get, but sometimes the deal is just too good, or in the last few moments of the auction they bid too. I dont hold it against them at all. we all want ponies. if they outbid me, then so be it if they dont, i hope they dont harvest poor feelings toward me.

wow, sorry to hear someone IM'd you abuse after winning an auction- it's amazing how far some people will take things! Ebay is an auction site.... auctions can be frustrating, but the reality is, the highest bidder wins. And everyone else needs to be good sports about it all and look for the next to come along

I have been known to avoid bidding on an auction if I recognize the other bidder as an online friend....but not if it's something that I REALLY want!

Ah sorry to hear about the IM's too - that is low. If you think it is an arena member please contact one of us mods OK - we shall look into it.

As to the other issue, unless you have what in my day was called a "gentlemans aggreement" to not bid on certian items then all fair in love and eBay and may the last bid win. I for one snipe (due to varrious reason) so my buddies would not know I was on something till to late. If I do see something that I am unsure about and someone I know is on it - I will pass only becasue I have learned that there is always another deal on the next week and sometimes it is better then the one on right then.

ph! I just wanted top add that the hurt feelings is one of the reasons I LOVE Buy it Nows at reasonable prices- I get what I want and don't have to compete

I had the same thing happen, teecie, only after sending me a nasty message on ebay, the girl went and smeared my ebay name all over the MLP community. Fortunately cooler heads prevailed, but since then I've been leery of letting other folks in the community know my username on ebay even though I have perfect feedback.

As for bidding against others, I have no problem bidding against both online and real-life friends for someone on ebay if I really want it. Occasionally I'll defer on a pony that I know someone else is seeking desperately but I'm only mildly interested in, but ever since outbidding two real-life friends for a Mexican Moondancer back in 1998, I've felt no guilt in sniping usernames that I know. That's why it's an auction. Likewise, when I lose (more often than not) and see someone else brag about their win, I congratulate then. Hey, if I liked the pony well enough to go after it, then they definitely made a good buy in my eyes!

Eternity

There was an auction and the other person who wanted it PM'd me. It worked out great b/c what I wanted, she did not and vice versa. So I won the auction and made a great trade with the accessories and everything was GREAT! But I think I'm gonna get her on one! I feel the same way, eBay should be open! It was before I was a member of the Arena. But I try not to purposely go out and outbid someone. Unless I really really really want it. Then my fingers take over! LOL But it happens. Good luck!!

The seller doesn't care who I'm bidding against, and neither do I. If I'm willing to pay more than another person/member, then the pony will be mine. *shrugs* More auctions will come up for the people who didn't win the one I did.

It's an auction, not a toy store.

An auction rewards the highest bidder with the prize.

<chuckle>

And as I've heard elsewhere, he who hath the quickest fingers and the highest bid wins ;-)

Anyone who gets upset because they didn't win, should either have been willing to bid higher or get on with life. In most cases, what comes around once will come again.

The only time I lose an auction I want is because someones bid was higher than I was willing to pay.

Ebay politeness? If you lose, get over it. Attacking the winner is in bad taste and only shows how crude and childish you are ;-)

Just my thoughts

Dana

I say everything's fair game on ebay. I don't intentionally compete with fellow collectors, but if it's something I really want, I'll bid on it anyway. It's nothing personal against anyone. Besides, if I win that's great. If not, oh well -- some other time. There will be another one that will pop up some day.

Some people are just totally immature about the deal though. (The nasty emails definately) They're sore losers, I guess. I'd never do that though. I've lost so many auctions it doesn't bother me anymore.

DiamondDreams wrote:

ph! I just wanted top add that the hurt feelings is one of the reasons I LOVE Buy it Nows at reasonable prices- I get what I want and don't have to compete

Agreed 100%. This is why I prefer BIN's over bidding anyday. I can buy right then and there without bidding. Hassle free.

It's always hard to have a bidding war with someone you know from the boards and are on good terms with or are even friends with, but I don' t consider the same standards that exist on the MLP Boards to carry over to eBay. All is fair in eBay auctions and that includes sniping. I've sniped and I've been sniped and that's the way eBay works. No hard feelings to the people who sniped me (well, I get pissed off when I don't win, but I would've done the same to them if I could) and the feeling is usually mutual.

Everyone feels a little differently about it, though.

If I want an item very bad, I'm not going to worry about weather or not I am out bidding an arena member. Auctions are just that, auctions! May the highest bid win. If I just kinda want an item, but not REAL bad and I know that if it's a member on here's grail! I will step back, that is if it's not a grail of mine too!

lol, most of the time I'm bidding on the stuff no one else seems to want, but if I see it is something another person on the board is bidding on, unless it's something really unusual, I won't bid on it. I'm usually bidding on lots, so usually there's only oneor two ponies that I want in the lot,so it's no big deal. Nirvanas are differant, though, because nearly everyone who bids on those are from here, not that I can afford them very often!

I don't even look to see who the high bidder is. If I want it, I'm bidding, LOL!

~LM~