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Selling on ebay

hi i just sold a car on ebay on behalf of a friend, however in between the auction ending and waiting for the winning bidder to come and collect, my friend (the person the car is registerd to) had an accident in it which has badly damaged the front. I wrote a message to the winning bidder telling him this and also telling him the deal had to be terminated, due to the state of the car. He didnt take this very well, he began to tell me that the minute the auction ended the car legally became his( i find this untrue as his name isnt on the log book) he is now threating to take me to an online small claims court, even though he hasnt even parted with any money for the car. do you think this case will stand? or do you just think he is anoyed about the car and is trying to scare me? any help would be much apreciated! thanks

Comments

  • So, if some ninsured driver had run into your friends car whilst it was parked on the road, would he still be happy for it to be his then?

    Go to 'Help' top right hand corner on Ebay and go to the Resolution Centre and cancel the transaction. If you go through the proper channel you may get your fees refunded. Good luck :-)
  • soolin
    soolin Posts: 73,438 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    So, if some ninsured driver had run into your friends car whilst it was parked on the road, would he still be happy for it to be his then?

    Go to 'Help' top right hand corner on Ebay and go to the Resolution Centre and cancel the transaction. If you go through the proper channel you may get your fees refunded. Good luck :-)

    You can't cancel the auction once it has completed.

    Op all you can do is to try and talk the buyer down, send photos if necessary to prove the damage. Unfortunately the item got broken /stolen whatever is a common excuse when a seller decides they don't actually want to sell after all, so buyer is probably thinking this is the case hence the suggestion to send photos.

    At worse all the buyer can really do is leave a neg and make a non performing seller complaint.
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the eBay, Auctions, Car Boot & Jumble Sales, Boost Your Income, Praise, Vents & Warnings, Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning , UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know.. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
  • POSSETTE
    POSSETTE Posts: 1,474 Forumite
    its a legally binding contract when you make a bid,but until you have paid for it then it isnt yours...send him photos to prove your not backing out for no reason.
    TO FINISH LAST, FIRST YOU HAVE TO FINISH....
  • soolin wrote: »
    You can't cancel the auction once it has completed.

    Op all you can do is to try and talk the buyer down, send photos if necessary to prove the damage. Unfortunately the item got broken /stolen whatever is a common excuse when a seller decides they don't actually want to sell after all, so buyer is probably thinking this is the case hence the suggestion to send photos.

    At worse all the buyer can really do is leave a neg and make a non performing seller complaint.

    Obviously the auction can't be cancelled as it has already ended, but the transaction can if the seller and buyer agree. If the buyer was to get a request from ebay to cancel, then he may come to his senses and it would show that the seller had at least tried to resolve the situation in a proper manner. I think he is just calling your bluff. Just be pleasant in any correspondence and I doubt he has a leg to stand on.
  • The win on ebay is an offer to buy and offer to sell at that price.

    He has not paid for it so it is not his yet.

    Whats done is done and a neg is probably on your way along with low performance ratings, but that's about the worst of it. You have explained your side.

    You could still offer to sell him the car as it is with the damage and still complete the deal, or agree to mutually cancel. His call then. Agree photos would be a good idea since buyer probably thinks you just changed your mind. It happens, escpecially when someone has got a deal at a lower price than the seller wants to sell for.
  • The win on ebay is an offer to buy and offer to sell at that price.

    He has not paid for it so it is not his yet.

    ......

    I wouldn't put it like that. To win on Ebay is a commitment to sell and a commitment to buy. But as you say the car is not his untill the payment has been recieved and the contract is complete.

    However in this circumstance both parties could agree to mutually cancel transaction or the buyer could pay and then file a SNAD dispute but there would be no benefit in that.

    In you cancelling the contract the buyer could claim any out of pocket expenses via the small claims, but I guess they would be none.
    The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.
    Arthur C. Clarke
  • soolin
    soolin Posts: 73,438 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Obviously the auction can't be cancelled as it has already ended, but the transaction can if the seller and buyer agree. If the buyer was to get a request from ebay to cancel, then he may come to his senses and it would show that the seller had at least tried to resolve the situation in a proper manner. I think he is just calling your bluff. Just be pleasant in any correspondence and I doubt he has a leg to stand on.

    You are talking about doing a mutual cancellation to get the sellers fees back? However buyer already sounds a little aggresive about this so advising the seller to send a mutual cancellation request through to the buyer so that the seller gets their fees back doesn't really make sense, it will just make the buyer even more angry and doesn't stop them leaving feedback nor does it benefit the buyer in any way.

    If I was told I couldn't buy the item I had won and I suspected the seller was telling porkies (and that could well be what is on the buyers mind here) then expecting me to agree to the seller getting their fees back by agreeing that I don't want the item would make me very cross indeed. Best to get it all resolved first before seller starts worrying aboutt fees, once buyer is happy and has been talked down then might be a good time to approach them about a mutual.
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the eBay, Auctions, Car Boot & Jumble Sales, Boost Your Income, Praise, Vents & Warnings, Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning , UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know.. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
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