Gunbroker dilema

[rdf009]

Please tell me your thoughts on this:

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/844160912

I own an auction company. This is my listing, which ended tonight. This Colt HBAR is on consignment from a local client, and I'm under contractual obligation to sell it via online auction. The consignor watched the listing end. Under normal circumstances I would be jumping with joy, but I am 99.999999% confident that this rifle will never be paid for. I've been on Gunbroker for over 10 years, and have never seen nor heard of anything like this happening. Sure, I've had some non-paying bidders, but have never had anything run up to an insane price like this. Liberal operatives messing with listings? Thoughts please.

I've sent an email to Gunbroker support requesting a phone call tomorrow. Have not yet heard back from the "winning bidder" after sending him payment instructions (big surprise). All I know is that I have a client thinking his gun sold for $10,025.00 and I have no idea what's going on.

- Russ

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

It certainly seems suspicious that the last two bidders who only bid once were both non rated. That is a very nontypical bid too. Approx a $9000 jump I have to think is extremely rare. Wiseas man as the winning buyer. I'm guessing you will never hear from him. Your buyer is going to be disappointed. I am curious what Gunbroker will find. I'd prepare the the client to be disappointed and let him know it will need to run again.

 

[arfmel]

I think I’d go ahead as if he had placed a legitimate bid. If your guess is correct, and he doesn't pay, report him and block him from further bidding on your auctions. Is there a way to contact the 2nd / 3rd highest bidders? If so, and your customer approves, do that and close the sale with him if you can. I don’t think the last reasonable sounding bid of $1400 is a bad price for that gun, personally.

 

[rdf009]

It certainly seems suspicious that the last two bidders who only bid once were both non rated. That is a very nontypical bid too. Approx a $9000 jump I have to think is extremely rare. Wiseas man as the winning buyer. I'm guessing you will never hear from him. Your buyer is going to be disappointed. I am curious what Gunbroker will find. I'd prepare the the client to be disappointed and let him know it will need to run again.

Thanks. That's kind of what I'm thinking too. I already told the seller that it will almost certainly need to be relisted. We've sold about $50k for him this year, so I think it will be OK. Hopefully Gunbroker gets back with me tomorrow like I asked them to do. This kind of stuff is bad for the gun industry and bad for the auction industry, and they need to crack down. Will the next guy who has a HBAR to sell look at this listing and think that his is worth 10 grand? As a licensed auction company I have other online selling platforms that I could choose from, and I made that clear to Gunbroker in the email I sent. Not that it will do any good.

 

[rdf009]

I think I’d go ahead as if he had placed a legitimate bid. If your guess is correct, and he doesn't pay, report him and block him from further bidding on your auctions. Is there a way to contact the 2nd highest bidder? If so, and your customer approves, do that and close the sale with him if you can.

So far I've treated it just like I do all other transactions....emailed the seller with payment instructions.

Unfortunately, Gunbroker only provides the contact info for the winning bidder. Going back through the bid history, it looks like the last bid from a "known" Gunbroker member was at $1400. What really burns me is that this was a penny start, no reserve auction. All the auctions I conduct are that way, and I always honor the final bid. Now some fake bidder comes in, messes up the whole system, and I have to look like the shady one when I relist the item.

 

[arfmel]

Given the circumstances I don’t think this reflects badly on you. Wonder if Gunbroker can expunge this entirely from their records. It seems to me that would be in everybody’s best interest in this situation.

 

[rdf009]

Also, this is shaping up to be the third non-paying bidder I've had on Gunbroker this year in about 150 transactions. The live auction side of my company has done thousands of transactions and over a million dollars in sales this year, and we've had exactly ONE non-paying bidder (for a seventy five dollar item). And I only have eight people on my staff....all of them are part-time. Seems like something needs fixing on Gunbroker.

 

[rdf009]

Given the circumstances I don’t think this reflects badly on you. Wonder if Gunbroker can expunge this entirely from their records. It seems to me that would be in everybody’s best interest in this situation.

I'll update tomorrow. I made it pretty plain that I want a phone call from them....not an email. They're the only company I do business with that doesn't publish a customer service phone number.

 

[Mobuck]

I'd be suspicious of the seller on this one. If he's using "shill bidders" to attempt to entice a "sucker" to place a legitimate bid, that's both illegal and violates GB policies resulting in "someone" being banned from the auction site.
My Cousin is an auctioneer and field representative for an online farm/industrial equipment auction site. I assist him as an appraiser and do follow-ups on the transactions (collect funds, set up transportation, or negotiate assistance with loading). He's had a couple of bidders refuse to pay after winning an auction but neither were really trying to effect the final price, they just didn't seem to understand the entire cost of transportation and decided the final price + hauling was beyond their budget. Those bidders were permanently banned from further bidding.

 

[gunzo]

Now I think I know why some sellers specify that if someone is a not rated buyer, or a bidder with no transactions that they must contact the seller before bidding.

 

[rdf009]

I'd be suspicious of the seller on this one.

That statement is precisely what makes this so bad. I AM the seller of this item. It was a penny start, no reserve auction. There was no shill bidding involved. Two bidders with no ratings and fake accounts decided (for whatever reason) to drive the price up to $10,025 with no intention of paying for the gun after doing so.

Gunbroker's "customer service" sent me back an email this morning stating that fraudulent bidding DID indeed take place on this auction, and that Gunbroker will refund my auction fees after I relist the item. Evidently they can't even make the time to have someone call me on the phone about this.

I'm sure there are many more bidders who will be "suspicious of the seller" when I do relist the item. Especially since I can provide NO logical explanation as to why the gun is being relisted. It just doesn't look good.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

"Suspicious" doesn't even begin to describe this situation. You were right to have concern for the veracity of the bidding and "price drive" in this case.

Do what you have to do and cover yourself as required. I'd immediately replace the SOLD banner with the RELISTED version and start over, watching out for a repeat performance by the bidders in this case.

The world is changing, and not for the better. Watch yer six.

:roll:

 

[Colonialgirl]

If you stop and think about it; the "name" of the highest bidder is VERY suspicious:


"Wiseas

I think he left an "S" off the end of it.

 

[LGC42]

Colonialgirl is right. I thought the same thing when I read the original post.

 

[Fox Mike]

Gunbroker's "customer service" sent me back an email this morning stating that fraudulent bidding DID indeed take place on this auction, and that Gunbroker will refund my auction fees after I relist the item. Evidently they can't even make the time to have someone call me on the phone about this.

I'm sure there are many more bidders who will be "suspicious of the seller" when I do relist the item. Especially since I can provide NO logical explanation as to why the gun is being relisted. It just doesn't look good.

I wonder if in the description block you may be able to state the reason for the "relisting".

 

[rdf009]

Update: I have relisted the item and made a note about why it was relisted. Gunbroker has suspended the accounts of the two fraudulent bidders who drove up the price.