Is this an Ebay scam?

I think that someone might be trying to scam me on Ebay. If so, it's a clever scam that I haven't encountered before.

I was selling a a Mac Mini computer, and put it up for a 10 day listing. It's a few years old so I wasn't expecting much for it. The winning bid was for £155, which I was happy with.

The winning buyer then contacted me immediately after the auction finished, to say that he'd made a mistake and didn't actually want it. He suggested that I made a second chance offer to the second highest bidder (who'd bid £150). So we withdrew his bid and I made a second chance offer to the second highest bidder, and didn't hear anything from them. That's not unusual, as people often don't take up these offers.

He then contacted me again to say that he'd be prepared to buy it from me, but would offer me £110 (which he later increased to £120).

So is this a scam to win the item and then try to obtain it for a lower price, given that people often don't take up second chance offers, and that I'm unlikely to want to go though the hassle of listing it again and waiting another 10 days?

[DaveRushton]

Just re list it, doesn't cost anything and saves any hassle, tell him to bid up to £120 and see what happens!

[mattSV]

So he is now happy to pay £120 for something he said he did not want???

Neg feedback and tell him to do one...

[pookie]

Depends if you think that re listing it would be worth £35 of hassle. Get him to meet in the middle and send him a paypal invoice. It would've have cost you £15.50 in final value fee and then it will only be £2 difference. Otherwise maybe try avforums classified

[flymo]

Nah, report him to ebay and relist it.

[Bri w]

Originally Posted by flymo

Nah, report him to ebay and relist it.

Is the best way to go.

[Fallout]

Sounds like a scam to me. I personally wouldn't sell it to him for any less than he bid for it on principle. I don't care about saving a few quid here and there on ebay fees or time. Even if he's not trying to scam you, he's an utter tool for saying he doesn't want the item after he's bid on it. Definitely neg feedback.

[Kenzie]

scam.why say you don't want it then come back with a lower price?report and relist.

[sniff]

This is currently going on in the housing market here in Dagenham and surrounding areas. People are giving a price for the property say £225,000 then either pull out and there just so happens to be a second person who will buy it for £205,000 so loosing £20k or when it comes to signing the paper work they suddenly want to drop £20k off the asking price. You are screwed if you are in a chain.

Originally Posted by Fallout

Sounds like a scam to me. I personally wouldn't sell it to him for any less than he bid for it on principle. I don't care about saving a few quid here and there on ebay fees or time. Even if he's not trying to scam you, he's an utter tool for saying he doesn't want the item after he's bid on it. Definitely neg feedback.

+1