General Forum

I found a listing for a complete set + bonus card, bid on it (only bidder) and won, paid, then the seller informed me that the listing was wrong and for only 1 card and asked if I still wanted it. I said no and he refunded me. The question being, is that a normal thing? (Seller said it happens all the time and wasn't a big deal, the bid was 1 +1 shipping for a set that is offered for buy it now for appx 10, so 1 card for 1 and 101 (actually more than that) for 10? Just kinda leaves me scratching my head.

It sounds like he wasn't happy with what he got, and backed out.  I've had it happen about 5 times in 2000 purchases.  So it's not common, but it happens.  All 5 times was when I got a super super low price for something, and the excuses were lame.  Some people just aren't honest enough to live up to the purchase agreement, and you can't really do anything about it.

Exactly what EP said.  Just happened to me a month ago.  Seller thought card was worth much more than he got and backed out.  I don't let it bother me.  If he needed the money that bad, so be it.  I hope he eventually got it.  Lots of other cards to seek and the chase is the fun part.  That's not true.... sniping a card with .002 seconds left and winning that card is the fun part.  But the search is a close second.

Go buy a better set and enjoy!

Greg

No it does not "happen all the time".     I create a listing on Ebay and at least double check it, if not triple.  And if it's a higher priced item, I probably quintuple my checks.   As was pointed out, seller probably was looking for me and just making excuses.

My first thought was that he didn't get enough for the set, but then he said it happens all the time like I was crazy for asking about it (lol like I was wrong for trying to buy it???). What leaves me shaking my head is that it was a card shop owner and not some random person that has no clue about cards.

If, as David says, it was a shop owner,

He may not have taken it off the shelf

and someone wanderered in and offered what he wanted for it......

Seen Comic and Gaming shops do that...

Not too long ago, as I'm working on the 04 UD FB set, I saw the Manning at a decent price (lower than almost everyone) and had a Make Offer choice. I submitted an offer (10% off). He came back and said "Opps, I had it priced too low" then raised the price higher than the median and then offered me a discount on that raised priced. Yeah, no..... Several months later, the card is still there. Ha!

Oh, I got the Manning in an auction (different seller) a month later at 1/2 of what that seller's original price was.

Now days I do not think there is any thing as  a normal thing on E-bay.  You see and hear a lot of things going on with sellers and buyers.  Who know why it happens.

I won an auction last one night  Then next morning I got 2 e-mails  one asking to pay for it and the other e-mail was  the seller asking me to cancel the sale as he sold it on another platform.   If I really wanted it he would talk to the other guy.  No problem as it was a .99 card with .55 shipping. (I purchased it later for .45 on COMC)    I told him I had no problems canceling it but did not know how.  Then I asked Why would anyone put a card up for auction and still have it on other platforms for sale.  He canceled it and sent me $2 for my time and thanked me.  His ID is koko2396  Could not believe that happen.

It seems to me if the seller was aware and claimed "it happens all the time" then he should have been more clear in the description of his auction.   I would have to think the bidding ended lower that he expected and he backed out.  

My first guess is that he got less than he expected and backed out. That definitely happens. 

Because it was a big store, I leave open the possibility that someone just screwed up the listing. I have a number of saved searches and find errors in listings all the time. They may have a less-than-reliable employee putting up the listings. 

It's annoying, but if no harm, I'd just move on and feel disappointed. 

v3