Don't trust eBay's completed listing prices.

[pubjoe]

For anyone that doesn't know I thought it worth spreading awareness that you can't trust eBay's indicator of prices paid. You know on eBay's completed listings how they cross a line through the green price if "best offer accepted"? This is very unreliable. In some examples I've seen that "send offer" has resulted in a discounted sale which was not indicated in the completed listings.

I first noticed it here:

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I didn't buy this but minutes after that offer was sent to watchers it sold, completed item still shows £500 with no line through as we'd expect:

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in another example I was the buyer, again the seller sent an offer out to watchers:

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I bought it yet the completed listing shows:

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No strikethrough, no "best offer accepted". No indicator when tapping in the item for more details either:

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I have also noticed this in items I have sold. In every example I've noticed the strikethrough/"best offer accepted" displays properly when the buyer makes an accepted offer, but it does not when the offer came from the seller. However I don't know if this is a rule or if it's just flakey in general.

I might be slow to realise this but I thought it worth pointing out when people base valuations on ebay. I included the Rodland sale to show how misleading the record can be, and the jamma expander listing doesn't even show that an offer was ever an option. This just adds more to the heap of salt already needed when basing value on completed listings.

[NASguy]

Yes noticed this for awhile. I also don't trust things that go sky high with a ton of bids, as I routinly see things re-listed later because the fool buyer obviously didn't pay or it was bid shilling. I normally base my sell prices off currently listed items for obvious reasons (because I want to actually sell it), the sold tab is not reliable.

[pubjoe]

Yeah, all sorts goes on behind the scenes. This just makes it even harder to decipher.

[geotrig]

suspected this but wasn't sure howbor if it was reflected anywhere , I do pretty much just watch something now to see what offer comes in for things at times

[jimmerd]

Is that a bug with the ebay app, does it show the same on a computer browser?

Seems very confusing if it's not showing correct status, they don't but really they should show the actually sold offer price.

[NASguy]

I noticed in the last 4 years or so every message I get about my listings now is a buyer wanting free shipping or a discount, or free shipping and a discount. This makes me lol because I tend to underprice things so they will sell faster, yet it seems like no matter what they have to ask for the handout. I stopped reading them awhile ago sadly and will only answer after someone pays.

[pubjoe]

Is that a bug with the ebay app, does it show the same on a computer browser?

Good question. Just checked and there's the same bug on desktop browser too.

[kazuo]

Not a bug, it's intentional to give a misleading perception of what things are selling for. Paying for a store account shows you actual final sold prices, as well as price history past 30 days.

[pubjoe]

Did I forget to put 'bug' in inverted commas? Due to the inconsistency it's debatable either way I think, but let's say conveniently unfixed.

Just curious, can you confirm your store account's price tag accuracy of either of my two example items in the first post?

[jimmerd]

I have also noticed.

As a private seller eBay includes the postage cost in your sales total, which is stupid.
For certain items like a cd or game that it recognises it mandates a maximum postage cost...but that postage cost does not included signed for delivery which incus an extra fee, such as £1.40 in the UK.
​The price of built in postage label it recommends is higher than getting it elsewhere.
When you list an item you now can't change the first photo, so if you receive a discounted listing period, which is typically just 48 hours a placeholder image is of no use since you can't swap it out later - although perhaps placeholder images were a little annoying if people then did not update them.

[pubjoe]

Yeah the postage limit winds me up. £3.50 maximum on video games. Most packaged retro games are over 2.5cm width (= "small parcel") so you have to undercut your own shipping costs. As you say, it makes no difference to fees now anyway but it's still annoying.

Haha, I'm very guilty of the placeholder thing. Still lets me change the main photo though. Maybe you're referring to the sort of revision privilege deterioration, which is based on time remaining and bids received.

In early days you could get around revision rules by linking to an offsite image that you can switch later, like notadickpic.jpg.

[jimmerd]

In the same way a retailer can't make up a recommended retail price before offering the same item in sale at a discounted price, should they be allowed to represent an inaccurate higher sales price to the user? auction houses in the UK won't be allowed to do that..

They have to be careful they don't open themself up to some sort of 'group action' or whatever people do these days down the line.

eBay still is a handy place to sell, but they need to remain transparent if they wish to build some user loyalty. Just give customers the information it's the "original asking price" and that they can to upgrade to see the actual sale price..