It's a tricky ethical issue but collusion must be reasonable in a
'society of friends' if it is not a rigid rule but rather gentleman's
agreement that we tend not to bid against each other - unless we really
mean it! Your comment about not bidding until the end for very sensible
personal and strategic reasons is no more ethical in some ways and
could be regarded as 'manual sniping,' hiding in the woodwork to keep
the bids down. It is reasonable for buyer and seller to maximise their
advantage by whatever fair strategy is available without actual
deception. There is an element of game play in the auction process
which adds to the enjoyment and so long as we have the choice of
bidding against each other or not, then awareness is acceptable. It's
not compulsory, nor should any listee be aggrieved if another on the
list outbids them. Also, there are still plenty of OM bidders out there
for good items.
One could also argue that there is differing ability to purchase among
members on the list due to differences in personal resources,
willingness to embrace debt or level of zuikoholism. Sigh. Perhaps we
could institute a handicapping system.
I'll never afford a 3Ti or anything coloured white, for instance,
unless I trip over them in garage sale. Would I then be morally obliged
to tell the ignorant seller that an OM 3Ti is worth more than $75?
Probably, but would I?
Members who sell usually offer OM items and others of interest to the
list first - this is fair and polite, especially if the price offered
is sensible and slightly discounted to allow for the normal oboy fees
which will now not accrue. Once it's listed, we could consider that the
seller might cancel the listing if s/he receives a fair offer from
another member. That is ethical I think so long as it doesn't happen
too late in the auction and the seller has the right to refuse without
prejudice.
However, I get uncomfortable about this type of precise ethical rule
generation - in the end it all comes down to goodwill, and no set of
rules will ever create that. We've maintained it well. I will not bid
against someone whose tag I recognise unless I really wanted the item
badly. Hasn't happened yet. I would hope that others would afford me
the same 'courtesy' but I neither expect it nor resent it if they
don't. I have benefitted from others alerting me to sale items, selling
me little items fairly, buying the odd item from me or even grabbing
things up for me. Nice.
AndrewF
(Irredeemably ethical seller - can't help it).
On 11/10/2004, at 8:41 PM, GeeBee wrote:
>
> If I sell something on the bay I hope the price will the best
> available
> conducted under fair conditions and I would be pissed if I thought I
> was
> getting less because the potential bidders were colluding to stop the
> best
> price being reached.
>
> No one likes a bargain better than I do but I am prepared to pay what
> an
> item is worth to me. I never bid until the end for two reasons. One, to
> outbid anyone who is holding back and not committing whatever he/she
> deems a
> fair price. Two, to deny myself time to up my own bid which I decided
> upon
> when I was rational :-)
>
> What happens with this list of bidders names when one of the names on
> the
> list is also the seller? Do the other names seek to deny an OM list
> subscriber the best price?
>
> What's the next step? Bidding 'up' a members listing and if one of us
> 'accidentally' buys it just pay the listing fees again, relist it and
> repeat
> the process until we catch someone who is not a list member?
>
> I am a little uncomfortable with this whole thing. I don't want to come
> across as some sort of saint because I most certainly am not and I
> have no
> wish to offend anyone who doesn't feel the same way that I do. I do
> not see
> myself as holding any moral high ground nor do I think any less of
> those
> that will not agree with me.
>
> It's just my 2 cents worth. Flame away :-)
>
> --Graham
>
>
>
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