Dear Uncle Griff and Dear Aunt Flossie

The following information is provided to educate and inform. eBay and its employees are not liable or responsible for any type of damage or loss caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly, by the information below.

eBay's kindly old Uncle Griff has agreed to answer questions for some of our members. If you have a question you would like to ask him, email him at unclgrff@ebay.com. NOTE: Not one to be left out of anything, Uncle Griff's mother, Aunt Flossie, loves to meddle in her son's business. Aunt Flossie offers "helpful" replies to questions also (email her at unclgrff@ebay.com).

Dear Uncle Griff,

I recently tried to sell a used printer on eBay with no luck. Other people who listed printers were either selling new or refurbished ones. Can you give me any ideas on what I can do to sell my used item? Any help from someone with your wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

Jim

Hello Jim,

Oh stop. You flatter Uncle. Flattery will get you everywhere.

Is your printer in good condition? Is it of a recent or early vintage? Did you include a picture in your description? Did you do your best to describe the item fully? These are all very important questions. If your printer is of a relatively recent manufacture, then you should make sure to stress that fact. Also, be painfully detailed when describing the item and its condition. Sometimes it helps to throw in a bone or two ... say, some new free printer ribbons, cartridges or a printer cable.

Make the item as attractive as possible, but be honest. And don't use an unreasonable reserve amount (better yet, use none!).This should help increase your odds of finding an eager buyer for the printer.

Regards, Uncle Griff

Hi Uncle Griff:

I would appreciate it if you would address this issue in eBay Life: What is eBay's position on "skunking?" Skunking is when bidders watch an item without placing any bids, and then put in an outrageously high bid within the last 15 to 20 seconds so as to outbid any others? Is this legal on eBay? Thanks.

No name given

Hello,

Yes, it is perfectly acceptable for a bidder to "skunk" (also called "snipe"). eBay's position is pretty simple: An auction is open for any and all bids up to the close of the auction, and this includes bids made in the closing seconds. Remember, no bidding strategy is without risk, and employing the strategy that you have described above can be very risky indeed. It is entirely possible for a bidder to end up with the item at a price much higher than he or she is willing to pay. For example, suppose the sniper bidder submits an inflated bid amount and someone before them has done the same (it happens). In that instance, the "sniper" may win the item for just above the previously submitted bid and would be obliged to honor his or her bid.

Regards, Uncle Griff

Dear Uncle Griff,

How does one deal with a bidder who wants to return an item because he or she is disappointed in it? I am not a business, and I do not wish to compromise my positive feedback. I find it difficult to tell someone that he or she should have asked more questions or researched the item better before it was purchased. I also find it difficult to say that the item can not be returned. Is there a better way to handle this? Thanks for the input.

Jayne

Hello Jayne,

Unfortunately, there really isn't a better way to remedy this situation. Your choices are to refund the bidder's money, work out an acceptable compromise, or not refund the bidder's money and face the possible negative comment.

In the future, we would recommend that you state your return and refund policy clearly in your listings. Doing this may not prevent a reoccurrence, but at least you are covered by your own policy being clearly stated.

Regards, Uncle Griff

Dear Aunt Flossie,

My crazy Uncle Ralph has a birthday coming up soon. He has just about everything, and loves all kinds of unique stuff! For example, Uncle Ralph has a working parking meter in his driveway, a full-size mannequin in his bedroom, and a port hole from a ship on the wall ascending his spiral staircase. Any suggestions on where I could find something unique and fun for him?

Uncle Ralph's nephew

Hello Uncle Ralph's nephew,

Your uncle sounds like he has a wonderful sense of humor! Well, let Aunt Flossie put on her thinking cap a moment. Ah, yes. How about a jukebox for your Unc? Maybe a retro lava lamp would light his fancy? Or perhaps something from Ripley's Believe It Or Not is more Uncle Quirky's speed. For some really great unique items, be sure to check out our Collectibles: Weird Stuff category. For your convenience, that category is divided into General, Slightly Unusual, Really Weird, and Totally Bizarre!