Basschat Auction/Bid Facility?

[Shambo]

I don't know if or how it would work. Maybe a bit like ebay but without the hoopla and ripoff fees.

A seller could choose to receive bids for their instrument. Other members can see the bids and the seller picks the winner?

Might generate a bit more action in the marketplace.

Any thoughts?

[paul_c2]

It could be done already, with the posters themselves "playing fair" and entering their bids on a "for sale" thread. Of course, it would render those bids, and the bidding history, public. eBay used to be public but went private (hiding bidder identity to all but the seller) (I think it was an anti-fraud measure against a certain type of fraud) but there's pros and cons of showing it in public.

I would suggest a "template" of generic, reasonable auction rules which could be copied and pasted into the OP of a thread by the seller. For example, time duration while the auction is live, min bid increment, if there's a reserve, bids are binding/unable to withdraw without a damn good reason etc etc.

There is always the option to "nullify" an auction if something irregular occurs, however it would expose potential buyer's budgets.

[Woodinblack]

Except under current rules you can't post offers on the thread.

Why would anyone want to do this? You can already make an offer to someone selling something

[Dubs]

1 minute ago, Woodinblack said:

Why would anyone want to do this? You can already make an offer to someone selling something

I'd tend to agree with this.

You can view the seller's asking price as the opening bid if you like and you're welcome to make offers via PM. 

I can only see "auction" style listings getting messy on here.

[gary mac]

It mostly works perfectly well as it is.