Giving Other Bidders a Second Chance

When a bidder backs out of an auction, you're stuck with the merchandise you thought you had sold. Assuming that you still want to sell the item, what do you do?

eBay offers the opportunity for you to make what it calls a Second Chance Offer to other bidders in your failed auction. This lets you try to sell your item to someone else who was definitely interested in what you had to sell.

You can make a Second Chance Offer to any of the under-bidders in your original auction. The offer can be made immediately at the end of the auction, and up to 60 days afterward.

Tip

Second Chance Offers can also be used, in a successful auction, to offer duplicate items to nonwinning bidders.

To make a Second Chance Offer, return to your original item listing page and click the Second Chance Offer link. When the Second Chance Offer page appears, follow the onscreen instructions to fill out the form and make the offer.

Note that when a bidder accepts your Second Chance Offer, eBay charges you a final value fee. You are not charged a listing fee. Buyers accepting Second Chance Offers are eligible for eBay's normal buyer protection services.