I bid on a dining table in an online auction and won. Then I realised that it won’t fit through the door of our slightly small apartment. D’oh!

So I explained my mistake to the seller and asked them to re-auction it again, with a promise to pay them the difference if the selling price the second time turns out less than what I bid the first time (plus the extra fees charged by the auction site). I also offered to compensate him/her for the hassle by paying a little extra money. I even offered to pay the full amount up front, and let the seller pay me back the second time selling price, lest they think I was trying to scam them.

As an economist I thought this was highly reasonable, however my offer has been met with deathly silence, so I am worried that I have caused some offence. Maybe it was the offer of compensation for the hassle (I offered 25 dollars)? Perhaps I should read more behavioural economics literature?

An added complication is that the seller is moving house and stipulated that the item must be picked up within the next few days, thus time is running short to conduct a new auction.

Anyone want a dining table??!