Well known auction site

[artie]

Wondering if anyone can shed some light on this.

How can, or why would the same person bid six times on the same item.?

 

[brianhabby]

At first glance I thought they were just proxy bids which is what happens when someone puts in a higher bid than necessary. eBay places proxy bids until their maximum is reached. However, I don't see any other bids which is what would be needed for proxy bidding to take place, so not sure what is going on.

It will be interesting to see what others think.

regards

Brian

 

[dazzer]

This sometimes happens if the seller has a reserve price on an item and the buyer keeps bidding until they reach the reserve.

 

[Karl]

This sometimes happens if the seller has a reserve price on an item and the buyer keeps bidding until they reach the reserve.

Yes, I guess there was a reserve and the bidder kept on bidding until he either hit the reserve, or gave up.

Cheers

Karl

 

[artie]

Now I see, that is exactly what happened, cause the guy told me he had $145 reserve on it. I bought a new item elsewhere and just out of curiosity checked back to see how he was getting on.

 

[Water-Mark]

Is this a new thing?

Whenever i've placed a bid or even two on an item with a reserve the amount has always stayed at the starting price until another bidder places a bid

 

[artie]

Is this a new thing?

Whenever i've placed a bid or even two on an item with a reserve the amount has always stayed at the starting price until another bidder places a bid

That's what I thought happened. But I suppose it makes sense that you can keep bidding til the reserve is met.

 

[RogerP]

It also tells anyone else who wants to bid how much your last bid is likely to be. In this case it was almost certainly $150 so a snipe of $151 would have won it if there were no other bids.

There's only one way to bid. Bid highest amount you would be willing to pay for the item then go away and leave it to the system.

 

[DiscoStu]

I agree!

 

[JohnPW]

There's only one bidder. The reserve is 145. Any bid below the 145 will make the current price at the starting price (85).

Eg;
The first bid was 100, but since there's no other bids, the current price will be 85.
The second was 105 by the same person, but since there's no other bidders, the current price will be 85.
And the bid history will show 2 bids of 85. And so on.

When the reserve of 145 was reached, the current price will be the same as the reserve. And the bid history will then show all the previous actual bids.

It also tells anyone else who wants to bid how much your last bid is likely to be. In this case it was almost certainly $150 so a snipe of $151 would have won it if there were no other bids.

Correct!

There's only one way to bid. Bid highest amount you would be willing to pay for the item then go away and leave it to the system.

I won't reveal what's the best and only strategy! Although it's not always possible to use it.
The worst strategy is to treat Ebay auctions as if they are live auctions. Placing your maximum bid at any time except 5 seconds before the end of the auction just means you will prob not win or you will more pay more than you have to.

 

[RogerP]

................
I won't reveal what's the best and only strategy! Although it's not always possible to use it.
The worst strategy is to treat Ebay auctions as if they are live auctions. Placing your maximum bid at any time except 5 seconds before the end of the auction just means you will prob not win or you will more pay more than you have to.

As a seller I see this all the time it's an all well too well known strategy (the best sniping programs will go down to as tight as 2 seconds before the auction end). Often several (sometimes many) people snipe my auctions right at the bitter end. Of course this instigates an automated lightning bidding war. There have been many strategies and systems tried over the years, including trying to block by multiple bids, but whatever schemes are used it's always the highest bidder who wins.

 

[artie]

I won't reveal what's the best and only strategy!

Awww go on.

 

[JohnPW]

As a seller I see this all the time it's an all well too well known strategy (the best sniping programs will go down to as tight as 2 seconds before the auction end). Often several (sometimes many) people snipe my auctions right at the bitter end. Of course this instigates an automated lightning bidding war. There have been many strategies and systems tried over the years, including trying to block by multiple bids, but whatever schemes are used it's always the highest bidder who wins.

If bidding war is defined as 2 or more people bidding against each other to be the current highest bidder, making many bids in small increments (as you would in a live auction), then you could have a bidding war right up to the last 5 seconds or so. Bids made at the last possible moment, ie sniping, whether done manually or by software, do not end up in a bidding war, simply because no more bids can be made, so there's no bidding war.

Obvious the highest bidder wins but the final price is decided by the second highest bidder, unless the difference between the highest and second highest bids is less than the increment, in which case the final price is your maximum bid. Most people do not bid their maximum or they change their mind, they bid by seeing what the current price is and bid just a bit higher (like in a live auction), therefore if you bid your max early instead of in the last few seconds then you will prob lose or pay more than would have to, although of course you will not pay more than your max.

 

[RogerP]

I won't reveal what's the best and only strategy!

Awww go on.

... contact the seller and do a deal outside of eBay.

eBay don't like this at all and will get ever so cross if they find out!