eeee-bay question

Kelly,

I've done well over 500 deals on eBay by now.

But I haven't come across what you just wrote about.

However, in effect, you are not being cheated in the process; and I don't think you viewed it as that.

You couldn't buy it for less than the reserve, and you had bid above the reserve. So you got it for the least possible winning bid.

The only other outcome was for the auction to finish with no winner, and the seller to relist with a lower reserve. Which of course is less money for eBay...

What you really have to watch out for is the Dutch auctions. These are very complicated and you MUST read the rules before you ever bid on one of these.

They go to all bidders for the lowest winning bid. I recently bid on a two item auction, wanting both items. If I had just bid for both with one bid, I'd have paid top dollar for both.

Instead, I used two of my accounts with different bids, each bid for one item. I got both items for the lowest winning bid.

Wait until you try to get a refund for broken or not-as-described items. Talk about a PITA.

Larry

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The only other outcome was for the auction to finish with no winner, and the seller to relist with a lower reserve. Which of course is less money for eBay...

Yes. This is what I actually recall. And you are correct, I don't feel cheated, just misinformed. I just don't recall a seller's reserve price being able to automatically escalate a bid, only opposing bidders. The latter makes it more of a seller's venue......but what's new.

In the past (I believe, but memory isn't what it used to be), the seller would relist but usually, at a lower reserve, thus keeping purchase prices closer to "market" as opposed to "asking". This will make me assume a more conservative bid posture in the future.

Thanks for the reply.

Kelly

Kelly , I have read that somewhere on Ebay that if your max bid is equal or higher to the reserve the reserve is your set bid unless someones bidding goes past the reserve then the bidding stops at the highest bidder with the reserve met. Your max bid could have been higher which doesn't matter as no one was bidding up to the reserve hence you won the item at the reserve price. This is good for the seller and as it guarantees a winning bidder.

Kelly,

I was selling something on eBay about two years ago and bidding was about 3/4 of what my reserve was. When the auction ended, someone won it at the reserve price beacause he asked me what my reserve was, I told him, and he bid it. I thought it had to be pushed up there too, until that auction.

Michael

Kelly,
I have seen this and have even won auctions this way, even when I was the only bidder. At one time Ebay automatically raised the bid to the reserve if you bid that high. Now they do it only as the auction ends.

Just think, if you bid $100, the Reserve was $50 and the next highest bider was $40. If your bid remained at $41 you would not win the auction, even though you were willing to pay much more. At many live auctions, if the item does not meet reserve, they may ask if you will pay the reserve price. If not, you dont get the item, if you do, then you pay reserve. By you bidding $100, you have confirmed that you are willing to pay the reserve if it is anywhere up to $100. I dont find it to be a big problem. And, if you would of read the rules of bidding when you signed up, I am sure it was explained in there somewhere.

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At one time ebay automatically raised the bid to the reserve if you bid that high. Now they do it only as the auction ends

Raise the bid to reserve immediately upon your bid? I don't recall it ever being this way. Doesn't mean it wasn't, just means I don't recall such. Definitely is not this way at the moment.

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And, if you would of read the rules of bidding when you signed up, I am sure it was explained in there somewhere.

I registered on ebay in 1999. 168 feedback posts and 100% rating since. I'm guessing I have 3-400 trades but not much for the last two or three years.

I just don't recall ever winning an auction when the bid increment wasn't just one notch below mine. It could be that in all those trades I just may never have been the bidder that bid a higher than the sellers reserve when no other bidders did so. ?? FWIW, I posted this question at several other sites and many other ebayers who responded were surprised.

I just don't think it was always this way. ebay has made MANY changes over the years. When the auction ends due to this, there is no indication that your bid was escalated by the seller's reserve price. It can give the appearance of bid tampering even though it's merely reserve activity. Just a subtlety that I wasn't aware of I guess.

In one case (my memory's verison?) you never would pay more than the next highest bidder even though an auction might close for less than you were willing to pay. It's still the case for a no reserve auction. -But they would (and still do) always show up again at lower reserve. Just think it reduces the chances of bargain on ebay. Like I said, what's new.

Thanks for the reply.
Kelly

Kelly,

Your Pantera looks real nice in your avatar. Can you post a few pictures in the proper forum for all to see? Thanks.

Michael

Thanks Michael,

There's a fairly current description in gallery/photo forum

http://pantera.infopop.cc/eve/forums?a=tpc&f=3350045562&m=7900053154

Kelly

Nice car, where did you get the front spoiler?

Kelly,

You are correct it hasn't always ben that way, previously there had to be a second bidder in the auction to raise your bid and even though you might have been prepared to pay more than reserve, that reserve would not have been met if no one else counter bid against you. I encountered this in a few auctions and either waited for a relist or negotiated with the seller post auction.

I cannot recall when the new rule came into effect, but have in the last 12 months encountered my bid going straight in at reserve price. The problem I saw was a lot of bid retractions as people bid up to find out what reserve was and then retracted their final at reserve bid.

At one point Ebay were stating 'next bid meets reserve' but if they are now holding your proxy bid and bidding up to reserve at the last minute with no counter party that I would view to be a little underhand, despite the fact you are prepared to pay that amount.

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Kelly, You are correct it hasn't always ben that way.

Thanks Julian. Thought I was losing it. Maybe my brain fade isn't as bad as it seems.

-Kelly

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Nice car

Thank you

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where did you get the front spoiler?

Pantera Performance sells them. ~$90 each I think. Just vacuum formed from sheet stock. Doubt they're as effective as a the big air dams but better than zip and they're pretty tough.

Kelly