Sneaky last second bidders

MickKnipfler

Ebay's not really an auction. More of a sealed bid.

Wright or wrong? It's all a matter of opinion but he who knows how to best expoit the system wins. A bit like football these days...

chachiluz

Hi
Yes, but I can't be bother to wait all the time for the item. I also use a https://www.snip.pl I find it great as it puts my bid in the last 5 seconds, keeping the price of the item low. I have save a lot this Christmas by bidding this way. Sometimes you don't get the item... but doesn't matter there will be other even cheaper.

MickKnipfler

Do you have to pay to use these tools?

MickKnipfler

It annoys me that you can get outbid on an item and then choose not to compete but bid on a similar item. Then, the higher bid on the first item gets cancelled and Ebay still expect you to honour your initial bid.....

I'd like to see that contested in court

nightswimmer

MickKnipfler wrote:

It annoys me that you can get outbid on an item and then choose not to compete but bid on a similar item. Then, the higher bid on the first item gets cancelled and Ebay still expect you to honour your initial bid.....

I'd like to see that contested in court

You've made the initial bid which commited you to a contract where you have agreed to buy the item should you win the auction (even if your not the winning bidder). Unfortunately, what you do after that on another auction has no bearing.

MickKnipfler

I know...I didn't say it wasn't the rules, it annoys me though.

does that mean then that if I bid on an item (above reserve), I then have to wait for that to finish before biing on a second item?

Is this the case in a "proper" auction? Surely once a higher bid is accepted then your bid has been rejected......

nightswimmer

MickKnipfler wrote:

does that mean then that if I bid on an item (above reserve), I then have to wait for that to finish before biing on a second item?

That's a risk you have to take.

If you could just bid with no binding contract, people would just bid on several auctions, and as soon as they won the item they were after, they could cancel all those other bids with no consequences.

Is this the case in a "proper" auction? Surely once a higher bid is accepted then your bid has been rejected......

I don't know the various types of "proper" auctions and their rules, so have no idea.

Mandles

I alway use a sniper as i just get carried away otherwise.It helps me just stick to my limit & i dont waste my life waiting in or up till all hours like i used to waiting to bid for something i really wanted as i have been ebaying for years and have discovered that in 99 cases out of 100 if you put in your top bid early you will probably lose but if you put the exact bid in near auction end you win! Bizarre

MickKnipfler

I know that's the rules. I agree that a bid is binding. However as far as I'm concerned, once your bid has been bettered by another binding bid, then you are freed from your obligations. Otherwise, you are still under contract to buy but the seller isn't. I know what Ebay rules say but in my book, that's rediculous.

freebie_junkie

i suppose if people dont like being outbid/bidding etc. they should buy thing in shops?