How can I bid up to the reserve price if no one bids against me?

johnnyboyz

I was bidding on an item of furniture and even though I was the highest bidder I didn't win it because no one was bidding against me so the reserve wasn't met.

I bid £110 and the reserve was £100 but because no one bid against me the bidding finished at £87 even though I'd have been happy to pay £100.

I contacted the bidder but he still wants to relist it and I fear I may miss out next time around.

Is there any way around this?

durham_girl

johnnyboyz wrote: »

I contacted the bidder but he still wants to relist it and I fear I may miss out next time around.

The SELLER. YOU are the bidder.

Now I've stopped being pedantic...

There is nothing you can do apart from bid again. Don't pester him about it either or he may add you to his blocked bidder list.

mikey72

durham_girl wrote: »

The SELLER. YOU are the bidder.

Now I've stopped being pedantic...

There is nothing you can do apart from bid again. Don't pester him about it either or he may add you to his blocked bidder list.

That would be quite funny really, being blocked because you made too much effort to buy something you wanted, and were prepared to pay the asking price.
If his reserve was £100, and you bid £110, I thought ebay automatically bid the reserve for you.
quote from ebay
"
If your maximum bid is the first to meet or exceed the reserve price, the effective bid displayed will automatically be raised to the reserve price."

Although I would be more inclined not to bid so high a second time, as it's obviously overpriced if it only reached £87

jenniewb

let him list again, don't bid till the last minute- if its anything like the last time he tried, again, no one will bid. He will get worried and imagine hes lost all his fees on nothing, and will be rethinking about having to relist.

Then bid at the last minute, and if you win, even if its for £87 again, he will be more liable to accept what you have bidded- I wouldn't even offer the £100 reserve, if no one else has bidded, no one else is willing to pay that price, its yours at the highest bid. He should have started the auction at £100 and paid for it if he had a real reserve price!

If he refuses again, walk away, he will be the one that loses out.

Avoriaz

Did the Ebay listing show that the reserve price has not been met or did the seller tell you that it hadn’t?

I had assumed that, if the reserve was £100 and you bid £110, your bid would be entered as £100, the minimum required to meet the reserve.

There is something not quite right here.

pinkgem

if you bid £100 and the reserve was £110 then you should have won it for £100 as you would have met the reserve. you don't need anyone else to bid.

jenniewb

not if the seller sets a reserve and does not pay for it...


happened to me before. Its a cheap way for the seller to get thier money- and have back up if they don't.

soolin

jenniewb wrote: »

not if the seller sets a reserve and does not pay for it...


happened to me before. Its a cheap way for the seller to get thier money- and have back up if they don't.

In that case though the bidder would have won the auction at the opening bid regardless and if that was the case and seller refused to sell buyer cna do a non performign seller complaint and lave a neg.

Under the 5% buyer disatisfaction rate a single neg and a non performing seller complaint is often enough to push a small seller close to suspension, so it would have to be a dim seller who tried this.

soolin

pinkgem wrote: »

if you bid £100 and the reserve was £110 then you should have won it for £100 as you would have met the reserve. you don't need anyone else to bid.

Absolutely..one bid, as long as it was above the reserve is enough to win the auction.

frivolous_fay

Are you sure the reserve was £100 and not more? Obviously you've only got the seller's word for it, maybe they gave you the wrong figure.
Something doesn't make sense here.

Hintza

frivolous_fay wrote: »

Are you sure the reserve was £100 and not more? Obviously you've only got the seller's word for it, maybe they gave you the wrong figure.
Something doesn't make sense here.

Yes I agree the reserve was not £100 otherwise you would have won it. Be very careful now the seller thinks you are on the hook so play a canny game and bid late otherwise you might find the price mysteriously rising above the £100 level the next time.