[jefferyepayne]

I only leave Max Bids if:

1. I'm too tired to stay up / not available at auction end,
2. run by auction houses I trust, and
3. that don't have rules that allow the auction house / employees to bid on stuff

Comments on #1 above - I prefer lot by lot, fixed ending times, or very early starts (noon) to extended bidding. Tired of trying to stay up all night to win something so have cut back on bids in those kinds of auctions but occasionally will put in a Max Bid if its something I really want

Comments on #2 above - Auction houses I don't trust include any that are 1) run by people who went to jail, 2) run by people caught cheating/stealing/shilling/allowing shilling, 3) run by people who cheat grandmothers out of their inheritance selling crap on TV

Comments on #3 above - If you don't know who does this, you had better start reading the auction rules for each auction house!

If I set a Max Bid with an auction house I trust and end up winning it at my Max Bid, I let that slide once. If it happens again they move to the DO NOT TRUST bucket.

jeff