Genuine question about ebay bid retractions

[rajah424]

I have a question about retractions. I have never retracted a bid but I use snipe services.

Lets say I bid $200 on an item and I'm currently the high bidder at $100. Someone comes in and starts bidding to bump my bids up incrementally until they surpass my max bid. At that point they know what my max bid is and then retract their last bid to leave me at my high bid of $200.

In this case I would feel justified in retracting my bids.

My question is, What would happen if I retracted my $200 dollar bid? Would the other bidder have the high bid now at just under $200?

[bmattioli]

Member since 2 July '97.

Zero retractions

bmattioli

[Bliggity]

I've been a member since 1999, and have only retracted a "bid" once, if you can call it a bid. An 8% eBay Bucks promotion was running and I submitted a best offer on an item. I was not interested in the item at that price absent the promotion, and I included a note in my best offer asking the seller to accept the offer (if he wanted to) before midnight the following night when the promotion expired. The seller never responded, and I did not want the seller to accept the offer after the promotion ended, so I cancelled the offer shortly before the end of the promotion.

Not sure if that counted as a bid retraction or not, but I've never retracted a bid during an actual auction.

[Econteachert205]

Only one for me. I bid 18k on an 18 dollar card. Genius.

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by Econteachert205

Only one for me. I bid 18k on an 18 dollar card. Genius.

Was that a Dean's Cards listing?

To answer the OP, i have been on eBay for 15+ years and don't remember ever retracting a bid.

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by rajah424

I have a question about retractions. I have never retracted a bid but I use snipe services.

Lets say I bid $200 on an item and I'm currently the high bidder at $100. Someone comes in and starts bidding to bump my bids up incrementally until they surpass my max bid. At that point they know what my max bid is and then retract their last bid to leave me at my high bid of $200.

In this case I would feel justified in retracting my bids.

My question is, What would happen if I retracted my $200 dollar bid? Would the other bidder have the high bid now at just under $200?

Pretty sure in this scenario, once the other bidder retracts, all his bids (between the previous high of $100 and your max bid of $200) will disappear and the high bid will go back to $100. That said, anyone watching will now know what your max bid was, which I think is often what the other bidder wants to see.

[rajah424]

If that's the case then when I retract my bid wouldn't it also retract my $100 bid? Technically I only placed one bid at $200. That's what I don't understand. In my scenario I only actually placed one bid at $200 and was bid up in increments. The other bidder (shiller) would have made a series of bids. Does he have to retract all of his to find the next bidder below my $100?

[Beastmode]

I've been on e-bay for a long time with many purchases. Never retracted one bid.

But hey, I'm just a $20 card collector so doesn't mean much.

[mikemb]

Member since 1999, 0 retractions. Mike

[steve B]

Been on Ebay since I think 1998.

One retraction. Nice price on a 16mm projector that usually went for around $80 saw one for 40 and bid. Talking to my friend later he asked why I'd bid when the shipping was $80. That model usually shipped for around 20 at the time.

Steve B

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by rajah424

If that's the case then when I retract my bid wouldn't it also retract my $100 bid? Technically I only placed one bid at $200. That's what I don't understand. In my scenario I only actually placed one bid at $200 and was bid up in increments. The other bidder (shiller) would have made a series of bids. Does he have to retract all of his to find the next bidder below my $100?

When you retract, I'm 90% sure it retracts any/all prior bids on the item. So in your story, if the potential shiller retracts, it goes back down to the next highest bidder's bid below your max. That said, if the seller and shiller(s) are in cahoots, they could just have someone re-bid it back up to your max. For these reasons, I typically never place my max bid early in the auction.

[smotan_02]

Originally Posted by itjclarke

When you retract, I'm 90% sure it retracts any/all prior bids on the item. So in your story, if the potential shiller retracts, it goes back down to the next highest bidder's bid below your max. That said, if the seller and shiller(s) are in cahoots, they could just have someone re-bid it back up to your max. For these reasons, I typically never place my max bid early in the auction.

Or, the buyer retracts their bid in an effort to get you scared and think you are being shilled. At which time you retract your bid also and the retractinator now has a clear path to bid and win the item at a much lower cost.