Ebay Bidding Question

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Posted By: Jay Miller

I thought I understood how bidding works but I guess I don't understand completely. I was bidding on an item with a $20 opening bid and I threw in an up to bid of $37. I was the only bid. Someone came in later and bid several times with his/her last bid being exactly $37. Since I was the first bidder I was obviously still high on the item. He/she did not bid beyond this level (not a shill--he/she had bought similar items). I them placed a bid above $37. Even though I was high bidder on the lot at the time I placed this second bid, Ebay bumped my $37 bid to $38. I thought if you were high bidder on an item and bid again it would not increase the current high bid, just increase your up to amount. Obviously I was wrong. Any thoughts?

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

I guess it makes some sense.

As the "first" bidder to bid $37, you get the right of winning the "tie" if there is one at $37.

But, since there are TWO people bidding $37, then it is only fair to the SELLER that the tie be broken "upwards" if one of the two people bid again.

In other words, if the "second" bidder bid $38, then clearly the sale price of the item would go up to $38...

so it is only fair to the seller that your sale price would go up as well in that event.

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Posted By: Peter Thomas

that's how they have it programed with a little extra juice. They get you for whatever the bidding increment is $1, $5, $10, $25 etc. Now lets talk about something important Sox/Yanks, down here in Fl. I won't be able to help with any of Roger's tickets this year. It would be nice to see him against one of his old teams, but Cards look very tough - Peter

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Posted By: hankron

I'm no eBay bidding expert, but I would have thought eBay would have not accepted a $37 bid on a item that already had that bid. It would have told the bidder that he would have to raise the bid for it to be accepted.

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Posted By: john/z28jd

This also brings up another point.Ebay now shows what people have bid on stuff and in some cases gives away what the high bidder has bid.
example with the new system;
if i bid 32.05
someone else bids 32.00
on the bid page it now shows that there was only a 5 cent difference giving away the fact you can beat the high bidder with one bid which could encourage sniping in cases where you might usually not.Previously only the underbidder would be able to figure that out but now everyone can see it.

It only does this when the top bidder bids less than the increment that the bids increase by but still anyone will know now.

If you dont remember,before this,you could only see the actual bids of underbidders after the auction ended.

Ive seen alot of times where people will bid in 5 dollar increments till theyre the high bidder[not shill bids].If they see they only have to bid once they might not bid so early and it wont give you another chance to up your bid in situations like Jay mentioned above

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Posted By: john/z28jd

David if you bid the same amount as someone previous it tells you,sorry youve been outbid and the current bid price is still the amount you bid.It also tells you,without actually saying it, that the next bid will make you the high bidder

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Posted By: Jay Miller

Hal--I understand your point but, if the system was working properly (my definition), then you couldn't top yourself which is effectively what I was unknowingly doing.

Peter--I will be going to the game tonight. Look for me in the front row ,right behind the tarp, halfway between first base and the foul pole. I agree with you, I would love to see Houston play in the World Series. It would be poetic justice to have the series go seven games and Clemens win game seven. Would probably be more ironic if he did it against the BoSox, but it would be almost as interesting if he did it against the Yankees. BTW, did you see the odds on the ALCS. The BoSox are huge favorites. Obviously no history buffs in Las Vegas.

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Posted By: nickinvegas

Jay,
I too was shocked by the ALCS odds. Red Sox are -165 to win the series. For those non-junkies that means you have to bet $16.50 to win $10. The Red Sox are also the Favorites to win the World Series.

Nick

PS: That is a flaw in Ebay's bidding system, The bidder should have been required to top you maximum bid.

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Posted By: Paul

This is in ebay's rules somewhere. If your bid is higher than the underbidder by less than the minimum increment, and you place another bid, you will be bumped up so that the difference is exactly the minimum. So, if you bid $11.10, someone else bids $11.00, and then you increase your own bid, your bid will be "revised" to $12.10 (or $11.60 or whatever the minimum increment is). Your case proves that this rule applies even when the distance between you and the next bidder is zero.

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Posted By: Rob L

Also depends on when you bid on the item again. There is a point at which the bid by the high bidder will increase if they rebid again. This is usually within the last couple of hours of bidding.

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Posted By: Peter Thomas

I think the 165 is today's game with Shilling pitching

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Posted By: Mike

Today is -145, and the SOX are -150 for the series vs NY. Schilling is far and away the best pitcher left in the playoffs vs Mussina has shown flashes of great pitching, but at other times has been battered. Schill has proven he'll hold up in post season play. Tomorrow you've got Pedro vs J Leiber which should be another win for the SOX. Even if the other starters falter in between, the SOX 2 studs should be able to take 4 games from Yankee Nation. As usual it is the Red Sox I am talking about. They have proven time and time again that they can find a way to lose regardless of the situation. I'll be pulling for the Sox, but I wouldn't put any of my hard earned cash on them!

Son; fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life.

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

eBay $655.55 $660.55 $655.55

Ebay makes the OPPOSITE kinds of mistakes, too. On March 3, 2004, I bid 655.55, snipe bid, on a Goodwin Champions Dunlap. Before my snipe was launched, but too late to tell me that i was no longer high bidder, someone else bid LESS THAN 10% LOWER THAN MY BID, but 10% higher than the last bid on the card. Ebay declared me the winner.

The figures above reflect only 1) my bid 2) next required bid 3) my maximum bid (same as 1)). Stealthbid (whose figures these are), sent me an e-mail, saying ebay had awarded me the card, but technically, I hadn't won it, O well, you win some.

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Posted By: dan mckee

This has always happened with ebay, it bumps you to the next increment even if you are high bidder. If I bid $16.01 and the high bid was $16, I am winning at $16.01, then I add to it with a $20 max, the bid then jumps to $16.51. Ebay penalizes you for the ceiling bid. TYPICAL, ebay cares about money, not its customers.