eBay

kmccarty1776 · ‎08-01-2018

I was the only bidder (opening bidder) at $12.99. Had an automatic bid set for $20.00.

No action for a couple of days; then, Ilogged in before the auction ended. I watched the final countdown and was still the highest (and only) bidder. It ended and I received notification - I had LOST. What?!

How did the new bidder know my max and win with ONE bid? It stayed at $12.99 and they placed one bid at $20.50. Seems odd to me.

I have been through bidding wars over the years, but never anything like this. Could someone please explain how this could happen?

Thank you!

mudshark61369 · ‎08-02-2018

@kmccarty1776,

"That being said, what is “OP” and “IPR”?"

OP is a board term meaning Original Poster, the person who started a topic.

IPR is an ebay abreviation meaning Imediate Payment Required.

Other common ebay abreviations you are likely to run into are:

INR = Item Not Received,

UID = Unpaid item Dispute

SNAD = Significantly Not As Described

There's more but my brain isn't awake yet, I'm not halfway through my first cup.

"THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FOOLPROOF, BECAUSE FOOLS ARE SO DARNED INGENIOUS!" (unknown)

pburn · ‎08-02-2018

@nobody*s_perfect wrote:
That's because it's an even worse strategy than reactive bidding. The worst-case outcome with reactive strategy is that you lose the auction. With a "nuclear collision" somebody gets stuck hugely overpaying for their item.

My favorite example of that very thing. The auction was for a pumpkin-shaped individual soup bowl. The current, brand new, retail price from another online vendor is $25.

oz_in_ohio · ‎08-02-2018

lucky estimate i guess....personally i would have bid $20.43

oz_in_ohio · ‎08-02-2018

Sorry , i clicked too early...If you wanted the item so badly, you should have made a higher bid at the start...It would not have gone up until another person bid on it and was outbid by yours... You obviously were not interested too much as you would have placed much more...That is the way i see it.

smabrouk · ‎08-02-2018

@pburn wrote:
@nobody*s_perfect wrote:
That's because it's an even worse strategy than reactive bidding. The worst-case outcome with reactive strategy is that you lose the auction. With a "nuclear collision" somebody gets stuck hugely overpaying for their item.
My favorite example of that very thing. The auction was for a pumpkin-shaped individual soup bowl. The current, brand new, retail price from another online vendor is $25.

That is the most scary and most awesome nuclear bid about which I have ever heard! While my outrageous high-bid-to-win bids have never been that large, that is a great lesson and warning in how not to high-bid-to-win. It would be terrible to have to pay $810 for a $25 pumpkin-shaped soup bowl. I would feel obligated to pay if I won an item with such a wild bid and the item would become a very sore and expensive reminder of what can happen with out of control bidding.

I appreciate your including the screen capture as that is a must-see!!

castlemagicmemories · ‎08-04-2018

@pburn wrote:
@nobody*s_perfect wrote:
That's because it's an even worse strategy than reactive bidding. The worst-case outcome with reactive strategy is that you lose the auction. With a "nuclear collision" somebody gets stuck hugely overpaying for their item.
My favorite example of that very thing. The auction was for a pumpkin-shaped individual soup bowl. The current, brand new, retail price from another online vendor is $25.

Oh my! That makes my nuclear bid experience look like peanuts! (I'm still glad I lost, LOL)

kmccarty1776 · ‎08-04-2018

@castlemagicmemories wrote:
@pburn wrote:
@nobody*s_perfect wrote:
That's because it's an even worse strategy than reactive bidding. The worst-case outcome with reactive strategy is that you lose the auction. With a "nuclear collision" somebody gets stuck hugely overpaying for their item.
My favorite example of that very thing. The auction was for a pumpkin-shaped individual soup bowl. The current, brand new, retail price from another online vendor is $25.

Oh my! That makes my nuclear bid experience look like peanuts! (I'm still glad I lost, LOL)

All I can think - at that price - is that little pumpkin was filled with gold!! 😱

historylover · ‎08-06-2018

Some auctions I watch because I am interested in buying. Some I watch because of the ridiculous high price on the item and I want to see if it sells. Others I watch because I already own said item and I am interested in seeing what it is worth to people today. I guess people watch for all kinds of reasons.

harold_griefbacon · ‎08-07-2018

@ilikestuff6969 wrote:
You can probably divide the total watches by 10. I recently sold something that had 11 watchers and finished with only 1 bid. Whats the point of watching something if you don't plan to bid? I don't get it. I don't understand it. I don't care that much. I kinda care, but not enough. Just enough to gripe about it.

Whats my old saying... I can't complain, but I do anyways.

People may watch things because they are CONSIDERING whether to bid on them or not. They might find a better deal elsewhere, or may, in the end decide not to bid for a number of reasons. Much better than those who make impulse bids and then don't pay.

harold_griefbacon · ‎08-07-2018

@pburn wrote:
@nobody*s_perfect wrote:
That's because it's an even worse strategy than reactive bidding. The worst-case outcome with reactive strategy is that you lose the auction. With a "nuclear collision" somebody gets stuck hugely overpaying for their item.
My favorite example of that very thing. The auction was for a pumpkin-shaped individual soup bowl. The current, brand new, retail price from another online vendor is $25.

Many years ago, when I was new to eBay, I was outbid on a couple of auctions in the last seconds. I was so frustrated, that when the next item that I "really wanted" came up, I bid $211 on it, even though I knew it sold in the $50-$60 range (it was a medal). Anyway, I had the misfortune to encounter a nibbler who was as green as I was, and that person gradually bid the item up to about $160, while I could only watch helplessly. Needless to say, the seller was ecstatic, and she even emailed me a joyous message thanking me profusely, along with the invoice. It was an expensive lesson on how not to bid.

thatsallfolks · ‎08-07-2018

@harold_griefbacon wrote:
@pburn wrote:
@nobody*s_perfect wrote:
That's because it's an even worse strategy than reactive bidding. The worst-case outcome with reactive strategy is that you lose the auction. With a "nuclear collision" somebody gets stuck hugely overpaying for their item.
My favorite example of that very thing. The auction was for a pumpkin-shaped individual soup bowl. The current, brand new, retail price from another online vendor is $25.

Many years ago, when I was new to eBay, I was outbid on a couple of auctions in the last seconds. I was so frustrated, that when the next item that I "really wanted" came up, I bid $211 on it, even though I knew it sold in the $50-$60 range (it was a medal). Anyway, I had the misfortune to encounter a nibbler who was as green as I was, and that person gradually bid the item up to about $160, while I could only watch helplessly. Needless to say, the seller was ecstatic, and she even emailed me a joyous message thanking me profusely, along with the invoice. It was an expensive lesson on how not to bid.

The only strategy that's worse than a nuclear bid is an early nuclear bid.

shancakes-47 · ‎04-03-2019

I understand completely! I just watched the count down on an item and SOMEHOW, someone was able to place not one but TWO bids AFTER THE AUCTION ENDED. My max bid was so much higher than the current amount (because I wanted to MAKE SURE I couldn't be outbid at the last second). I want to know how anyone can place bids after the auction ends!

quiltgeek · ‎04-03-2019

eBay often shows the ending time with only hours: minutes, but in reality, the end of any auction is hours:minutes:seconds.

So if you see an auction with an ending time of 12:33, the actual ending time is some time between 12:33:00 and 12:33:59.

califokie73018 · ‎04-04-2019

I used to place bids on Ebay all of the time... These people don't care how something sells, as long as it sells it is all okay with them... It is what the bidding format of Ebay has become. .. I only watch it now days. Auctions go off just like yours all of the time. An item just sits there with one bid until the last 30 seconds or so and then the snipers hit.. Complaining about it in here doesn't do any good either.. Some sellers will tell you that they like the sniping and I would be willing to bet that they are the snipers. For that reason I have given up trying to bid on anything on this site.. If it isn't a "Buy It Now" item then I will not waste my time on it. These people either can't or won't even consider that the sniping is actually hurting them in the long run.. Ebay obviously won't do anything about it, so I will offer you my best advice... Until Ebay goes to soft endings that allow the previous highest bidder an opportunity to answer a sniper's last second bid, then don't bid... If I can't "Buy It Now" then I do without it.. That's the way it's going to be ( with me) until Ebay fixes their broken system.

kmccarty1776 · ‎04-05-2019

Thanks for your response. I finally changed my way of bidding - guess my brain finally kicked in! If I really want an item, then I place my highest bid amount close to the end of the auction. If that does not get the item, then so be it.

I agree, the snipers should not be allowed to do what they do; but, it is what it is. Like you, I also do the, "buy it now", or I will make an offer to seller.

Thanks again. 🙂