extended bidding
Summary: The discussion centers on the introduction of an extended bidding feature on eBay, which allows auctions to continue if there are last-minute bids. alternaterealitees expresses frustration, arguing that it undermines the thrill of last-minute bidding, while others, like shire123, point out its benefits for sellers and parallels to live auctions. Some participants explain that it currently applies to specific categories like trading cards and vehicles, with a debate on whether it might be expanded. The discussion reveals mixed opinions, with sellers generally favoring it for potentially higher prices, and some buyers resistant due to changes in bidding strategies.
If ebay wants me to NEVER bid on an item then this extended bidding should continue, however if they want bids this feature must go away! The entire concept to winning bids relies on your ability to put in your bid last min and win.
Please do not use this option ever so that it may disappear quickly!
valueaddedresource
·yesterday at 11:12 PM · EditedHeads up for everyone following this:
When was announced in Australia, eBay's bidding policy pages for US, UK, Canada & Germany all still said Extended Bidding was being tested on select Trading Card & Vehicle auctions.
Since then, those pages have been updated to "in some categories" - indicating the test may be expanding further in those markets as well.
valueaddedresource
·21 hours agoNot sure why the tag was removed, but @gurlcat , you may be particularly interested in this.
*casey*
·1 week ago · EditedAnnouncement on the Australian forum today:
Introducing Extended Bidding: helping auctions reach their full potential
From 17 August, we’re rolling out Extended Bidding to help create fairer auctions and better outcomes for buyers and sellers. Extended bidding keeps the final moments of an auction open while bidding is active, creating a clear and confident close for both buyers and sellers.
How It Works
When a bid is placed during the final minute of an auction, the remaining time will reset to 60 seconds until all bidding stops. The auction continues until no more bids are placed during the final minute, giving everyone who's actively bidding the opportunity to respond.
Why are we making this change?
We are creating a level playing field that gives committed buyers a fair chance to place their best bid.
Keep competition alive: Auctions end based on bidding activity, not a rigid clock, so competition can finish naturally.
Stay in the action: When bidding heats up, buyers can respond instead of being outbid at the last second.
Confidence at the close: The final moments of an auction are clear, visible, and decisive, so buyers and sellers understand exactly what’s happening as the auction ends.
shire123
·1 week agoThere it is! Official confirmation that ebay is slowly rolling out extended bidding along all product lines. It may be awhile before it reaches the US but it is coming.
And I do agree with their rationale. Overall, it is fairer to all concerned. But I do know some people are going to be emphatically against the change and will threaten to stop bidding. I would say to them, give it a try. It's not as bad as it seems. Also, there now would be no place that I am aware of that is still using firm end times on auctions.
twyngwyn
·1 week agoAustralian announcement:
https://share.google/7ncdNWJ2paRO4wF0A
Looks like all categories, to me
mudshark61369
·1 week ago@alternaterealitees ,
The two categories that ebay is using for testing extended time auctions were pretty carefully chosen. While some vehicle auctions may get snipe bids, I doubt that many of them do. I've bought 3 vehicles from auctions on ebay, and the bidding wasn't exactly robust. and I do not remember any last minute bids coming in after mine.
As for trading card auctions, the ones I've looked at seem to get bids from a lot of people not used to bidding on ebay auctions, Most are nibble bids (one increment at a time) placed over and over, and the snipers win because they have more experience bidding on this site's auctions. Rarely do the snipers get out bid during the extension time because they place bids for the most they are willing to pay, unless another sniper bids during the extended time with a higher price.
I very much disagree with those that think extended soft closing time auctions should become the norm on ebay. Those auctions discourage people from bidding the most they are willing to pay. As some have mentioned before several large sites that used extended time auctions folded or switched to Buy It Now pricing, because people complained about bidder fatigue. Those sites couldn't get around the strangle hold that ebay's propriatary hard end time programming has on those auctions.
As a seller since `03, (different ID) 99% of my listings have been auctions and I've mostly been very pleased at the prices I've received for my items, which are vintage and some antique collectibles in a very few categories.
Yes an early high automatic bid can be placed and win, but the bidders placing them have to worry about nibblers and snipers. Just because one bids the most they are willing to pay, it doesn't mean that they would be unhappy winning the item for less.
kibble-net
·1 week agoOkay, so don't bid on auctions then, I guess? You do you!
shire123
·1 week agoYes. It hopefully will drive up prices. That is the whole purpose of ebay for sellers. Get the most you can from your listings.
Correct if I am wrong, but ebay is the last place that still uses the fixed ending for auctions.
susanvaldo
·1 week agoI see lots of sellers defending this since it will drive up the price. I definitely won't be bidding on anything.
roccotacodad54
·2 weeks agoMany of the items I buy on eBay are offered in an auction format.
I don'r snipe per se but put in my max bid late in the auction (to not show undue interest) and move on.
If others get suckered into bidding more than they should because of a soft ending than that's on them.
With my saved searches I have ample time to research and decide how much I'm willing to pay. No drama.................
tobaccocardyahoo
·2 weeks agoSniping was tolerable when most auctions actually were competitive. Many bidders relied on sniping and sometimes they won, and many times they lost.
Sniping in today's Ebay auctions has a magnified effect in lowering prices realized because people are not spending as much time on the site, and many buyers have no clue how high they need to bid to win.
Extending end times is a generally accepted remedy for depressed prices which are due to the absence of enough competition. A better solution is fixed price listings but many sellers have no clue what the value of what they own is.
bdmh-enterprises
·2 weeks agoWith static end times, the most expensive sniping software on the fastest internet connection will win EVERY SINGLE TIME. With extended bidding actual people have a chance to win.
Extended bidding also mirrors how live auctions work and like it or not live auctions ARE the future of buying and selling. If eBay made this for all auctions site wide it may actually make the format relevant again.
Seems like a win for all. I mean unless you're one of the people paying for sniping software...
gurlcat
·2 weeks ago · EditedI pay for a sniper bot and I'm sorry but you misunderstand how it works, or even what it's for. I lose auctions all the time, because the timing is only one factor. The only way you could guarantee a win with a sniping software is if you set your snipe bid higher than you think anybody would conceivably bid.
Sniping (manual or bot-placed) doesn't even 'maximize' your chance of winning, because you have no idea how high any previous bidder's proxy bid is. Sniping only minimizes how much it would take to win, if you can, up to the amount you're willing to pay.
bennotbill
·1 week ago@gurlcat "Sniping (manual or bot-placed) doesn't even 'maximize' your chance of winning, because you have no idea how high any previous bidder's proxy bid is."
I miss the days when things weren't so hidden on ebay. I used to check a competing bidders previous items they bought. So I knew with a fair degree of certainty just how high their bid would be.
alternaterealitees
OP2 weeks agoThe entire principle of bidding is at risk here, a time frame, a deadline, and luck of timing! this is what makes it worth it to bid for buyers! there is zero good in this for any buyer! the opinions of sellers on this matter are completely irrelevant! You are not selling stuff to be a nice person, you are doing it for profit, and if you are doing it to be nice you wouldn't support the greed in this destruction of bidding!
shire123
·2 weeks agoYour user name is pretty spot on. I think ebay might be the only auction site that is not using extended bidding. While there are definite benefits for the buyer now the way ebay does this, ebay is in the business of making money. Extended bidding will not destroy bidding but will actually result in greater income through higher prices realized.
The sites that do use extended bidding have not seen any "destruction of bidding". You may not participate anymore but plenty of other people will.
bonanza125
·2 weeks agoIt's zero good for buyers who are also resellers with the intent to make a profit off what they purchased at auction. Lets just be real here. As someone stated earlier Ebay is going to turn this into an event similar to what a live auction is like. How are the opinions of sellers on this matter completely irrelevant? Sellers are buyers as well. You are complaining about something which shocks nobody who has been dealing as a buyer or seller online regularly.
alternaterealitees
OP2 weeks agoresellers I consider lower and less qualified than a seller to comment on this issue
gurlcat
·2 weeks agoUhhh, what do you consider the difference between a "seller" and a "reseller"? Are sellers only people who somehow got their inventory for free?
monroe67
·2 weeks agoSo --- when I sold my deceased brother's collection of silver bullion American dollar coins, would you have considered me to be a "reseller" ??
Should I have buried all those coins along with him?
My selling ID also lists and sells some craft materials and kits that are donated to my club by families after their grandma or great-auntie passes. The money I raise helps my club's treasury. Do you consider that also to be "reselling" and therefore of "lower" status in your delicate and refined opinion ??
simba6
·2 weeks agoBack about fifteen years ago all the search engine companies had auctions. Most of them had that option. Often called " snipe shield " . They are all long gone now.
bonanza125
·2 weeks agoIt's just another way for Ebay and the seller to make extra money. Auction sniping has been a tactic used since day one and this basically gives bidders who would've lost out another chance. It will eventually get extended to other categories. Many auction snipers are dealers or folks trying to profit anyway.
soh.maryl
·2 weeks agoAnd many auction snipers are just ordinary folks who have found an item they really want to buy.
bennotbill
·1 week agoOr like myself they use a sniper when they are going out, or the items ending late at night.
kathiec
·2 weeks agoWell, I snipe, and I'm certainly not a dealer or a "folk trying to profit anyway". I would venture to guess most snipers aren't. And what's the magic distinction between sellers trying to make more money and those folks trying to profit anyway??
bonanza125
·2 weeks agoI deal in categories which have high dealer snipers so maybe you deal in categories which don't have the same. As far as your second question I was referring to dealers who have a store which would also include folks who profit from at home by listing stuff.
kathiec
·2 weeks agoNot being a total idiot, I knew what you were referring to. 🙄 My question was why is it okay for sellers to want to make more money but apparently not okay for those dealers to want to make more money?
gurlcat
·2 weeks ago@bonanza125 What makes you think "it will eventually get extended to other categories"? Do you have a link to eBay saying so, or are you assuming?
bonanza125
·2 weeks agoIf they are doing this for a test run in a couple categories it's most certain on Ebay's reps minds to extend it. There is no link it's my personal opinion.
gurlcat
·2 weeks agoI respectfully disagree. I think their application of it to only certain categories is more about the nature of those items' buyers than about being a 'test.'
shire123
·2 weeks agoSellers prefer extended bidding (they get the best possible price at the time) Auctioneers (ebay in this case) prefer extended bidding (their fees are based on final price which is generally higher with extended bidding). Even a live auction has a form of extended bidding with bidding continuing until all bidding has stopped. About the only place that has not yet implemented extended bidding is ebay.
I get your wish to not have extended bidding. But the implementation of extended bidding does not mean you won't still get good deals.
mudshark61369
·2 weeks ago@alternaterealitees ,
There are only two categories of listings on ebay that have extended time auctions. They are in Trading Cards and Vehicle auctions. If you bid on one in those categories in the last 1 minute the timer resets adding another 60 seconds. Extended auction time listings, are supposedly a test unfortunately, ebay doesn't post about the extended time Test on listings, in the place bid info or on a bid history page, or add a Tell Us What You Think button.
soh.maryl
·2 weeks agoHad no idea, maybe because those are categories that I've never shopped in and probably will never ever shop in.
gurlcat
·2 weeks agoSame here.
gurlcat
·2 weeks ago@mudshark61369 THANK YOU so much for explaining that! I sell mostly by auction format, and this post just about gave me a heart attack because I thought eBay just sprung a platform-wide change on us today!
shire123
·1 week agoHere's what I predict will happen with extended bidding on ebay. Ebay has tested it in several categories. They will evaluate whether the extended bidding increases revenue. If it does then ebay will move extended bidding to all auctions. If it doesn't then they won't.
User complaints will most likely fall on deaf years. Any revenue increase will easily outweigh any complaints.
shire123
·2 weeks agoI do lots of internet auction bidding on various sites. ALL have extended bidding where any bids in the last minute extend the auction for another minute. I see no problems with it.
I think your only issue is that extended bidding allows others who want the item more to outbid you without having to potentially pay more.
soh.maryl
·2 weeks agoAre you saying that eBay now has "extended bidding"? When did that happen?
shire123
·2 weeks agoI mostly don't bid on ebay auctions but I have seen mention that they are slowly rolling out the extended bidding feature. Not sure to what extent that has been implemented.
From ebay's standpoint it would potentially lead to more income from fees as prices realized might be higher.
alternaterealitees
OP2 weeks agoits a test mostly auto boats from what i see. it will make ebay bidding useless!
alternaterealitees
OP2 weeks agoexactly! so ill never bid on those items!
shire123
·2 weeks agoYou are absolutely right that it will change how things are now. But extended bidding is the future. All it is going to do is eliminate those last second bids that are placed in hopes that they can get a good bargain.
With all the auction sites that do use extended bidding I still get lots of bargains.
albertabrightalberta
·2 weeks ago@alternaterealitees
That's your choice and you are welcome to never bid on extended time auctions.
But other buyers who like them (or don't mind them) can choose to bid.
To each his own.
susanvaldo
·1 week agoThey don't want to admit it but sales will go down. :)
alternaterealitees
OP2 weeks agoOf course you see no problem you are selling! sellers opinions on this are moot!
shire123
·2 weeks agoWhile I pretty much only sell on this site, I have to use extended bidding on the auction sites where I source my items. Just last night (7/31) I won 29 lots. Potentially I got 2 really, really good bargains. One item I got for $450 that consistently sells for $900 on ebay. And another item I got for $150 that consistently brings over $500 on ebay.
So as a BUYER I do not see an issue with it.
annadryl
·2 weeks ago · EditedWhat seller would want a buyer who assumes that sellers' opinions and considerations are moot? Is your dollar better than a buyer that actually considers and appreciates good sellers any better?
And on something as petty as a short extension on auction end time? Like it's 2005?
Thanks for posting!
kathiec
·2 weeks agoAnd what seller would want a seller who assumes that buyers' opinions and considerations are moot? Yet that's what I'm seeing in most of the posts here. And I hardly think extended bidding has anything to do with whether a seller is good.
albertabrightalberta
·2 weeks agoPersonally, as a buyer, I want to do business with good sellers and as a seller, I want good buyers.
isn't that what we all hope for?
susanvaldo
·1 week agoThat's all you'll get here is sellers attacking buyers. It's not a forum for buyers. Reddit is better for that and even has fair minded sellers who don't automatically think the buyer is wrong.
shire123
·1 week agoI am not seeing sellers attacking buyers. I am seeing sellers disagreeing with some buyers.
I absolutely see why some buyers don’t want extended bidding. I just don’t have a problem with it. On other sites I have used it quite successfully as a buyer
If you state you won’t bid anymore if extended bidding is implemented, I think you greatly overestimate your importance
grann-4629
·2 weeks agoWhat happens when a bid is made during that extra minute? Does that create another extra minute? If so, the auction may never end which is bad for buyers and sellers.
gurlcat
·2 weeks agoYes, an auction could theoretically go on and on indefinitely, just like at a live auction, while the auctioneer is saying "Going, going...." and someone raises their hand.
grann-4629
·2 weeks agoDo they provide a place to sleep at live auctions, just in case?
gurlcat
·2 weeks ago · EditedNo, and unless you're at a fancy-schmancy one like Sotheby's, or maybe an arena style one like a livestock auction, you are STANDING the whole time. My grandparents were estate auctioneers and did the auctions on-site (with portable tables, bull horns, cash register, etc.). And they were almost always outdoors, with everyone standing.
grann-4629
·2 weeks agoGreat story ... again. I bet your grandparents were in the best physical shape when they this ... lots of standing, lots of talking and lots of sun ... could not be better.
My legs used to ache after spending 2 hours lecturing a group of university kids.
shire123
·2 weeks agoTheoretically. But it never actually happens . As prices get higher fewer and fewer people are going to bid. I source many of my items off of auction sites that use extended bidding and I have been doing this for years. I think the longest an auction item went on was for 10 minutes because of a bidding war between two people. Most only extend for 5 minutes or less.
soh.maryl
·2 weeks agoWhat "extended bidding"?
grann-4629
·2 weeks agoIt's a feature that makes the closing time on an auction useless information. It's like 'going, going, sold ... wait ... another bid might come in ...'
shire123
·2 weeks agoNot useless but less useful
grann-4629
·2 weeks agoIf an auction is scheduled to end at 10:00 as shown in the seller's listing, but is extended to 10:01, then the info in the listing is absolutely meaningless - it has no use at all.
shire123
·2 weeks agoBut if you know that extended bidding is in place then you know that if you wish to participate you need to be online at least by 0959 and potentially need to spend some time on the auction.
So somewhat useful.
grann-4629
·2 weeks agoOkay ... I agree with that for last minute bidders. I usually place my best bid when I come across something I want, sometimes several days before the listed 'closing time', so extended bidding time doesn't affect me.
I wonder how those automatic last second bidding apps works with extended end times ...
powell-collectibles
·2 weeks ago100% correct - the “going, going, wait” is a good encapsulation of extended bidding. Sellers with any reasonable amount of experience on eBay have been wondering if this will one day be implemented (other than the limited approach eBay currently has).
I’m not a big fan. I have bought plenty of things this way, but if I’m not able or don’t want to “attend” an auction, I’d usually refrain from entering a serious bid. On a dedicated auction site and a true auction event, I don’t mind attending if there are gobs of items of interest.
grann-4629
·1 week agoI have never been to a live auction ... never felt the need for a tractor, or a part for an old combine. I would like to attend an auction where militaria is for sale just to look at stuff but we never have those types of auctions near me.