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Protecting name

I would like to bid without other bidders knowing who  I am.  I have seen several auctions where people do this, but I can't seem to find out how!

 

Thanks in advance

Kate 

williegrl

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Protecting name

eBay hides your eBay name automatically.  Everyone (except you and the seller)  see a masked name in a format of <a letter> *** <a letter>.  So whiile you and the seller see your eBay name "williegirl",  everyone else sees a masked ID like r***k.

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Protecting name

ALL bidders' IDs are disguised in some fashion in the same way as the others are in that listing (usually an a***b alias, sometimes "Private listing--bidders' identities protected" or a translation of that phrase where the seller chose to make the listing a "Private" one).

You see your own ID for the same reason you see your own face in a mirror: YOU are the one looking. Only the seller and that particular bidder/buyer (and I assume at least some eBay employees in at least some circumstances) can see the actual ID. Log out and navigate back to an uncached display of that page and you see what others see.

Note also that if you have a hidden maximum ONLY YOU can see the amount under the bid box as "Enter more than $[your hidden maximum]" since your next bid must be at least 1 cent higher than your previous bid as well as at least one bid increment over the displayed "current bid" like everyone else (or you if your maximum bid is less than an increment over the current bid or if you are logged out) who see "Enter $[current bid plus 1 increment] or more" (note slight difference in phrasing).

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Protecting name

Thank you so much for your help.  NOW I understand I am fretting about nothing!

 

Williegrl

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Protecting name

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond.  Your answer was so helpful!  

Have a great weekend!

 

williegrl

You are a RockStar!

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