Why is my bid not showing?

[neilinbutler]

Why didn't my outbidding of an item increase the current bid?  The listing still shows as current bid as the one I just beat. 

[eburtonlab]

What is the item number?

[house*of*paws]

Hi @neilinbutler 

IF you are the only bidder ... AND the auction has no Reserve ... then your bid won't show an increase until another person places a bid.  That is because eBay doesn't let bidders bid against themselves.

Your increasing bids are being registered ... but you will win at the Starting Bid if you remain the only bidder.

[neilinbutler]

It doesn't make any sense to me, but it tells me that I'm the highest so I guess it's ok. I doubt someone would bid against themself, but regardless it seems appropriate to display the true highest bid is at the moment. 

Appreciate the reply !

[neilinbutler]

295548720262

[eburtonlab]

At the moment you appear to be the high bidder. The amount of the current bid is one bid increment above the second highest bidder's high bid.

If no one else bids you will win at that amount.

If someone else bids below your maximum bid amount, your bid will rise to be one bid increment above the other bid up to your maximum. If someone bids the same amount, your earlier bid will be considered the winner, and you will pay your maximum amount. If someone bids above your maximum, that bidder becomes the high bidder and pays up to one increment above your maximum bid.

[woodland_gnome]

Because eBay hides the full amount of any bid of the high bidder that exceeds the calculated price ("current bid" while the auction is running, which is what the price would be if there is no further activity before the end) and substitutes that calculated price instead.   Your maximum bid is SHOWING as 1 bid increment of $.50 at that level over the $8.00 bid of the next highest bidder.   You can see your hidden max (if it is $9.00 or more) under the bid box on the Listing Page for the item on the full website as the minimum you would have to enter to place a new bid ("Enter more than $[your maximum bid]"); other users (or you if your maximum bid is from $8.50 to $8.99) would see "Enter $9.00 or more" note subtle difference in phrasing.

But back after you you beat the $4.00 bid because it tied with your earlier $4.00 bid (remember 12:21 is earlier than 5:49 on the 12 hour clock) your new bid continued to show the $4.00 amount rather than $4.25 (1 increment at that level over the $4.00 later tie that you beat) because of a class action lawsuit settlement in 2011 by bidders who had it raised and then nobody else bid; eBay now uses the lowest bid of the highest bidder that by itself will beat the underbidder's maximum to calculate the price and ignores the higher bids until they are needed to beat a new underbid  (or set the price for a new overbid), in this case when the other bidder later bid $6.00 your price went up to $6.50 and then when s/he tried again at $8.00 it went up to $8.50 (where it is now).  Click to "Show automatic bids" to see those incremental increases (though that is a very imperfect tool as it shows the $4.25 "automatic bid" that never existed since eBay ignored your higher bid until the $6.00 bid was placed).   Sorry, mixed you up with the bidder who placed the earlier $4.00 bid because the ID aliases were similar.  When you placed your one and only bid on that auction (for at least $8.50--see first paragraph last sentence to see how much it really is for) the price increased to $4.25, and then the 9***_ bidder rebid $6.00 and then $8.00 which raised the price and your SHOWING "current bid" to $6.50 and then $8.50.