Bid retractions on auctions

[12345jamesstamps]

Hello,

I like bidding on items in auctions and I usually look at the other bidders ID...their "feedback number" and so on to get an idea of who I am up against.

But when I see a bidder with 24 bid retractions in a month and 164 bid retractions in a year...I don't know what to make of it. I decided to stop bidding on an item this bidder is bidding on due to this until maybe the auction is under 24 hours. Sure enough, still 2 days to go on this auction and this bidder has done 2 bid retractions thus far on the item I might continue to bid on. I understand the seller does get these bid retractions on his auctions.

Should I continue to bid on such an auction or just move on and no longer bid on it?

[simba6]

Bidders are only allowed to retract for a very few reasons. However, lies work just as well.  It's best to wait until just before an auction ends to bid.  You might want to look into a snipe service to place your bids too.

Bidding late also keeps others from "nibbling" at your bid too.

[coolections]

Just bid the max you are wiling to pay and do not worry about others and their actions.

[fashunu4eeuh]

“Should I continue to bid on such an auction or just move on and no longer bid on it?”

What other bidders are doing doesn’t have much impact on your bids. If you want the item, put in your best bid. 

[dbfolks166mt · Accepted solution]

     Sounds like a sport bidder or possibly a shill bidder the later being a eBay policy violation. Even if this clown were to win the item there is a good probability they would not pay. As for continuing to bid that is up to you and should be based on the uniqueness of the item, how badly you want it and what your maximum limit is. 

     Personally I would look elsewhere, not only on eBay but other sites, along with notifying the seller of what was happening in case they wish to do something about it. That is if they are not in league with the bidder playing the games. 

[genv]

As a Seller, I am upset w/ Bid Retractors.

I feel decent people may be 'turned off' by the 'activity'.

Nothing I can do as there's no 'Report' Button that means anything.

I just cross my fingers.

I no longer 'get excited' if an Auction gets lots of Bids.

Meaningless until paid/shipped/Feedback left.

Hope the winner is a good person who pays & loves the item.

[cardxcraft]

Bid retractions undermine the auction and leads to suspicions of the seller.  If this were done at an auction house, the bidder would be kicking rocks.

I tried auctions several times, and each time it was a complete disaster.  I accept that auctions are not my thing.  

Short of not using the Ebay auction feature, there's not much you can do to shield yourself from bid retractions and sport bidders.