Outbid with 3 seconds to go.

[StarHalo]

Last week I needed a pair of rear wheels for my Toro lawnmower.

too many morons you are better off going through the ads in the newspaper.

If only there were a store that had everything from A to Z..

 

[Jbones]

All the time ! What gets me too is when you're selling something, nobody touches it until there's 5 minutes left of bidding to do, you'll have 20 people watching your item them last minute it's war

 

[Chauncey Gardiner]

If only there were a store that had everything from A to Z..

Snort! I shop there too. :thumbsup:

~ Chance

 

[Chauncey Gardiner]

:welcome: Jbones.

~ Chance

 

[gotothelight]

I saw a new Surefire UB3T Invictus for $175 on eBay with a day remaining. I set an alarm on my iPhone 10 mins prior to the auction's end. It was still at $175 a day later. I put in a $200 bid with 5 seconds to go, and got it for $177.50 because no one else bid against me. I didn't think I would win, but you do get lucky sometimes.

 

[Jbones]

:welcome: Jbones. Please be mindful we're a family friendly forum.

~ Chance

Sorry ! Edited

 

[1pt21]

Same story here as many others... Happens (happened) to me all the time. Since the MP is back to a usable state for me (thank god) when I use ebay I immediately click the boxes to the left for "Buy It Now Only" and "US Only".

Can't deal with that blood pressure spike LOL.

I had NO IDEA that people used software designed to snipe auctions, makes a lot more sense now from the times I was convinced that I had won an auction only to see an outbid notice

So now ebay is basically used by me for those time that I want something from Amazon, but don't have prime and can get the same item with free shipping from ebay for the same price.


Long live CPF MP!!!!!

 

[Dave Dunn]

Been awhile since I bid on the 'bay. But I THINK your bid is what you pay.

Nope,the bidding goes up in certain increments,20c,50c,dollars depending on the item,the amount you bid is the most you'll pay,but ebay shows youe bid as 1 increment above the next highest bid,and that's what you'll pay if no-one betters your highest amount. So you can bid $10 where the highest bid showing is $5 and ebay will then show your bid as being $5.50 perhaps,so the next person to bid enters $6 and a window comes up to say "your bid wasn't accepted because it is the same as someone else's maximum bid" with a box to type their bid into,but also buttons with 'bid $7,'bid $8',bid $9',the person hits the 'bid $7' button,the window refreshes only the far left button is now 'bid $8',far right button 'bid $10",they hit 'bid $8',the window refreshes,the far left is now 'bid $9',this will go on until the person hits 'bid $11'. During this time,the bids are showing as $6.50,$7.50 and so on. If the person gives up at $8 and no one else bids against you you will get the item for $8.50,not the $10 you initially bid. Chances are though if $10 is a good price for the item someone will bid $11 in the last few seconds and get the item for $10.50.
Because of this system most of the bidding happens in the final 20 seconds or so.
Adopting the philosophy 'if you cant beat them join them' or 'when in Rome do as the Romans do' perhaps I've learnt to use the following strategy. Search for auctions with the items you want where the bid is lower than what you want to pay and bid in the minimum increments until you are the highest bidder,if the item is newly listed this may be a $2 bid on an item with a buy now price of $30 - $50 depending on the starting bid set by the seller,then leave it be until the final minutes. You then have the choice of bidding in minimum increments and feeling out where the highest bid is,risking alerting another bidder that they have competition,or take the risk of running out of time finding out and being beaten by 50c or $1 before you better the highest bidders maximum bid. If you decide you wont go over $10 and bid $10 in the last minute because the current highest bid is $7,in the last few seconds the bid will likely jump to $10.50 because someone hit 'bid $11' with 3 seconds to go and you wont have time to respond so you'll lose the item for the sake of 50c or $1. You could put a max bid of $15 in the last 30 seconds or so hoping to pay $10.50 or $11 and get the item but you run the risk of someone trying to beat you in the last few seconds and driving the bid up to $14.50 (which you didnt really want to pay) or them getting the item for $15.50. It's all about timing really,if you tip your hand too early you'll drive the price up,too late and you'll be beaten by 50 cents. It's up to you to decide how badly you want the item,how much you want to pay,and when you'll walk away. If it's a one off item from a private seller it's hard to be firm,but with items offered from professional online sellers it's easier,chances are the same item will be up for auction again,often there are multiple auctions for the same item running simultaneously. Commonly the seller will offer the same item again once the current auction finishes. You need to research though,find out what the sellers 'buy now' price is,they'll have the same item listed in their 'store' then do a search for that item and see what the average price is,if the sellers 'buy now' is significantly lower than average then the item may be poor quality not worth bidding on,if its at the high end of the range it's probably good quality or a genuine product. Then decide the highest price you think you want to pay based on the average sell price,how common the item is and how badly you want the item.
I partake in lots of ebay auctions and I've saved lots of money on items I was going to buy anyway,but most times I walk away if I cant get it for half or at least two thirds of the 'buy now' prices,I'll just wait for the next auction. Many times I see people paying more than the average buy now price because they cant walk away,me I'll just bid on the same item in an auction that closes in 4 or 5 days and start again. Often I search the item showing only auction listings and bid in all that are offered,providing the bidding isn't already over what I'd like to pay. As a for instance,I want led light globes for the house,the 'buy now' is between $2 and $6 depending on type,so this morning I bid on around 15 to 20 listings bidding 50 cents or $1,most of them I'll walk away from once the bidding goes over half their buy now price,but I bet I get 5 or more at around half price if I keep bidding on listings. *an up to date example* i've been waiting 4 days for a solar light auction to end,just rubbish really but i want to check them out,they list at about $6,all week my highest bid of $3.25 stood,10 mins to go and it's jumped to $4.35,now I wont bid,I'll just watch someone pay $7 or $8 for it because they got carried away,I'll find another to bid on and wait and eventually get one for under $4. These examples are just small change I know,I wont have much in the bank til Friday,but then it may be aiming to get a $60 item for under $40,and why not pay $1 for a $2 item if you can?

Sorry! I got carried away explaining! You should see my answers on questions involving fish!!!

Also,I missed lots of the convo while typing,I've been going about my daily business and typing when I sit down for a few mins

 

[Lynx_Arc]

Personally I rarely do auctions on ebay myself, instead I search more thoroughly for items in that people may have typos or errors in their listings and when I do get a decent key phrase the turns up most of the listings I save it to a folder in my browser bookmarks and then visit that listing often watching as new items turn up. Often you will get dealers that will have a price war and the item will drop to about 60% of "normal" and even individuals that will turn to Amazon and get their price without shipping and list the same item on ebay with free shipping not thinking. It takes sometime 6 months to a year waiting but if you have enough items you are looking for sooner or later you will find a bargain. What irritates me more often is when people list things on ebay and relist them for the same price a dozen times month after month never selling the item at all I guess it doesn't cost them anything to keep relisting it so they don't have to reduce their price to compete with others selling the same items.

 

[bykfixer]

Finally won a couple without last mili-second snatch n grab.

I got the crap beat out of me on a bunch of Tom Thumb lights duing the last few days. In each case the winner paid way too much.
I found an obscure auction that included a genuine Tom Thumb and a real hard to find Rayovac Sportsman Jr. It was listed as a chinese made 555 light and others. Opening bid was half what folks had stolen all those other Tom Thumb copies for. I was the only bidder too.
Included is a black Air Force Fulton as well.
Nice.

Also scored a non popular minty Terra light with metal flake midnight blue body for less than a McDonalds meal. It's going to be a hotwire. Already in stock are gentle 18650's, plastic tubing for adapting to the body and some 1855 bulbs.

So my last auctions ended up winners. It was fun, but those folks can have it.

 

[recDNA]

I don't think I've ever won an auction and I buy a lot on ebay. I try to stick to buy it now or make an offer sales. Even then I've never had a make an offer accepted and I only deduct 10%

 

[peter yetman]

Finally won a couple without last mili-second snatch n grab.

I got the crap beat out of me on a bunch of Tom Thumb lights duing the last few days. In each case the winner paid way too much.
I found an obscure auction that included a genuine Tom Thumb and a real hard to find Rayovac Sportsman Jr. It was listed as a chinese made 555 light and others. Opening bid was half what folks had stolen all those other Tom Thumb copies for. I was the only bidder too.
Included is a black Air Force Fulton as well.
Nice.

Also scored a non popular minty Terra light with metal flake midnight blue body for less than a McDonalds meal. It's going to be a hotwire. Already in stock are gentle 18650's, plastic tubing for adapting to the body and some 1855 bulbs.

So my last auctions ended up winners. It was fun, but those folks can have it.

Godd on you. There's definite knack to it.
I like buying obscure things that no-one realises the value of, then you can get bargains.
Got a high shear mixer worth about 2000 pounds for 150, YAY!.
P

 

[bykfixer]

Going out with a win was cool.

I'm in one more for some Gibralter light bulbs (S filament type) that ends later this week. After that it'll be rare if ever I enter e- auctions anymore.
I bid opening amount. If somebody bumps it, good on them. I have another source but only for a couple.
This is a box of 10 and I want the box at least as much as the bulbs.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Ugh! I was watching a nice little light on the bay since Thursday. I placed a bid, op out bid me.
Fair enough I figure.
I bid until I was the highest.
And placed a max bid that if op surpassed for this non working light, so be it.

So I'm watching the clock wind down until "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, YOU'VE BEEN OUTBID"
Are you kidding me?

I'm new to the auction thing and have passed up a bunch of nice items that somebody else seemingly wanted more. Gentleman thing and all.

Ironically the item 'stolen' at the last second was a jewel thief light.
Hey op.... I have a nicer (working) one on the way for less than half what you paid to steal it from me. lol.

Anybody else been outbid with seconds left?

I always manually snipe at the last second. If it's something I like and whose ending I can be around for, I prefer not to telegraph my interest and get other involved more quickly.

I've lost some in the last seconds, but I've won many more right at the end.

Chris

 

[bykfixer]

Well I chuckle at the folks who snipe me due to the price they have to pay to snatch it.

 

[MX421]

The other thing to do if you want to win is to add a few cents to the bid. If you want to win, always bid a few cents more than the next dollar. You'd be amazed at how many auctions I have won by literally pennies.

+1 Not only that, but you can eliminate the Ebay standard increment added if you set up your (multiple) bids right. I usually have quite a few windows focussed around the prices i think the other bidders bid. Like most on here, i wait until the last seconds, making sure my clock is in sync a few minutes before while setting my windows up for the last rush. I set my limits (based on what i know or have researched) and if they go over that, then they can have it!

Glad you won a few. Use the force Luke (another Bible book BTW) and bid at the last minute...

 

[aris1234]

eBay is fine for bargains - and even hard-to-find items. What puzzles me is that quite often sellers on ebay are cheaper there than on their own websites - particularly when you take shipping costs into account. How does that work? :shakehead

When bidding on an auction, i always snipe. I don't particularly like it - but that is now the eBay game is played. There are various sniping websites out there which will do it for a fee. I use a free one called goofbid. Seems to work fine. I don't always win, but the rule with sniping is that you snipe with your absolute maximum price. If you were outbid - well that was your maximum price, so no crying afterwards.

Personally, i'd like to see an option which would extend bidding by 15 minutes if the auction has less than 15 minutes to go. I don't think eBay will do that though as the excitement of a bargain is what brings people back. Bit like gambling does.

 

[Jbones]

:welcome: Jbones.

~ Chance

Cheers brother !

 

[eraursls1984]

Personally, i'd like to see an option which would extend bidding by 15 minutes if the auction has less than 15 minutes to go. I don't think eBay will do that though as the excitement of a bargain is what brings people back. Bit like gambling does.

I think they should at least have the option for this type of auction. They could have the choice of 0, 2, 5, or 15 minute extention on bids within the last bit of the auction.

 

[jon_slider]

Let me try and explain the benefits of esnipe
1. it is very inexpensive (you pay 1% fee only if you win)
2. you can cancel your bid any time before the last 5 minutes, at no cost
3. you can place your bid days before the end, without anyone seeing it and bumping you up
4. you dont have to watch the auction, unless you find it entertaining

and the reality is, anyone can outbid you if their max bid is higher than yours, even if its a snipe bid

so, the only difference between esnipe and an ebay bid, is that you dont have to sit there getting caught up bidding just one more time, after another, when someone sees your bid and bumps you up

ebay and esnipe both still increment your bid up to your max.. anyone with a higher max, wins

watching the bids can be entertaining, Ive seen knives that were bid up to $100 before the snipe period, and then the knife sells for $250

why be jealous? Its just stuff.. if you want it more than the next guy is willing to pay, you win
why be derisive and criticize them for paying too much?
for that matter, why be proud when you steal something for less than you know its worth

none of these values have any inherent meaning, its just people wanting stuff, and throwing money at it..

auctions often finish higher than identical items that could be had on a Buy it Now

personally, if its not a buy it now, its just an auction.. its not rigged, its just whoever has the highest max bid wins..

you can beat a sniper if your max bid is higher

the days of bidding by hand and watching the auction over and over, are long gone for me.. I use Buy it Now and spare myself the aggravation

the days of waking up early to watch an auction end, thats over too

just place your max bid, and walk away

if you were willing to pay more, you win.. but if youre sitting there thinking youre gonna steal an item because youre the first, only, or latest bidder, well, there are other people who may have a stronger desire for the object than you, and by the end of the auction you will know.

There are people who absolutely will NOT place an open bid on Ebay. If they really want the item, they do not show their hand for others to compete with.

good luck