posted on April 26, 2001 10:31:56 AM new
UURGGH! Doing a slow burn . . .
I had an item bookmarked for days . . . preferring to bid close to the end as I sometimes attract "shadows" on my bidder's list and of course preferring not to drive up the price (I always seem to get outbid when I place my bids early) . . . .
TWO HOURS before the auction end, the seller revises the auction to include a Buy It Now price -- a price, by the way, not half what I would have paid for the item. Of course it was snapped up immediately!
I suppose some could say "well, place your bid early," but that's not my point. MANY bidders wait until the end. Why would a seller get that impatient that s/he couldn't wait 2 hours longer?
On a slightly different note, I cannot tell you how many steals & deals I've found through the Buy It Now option myself -- amazing how many sellers undervalue their stuff!
posted on April 26, 2001 11:03:12 AM new
You failed to indicate how high the BIN was compared to opening. Someone may wanted the item and offer the seller the BIN. The seller, being honorable, decide to give ebay their fees and went thru a BIN. The seller, seeing no interest in the item, may have decided to accept the BIN rather than having it sell for the opening.
Here's a tip - have an ebay id which you never plan to win an item with and place a bid equal to the start bid. Of course, only do this with items having no bids and where the start bid is well below what you want to pay for the item. This will prevent sellers from closing early or modifying the description.
When close to auction end, snipe with you real id. If no one else bid, you would have pay an increment more than what you should have. However, you prevent shadows and losing an item as you did.
posted on April 26, 2001 11:11:38 AM new
Commentary: is that Ebay-kosher to bid on an item under 2 different IDs? (I'm asking because I don't know. I'm not commenting on your suggestion.)
posted on April 26, 2001 11:21:16 AM new
That's a great idea, Commentary! I never thought to do that before but this is the first time something like this has ever happened to me.
posted on April 26, 2001 03:17:21 PM new
misscandle
Sure, okay to have multiple ids since you are just raising your own bid on an auction that is not yours or affiliated to you in any way.
It is illegal to do so with the intention of withdrawing a high bid so that you artificially raise the bidding and prevent others from bidding. In this case, you are trying to cheat the seller.
If you are competing in a small space where everyone knows who their competition is, one must use certain tactics to avoid being track. Otherwise, you will lose a lot of lots to buyers bookmarking your bids.
Lisa - I once had a situation somewhat as bad as yours. It was a lot I was viewing at around 3 am eastern time. The seller just put it up with a BIN. It was attractively price even with the BIN. As I was putting in my bid to buy it at the BIN, someone else puts in a bid before me. At three in the morning!!! Of course, the other person decide to be a cheapskate, wanted to steal the lot and not do the BIN. I knew he would never win the lot.
Anyway, I watch the lot go well above the BIN as well as my limit on the lot. I never got the lot. And to top it off, the first bidder eventually submitted a bid much higher than the BIN and still did not win the lot. I guess there is some justice there.
posted on April 26, 2001 07:55:00 PM new
I have searched and searched and I can find not one drop of sympathy. I believe the last minute sniping is gradually eroding the spirit of an on-line auction (now weasel 2 id tactics). I am tired of putting up items at a fraction of what they cost and waiting in agony for 7-10 days for any interest. So I have a choice: Pull auctions (which I won't do just because an item has no bids) or set my opening bid to include a profit, in effect turning it into a storefront rather than an auction. I don't mind taking a risk that someone will get something for less than what I paid for it and don't think bidders should wait till the last minute because they might get out bid.
God, I feel so much better now.
posted on April 26, 2001 11:41:09 PM new
No cassiescloset, the moral of MY story is -- if I want it, I dont' bid until as late in the game as possible. Experience has taught me that bidding early seems to cut my chances of actually getting the item. Duh. I really don't give a rip about the sanctimonious preaching about how I "should" bid.
Another moral is -- and I'm a seller here too -- thank God for bids that come in at the end. I've done quite well by my buyers, regardless of their bidding habits. I personally would never do anything so stupid as to end an auction two hours before it's scheduled to close.
