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Discussions => General Discussion => Topic started by: Barry J on October 20, 2010, 08:30:00 AM

Title: E Bay - Is there something I should know ??
Post by: Barry J on October 20, 2010, 08:30:00 AM
I've noticed when bidding on Ebay recently, that a bidder who was bidding against me, was an "unidentified private bidder".
Where it listed the bids, it would only say this, whereas it normally gives some form of identification so at least you can see how many bidders are involved (rather than it being the same one). What does this term mean ??

I got pipped at the post at one second before the close.

Is it possible for bidders to post some sort of pre-placed timed offer on Ebay ? otherwise they must have been very good with their timing !!!!
Title: Re: E Bay - Is there something I should know ??
Post by: Lester on October 20, 2010, 08:41:53 AM
Whoever beat you was either, as you say good/lucky, or more likely using some sniping software which bids for you at the last moment. Google will help you out if you want to know more.
Title: Re: E Bay - Is there something I should know ??
Post by: Marje on October 20, 2010, 08:47:45 AM
When you place an item for auction on eBay, you (the seller) have the option of allowing bidders to keep their identity secret from other bidders. I don't really know why this matters and I never bother with it.

There is some sort of automated bot or something you can use to place an automatic bid in the final seconds. I once saw a link to it on the Moneysaving Expert website, although I've never used it myself. And some people just do this in person by watching during the final minutes of the auction. It cuts down the risk, to the buyer, of pushing the price up higher by declaring your interest early and thus inviting others to outbid you, but (unless you're doing it via an automatic system) it increases the risk of your forgetting all about it and missing the sale.
Title: Re: E Bay - Is there something I should know ??
Post by: Clive Williams on October 20, 2010, 09:35:48 AM
See www.justsnipe.com ; a free service unless you do a lot of sniping.
Title: Re: E Bay - Is there something I should know ??
Post by: HallelujahAl on October 20, 2010, 11:15:46 AM
Also see www.auctionsniper.com - free at first and cheap as chips later on. I used to use it a lot - but have become rather disenamoured with eBay in recent months. So these days try and use eBay as little as possible. A really good place to get a good box is this place - the buy/sell page is free.
Title: Re: E Bay - Is there something I should know ??
Post by: TomB-R on October 20, 2010, 02:17:58 PM
There's nothing faster than an outbid from a previous placed higher bid!

My preference these days is to decide what I'd be happy to pay, place that bid in the last 24 hours, but not watch near the end.

Can be worth a low but not ridiculous "holding bid" at the start to encourage the seller and make it a bit harder for them to accept an offer to buy off-Ebay.

When selling I'm not too sure what that identity secret option is about.
Title: Re: E Bay - Is there something I should know ??
Post by: NeilA on October 20, 2010, 06:07:21 PM
The seller can make all bidders id's private as a preference  but I think you still see your own as normal. It is a setting that IMO is open to abuse as there is no way to get an idea if someone is shill bidding (seller pushing the price up by bidding on their own item). Sometimes it is possible to notice shill bidding from the bidders id or get a clue that may raise your suspicions.

It can be a murky ebay out there - buyer beware.
Title: Re: E Bay - Is there something I should know ??
Post by: Andrew Culwell on October 20, 2010, 06:26:26 PM
Like Tom I prefer to estimate what I feel comfortable paying then sometimes if I really want the item I up that bid by about 10% as a maximum bid.  Otherwise if I'm sitting there at auction end clicking my mouse like mad I can go way more than I wanted to in the heat of battle!  Buyer remorse can be rough.
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