# Ebay Buy it Now: I thought that option went away after a bid? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 10, 2011, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buy-it-now-i-thought-that-option-went-away-after-a-bid/574142 "2011-03-10T06:10:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buy-it-now-i-thought-that-option-went-away-after-a-bid/574142/1 "2011-03-10T06:10:50Z")
What’s changed? Sometimes I see or post auctions that have a buyitnow and the buyitnow option disappears after a bid…on others it remains. What gives? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buy-it-now-i-thought-that-option-went-away-after-a-bid/574142/2 "2011-03-10T06:13:18Z")
[Buying with the Buy It Now option](http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/how-buy-bin.html) > [@eBay](#): > > These are the types of listings that can have a Buy It Now price: > > Auction-style listings with a Buy It Now option: You can choose to place a bid and compete in the auction or use Buy It Now to purchase the item immediately. **For some listings the Buy It Now option is only available until the first bid is placed.** The Buy It Now price is at least 10% higher than the starting auction price. For eBay Motors, this applies to Parts & Accessories, but not to vehicle listings. > > Reserve price auctions with a Buy It Now option: The Buy It Now option is shown until the reserve price is met. This means that when you see that an item has both a Buy It Now price and one or more bids, you’ll need to act quickly. > > Buy It Now price only (no bidding): You can purchase the item right away at the Buy It Now price. > > Listings with variations: Some listings have variations to choose from, such as T-shirts that come in various sizes or colors. Specify the variations and quantity you want before you click the Buy It Now button. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buy-it-now-i-thought-that-option-went-away-after-a-bid/574142/3 "2011-03-10T08:54:40Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > [Buying with the Buy It Now option](http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/how-buy-bin.html) Is there any way to know which is which? That seems rather strange… ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buy-it-now-i-thought-that-option-went-away-after-a-bid/574142/4 "2011-03-10T13:29:30Z")
I’ve seen that on auctions where there are more than one of the same item for sale and you’re just bidding for one. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buy-it-now-i-thought-that-option-went-away-after-a-bid/574142/5 "2011-03-11T19:51:01Z")
Might it also apply to items with a reserve (i.e. minimum price that’s higher than the starting price)? Or is that possible with Buy It Now?