# Ebay Question re: Buy It Now **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 11, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-re-buy-it-now/612520 "2012-02-11T14:48:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![usar\_jag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f0a364/32.png) [@usar\_jag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usar_jag)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-re-buy-it-now/612520/1 "2012-02-11T14:48:16Z")
I am currently bidding on an item. I am the current high bidder at $52. I have put a maximum bid of $110. The item also has a Buy In Now price of $100. My question is if someone chooses the Buy It Now option, will that negate my higher auction bid? I can’t find an answer on Ebay, but I’m guessing that it will trump the bids placed on auction. Can anyone confirm my suspicions? (This item is not a “must have” for me. I would prefer to buy it under the Buy It Now price.) ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-re-buy-it-now/612520/2 "2012-02-11T15:04:01Z")
Yup. They buy it now at the listed price. Auction ends. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-re-buy-it-now/612520/3 "2012-02-11T15:12:44Z")
If there are multiples of the same item listed, I will often put in my maximum bid as 1¢ under the BIN price. That way, if there isn’t much bidding going on, I can get the item for a better price. It never makes any kind of sense to bid more than the BIN price. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-re-buy-it-now/612520/4 "2012-02-11T16:41:49Z")
I am currently selling a (for me) big-ticket item for a friend with a reserve of $1500 and a BIN of $2000. He called yesterday morning (the auction ends Monday) to ask if we’d set the BIN too low, because of how well the bids have been coming in, and I told him that’s always the chance you take, but that was the way he wanted to go when we set it up, so that was the way I went. I hope he doesn’t get screwed, but I’ll sure be glad when this auction is over. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-re-buy-it-now/612520/5 "2012-02-11T18:01:20Z")
> [@usar\_jag](#): > > I am currently bidding on an item. I am the current high bidder at $52. I have put a maximum bid of $110. The item also has a Buy In Now price of $100. > > My question is if someone chooses the Buy It Now option, will that negate my higher auction bid? I can’t find an answer on Ebay, but I’m guessing that it will trump the bids placed on auction. Can anyone confirm my suspicions? > > (This item is not a “must have” for me. I would prefer to buy it under the Buy It Now price.) Yes. I’ve been through it as both the buyer and the seller. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-re-buy-it-now/612520/6 "2012-02-11T18:23:23Z")
I thought that once bidding began, the Buy It Now option was off the table. Has that changed? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-re-buy-it-now/612520/7 "2012-02-11T18:24:39Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > I thought that once bidding began, the Buy It Now option was off the table. Has that changed? I’m not sure it was ever like that, assuming you’re not talking about an item that WAS a store listing being converted to an auction. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-re-buy-it-now/612520/8 "2012-02-11T18:54:06Z")
> [@Mr.Slant](#): > > I’m not sure it was ever like that, assuming you’re not talking about an item that WAS a store listing being converted to an auction. It definitely used to be like that - only exception being reserve price auctions with BIN prices - until the reserve was met, BIN was available. ---
**Author:** ![IMFoghorn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d2c977/32.png) [@IMFoghorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IMFoghorn)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-re-buy-it-now/612520/9 "2012-02-11T19:30:26Z")
I’ve got two auctions running right now that were both listed the same. A minimum price and a BIN at 10% above the minimum. One auction has a minimum bid in place and the BIN is no longer available. In the past, I have seen the price on these auctions run past the BIN price that I originally set. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-re-buy-it-now/612520/10 "2012-02-11T20:01:26Z")
Well, I finally remembered what it is I do for a living and did some research. Good news, indeed, as eBay says: > [@](#): > > Buy It Now is the easiest way to buy on eBay. It means you can buy an item when you want it, at a set price, without waiting for the auction to end. > > Some items are offered only at a Buy It Now price. Some bidding auctions also have a Buy It Now option. In auction-style listings, the Buy It Now price needs to be at least 10% higher than the starting auction price. > > When you see the Buy It Now option on an item page, it means you can buy the item immediately. If you’re happy with the Buy It Now price, it’s a good idea to act quickly. Once the item receives a bid, the option goes away and the item will be sold to the winning bidder. Presumably, even though they don’t mention it, “once the item receives a bid” actually means “once the reserve price is met,” as the item I am selling has bids but still has the BIN option. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-re-buy-it-now/612520/11 "2012-02-11T20:19:32Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Well, I finally remembered what it is I do for a living and did some research. Good news, indeed, as eBay says: > > Presumably, even though they don’t mention it, “once the item receives a bid” actually means “once the reserve price is met,” as the item I am selling has bids but still has the BIN option. I guess technically, until the reserve is met the bids that are there don’t truly ‘count’. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-question-re-buy-it-now/612520/12 "2012-02-11T21:30:16Z")
I retract my posting.