I placed something for sale at ebay, it had a reserve price. All week I got bids, but no one had reached the reserve price, until this morning.
The bidder who hit the reserve price registered last month and had no feedback. I’ve been selling for a long time and I understand that everyone is new at some time. I’ve never had a problem.
I’m a bit concerned about this one though, she bid at first and outbid someone else. Someone outbid her, then she bid 18 more times, in a row, outbidding herself. I though that maybe she was just trying to get to the reserve price. She retracted one bid, saying that she entered the wrong amount, then bid even higher.
She won the auction and reached the reserve, but I haven’t heard from her since.
I know it only ended this morning, but I’m in pretty bad shape financially right now and I’m just wondering if the winner was just screwing with me.
What do you think ? Have you ever seen this on ebay before ? Are there people who register on ebay just to fuck everyone else up ?
The only thing that sounds fishy about it to me is the fact that she obviously wanted the item, and you haven’t heard from her since. But who knows, she (or he?) might be busy.
I know people who have bid on things like that - things that have reserve prices. I might’ve even done it once or twice before I got used to the ebay thing. Maybe she’s just not really familiar how the system works - i.e. doesn’t know that ebay will bid FOR her, up to her max amount.
Did you send her a confirmation email personally? She might not know what to do next. Let us know how it turns out.
Actually I was just thinking… ebay doesn’t bid for you automatically just 'cos the reserve hasn’t been met, does it? Well, either way, she might’ve just been trying to find out what the reserve was and meet it.
I have seen people bid like that in reserve and not reserve auctions. Most reserve auctions I’ve seen people do that to try to find the reserve price. That way they can stay as low as possible until the last minute. Some people don’t want to bid close to their maximum bid until the end because it makes it harder to be slammed. I’ve been slammed many times and now I stop bidding when I am quite far away from my final price. I have much more success now.
I wouldn’t worry too much about no reply right away on a weekend. Some people still only have work email, or maybe they’re just busy.
I do that. I hate reserve price auctions, so if I do bid on one I bid at a few dollars increments until I either figure out what the reserve is, or I decide whatever it is, it’s too damn high. I hate the secrecy, if there’s a amount you won’t go under, just have that as the lowest price. If people see the price right off the bat and decide it’s unreasonable, well at least you won’t have the situation you’re worried about, right?
I do that too. I keep bidding and bidding until I get to my highest limit, or until I reach reserve. This can take several bids.
I believe that if you start your beginning price at a higher price (the actual reserve price, let’s say) that you have to pay more fees to eBay for listing the auction, if the auction does not get any bids or does not sell. (I could be wrong on this—it is what I was told a while ago.) That is why, I believe, many people start their auction prices at 1 cent, or something.
It sounds very much like an inexperienced eBayer. IIRC, the only scenario in which you can outbid yourself is if the reserve price hasn’t been met. Proxy bidding won’t do that-I use it regularly, but generally avoid jumping in until the last few minutes, having been sniped more than once.
As for reserve price-I don’t use it any more. Instead of that I list a Buy it Now figure. YMMV
I’d generate an invoice and send to the buyer email addy-then see what shakes out. Good luck.