# Proxy bidding: How can someone trigger my max. bid without outbidding me?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proxy-bidding-how-can-someone-trigger-my-max-bid-without-outbidding-me/794610>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 24, 2017, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proxy-bidding-how-can-someone-trigger-my-max-bid-without-outbidding-me/794610 "2017-08-24T23:29:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pohjonen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pohjonen/32/423_2.png) [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proxy-bidding-how-can-someone-trigger-my-max-bid-without-outbidding-me/794610/1 "2017-08-24T23:29:01Z")

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I am confused about proxy bids in auctions. How can someone trigger my max. bid without outbidding me?

The bidding starts at $10. I enter my maximum of $15. I am the only bidder so far and the price is $10. Someone else bids some unknown amount, but does not outbid me. Now my price is 15. I don’t understand how this happens.

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**Author:** ![yearofglad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b782af/32.png) [@yearofglad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yearofglad)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proxy-bidding-how-can-someone-trigger-my-max-bid-without-outbidding-me/794610/2 "2017-08-24T23:32:34Z")

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They bid $14.99?

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proxy-bidding-how-can-someone-trigger-my-max-bid-without-outbidding-me/794610/3 "2017-08-24T23:34:23Z")

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> [@yearofglad](#):
>
> They bid $14.99?

Or more likely, just $14. Automatic proxy bidding systems generally will use an increment which gets larger as the price goes up.

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**Author:** ![pohjonen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pohjonen/32/423_2.png) [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proxy-bidding-how-can-someone-trigger-my-max-bid-without-outbidding-me/794610/4 "2017-08-24T23:35:58Z")

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Okay. I feel like an idiot. Their bid counts even if it isn’t highest. I am a maroon.

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proxy-bidding-how-can-someone-trigger-my-max-bid-without-outbidding-me/794610/5 "2017-08-25T03:12:00Z")

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Since the OP is answered to everyone’s satisfaction, I’ll close this one.

**samclem** , moderator