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When you're looking at a bid-only item, and it says something like

Current Bid: $15.00
(Enter US $16.00 or more)

And you bid 16, it tells you you've been outbid right away. Can someone describe the how the bidding mechanic works so you're not inching up by 50c or a dollar a million times? How do you know what the maximum bid is? If the maximum bid isn't $15.00, why does it say 15?

>.<

Hey there,

you cannot see the current maximum bid on eBay. What is shown at all times is the current highest bid, but this isn't necessarily the maximum amount that has been entered by the member that holds the highest bid at that time.
I believe eBay has some sort of FAQ where they explain the bidding system (a little better than I could from the top of my head, I presume).

EDIT: Perhaps this is of some help.

Thanks TNR. Got it.

It's called proxy bidding.
You input the MOST you're willing to bid on the item, and the system puts you in for the very minimum bid. if someone bids against you, it ups your bid to the point of (a) hitting your max or (b) making you the high bidder.

If I have a max bid of $20 on something, and am currently the high bidder at $10, I win the auction at $10 if nobody else bids.
If someone bids against me, but bids $20 or less, my bid will end up as the high bid at the minimum bid increment over their highest bid. If we tie, I am the high bidder, because I input that number first.

If, in that same auction, I was winning at $10, with $.50 bid increments, and someone else bid $20.01 (not knowing my top bid amount), they would be the top bidder at $20.01, because it's a higher amount than mine, even if the amount (.$.01) is not the minimum bid increment.

Make sense?

Your best bet is just to input the maximum amount you'd pay for the item and, if you "win," then awesome.

Eric

MagickalMemories wrote:
Your best bet is just to input the maximum amount you'd pay for the item and, if you "win," then awesome.

Maximum amount + a bit to make it an unusual number.

E.G. $20 - too obvious, people will try for $20.01, $20.50 and outbid you. Instead go for $21.73 or something. Avoid obvious round numbers.

Well, for me, if $20 is my maximum amount, then they can have it for $20.01.
I figure out what the TOTAL amount is that something is worth to me, then I subtract shipping from that. What remains is my max bid.

So, if I see something I'd pay no more than $20 for, and shipping is $4.95, then my max bid is $15.05. That's just me, of course.

Setting a limit for yourself and never violating it keeps you from getting into bid-wars that end up as no more than e-peen waving.

Eric

and don´t bid just your highest amount up front. the key is waiting. in fact its waiting and shooting at the last time, called sniping...wait up until auction is about to end and try to be the last bidder before end. this way the prices wont be raised and you wont have to pay so much and also no one can disturb you afterwards with another bidding...
it takes time to get it right...but since you will not have to buy but the other one when your not doing it right, where is the loss?^^
also look for people with no idea what they are selling...these auctins often go cheeply off^^

It is best to wait till the last minute the item is up before you start bidding.

I cut it to 15-20 seconds. then put in my Highest maximum bid.
Got 2 Crisis suits and a commander for 24 quid, brand new and unopened.

exactly as i meant it...

MagickalMemories wrote:Well, for me, if $20 is my maximum amount, then they can have it for $20.01.
I figure out what the TOTAL amount is that something is worth to me, then I subtract shipping from that. What remains is my max bid.

yeah for me the idea is saving money. as soon as the item starts approaching sixty percent of retail, i bug out. if i'm not saving money, what's the point?