How Do You Bid on ebay?
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What's your method I used to bid the highest I'm willing to pay. My OH watches and trys to bid last minute. Right now I tend to put on lowest possible bid and wait see what it's like on last day.
Use a bid sniper . Decide the max you are willing to pay and it bids for you about 5 secs before the auction ends if the current bid is lower . Used to use them a lot but can't be bothered these days . Google "Bid sniper" or "auction sniper" there are quite a few , some you pay for some you get 10 snipes a week for free or at least you used to ..
GSM Yes , many things have loads of bids in the last 20 secs , I suspect most of them are from these automated bid snipers .
I will look into that never heard of it but really want to buy my son a present I've seen
I think the "wait until auction ending" is the best strategy. Some years ago I put in the highest I was willing to pay, but the seller with the help of one or two other crooks was able to take my bid to its highest possible:
First one bid high (which went beyond my highest offer) but then withdrew bid.
Next one knowing what my highest was, bid to just below my highest, pushing my bid to be just beyond it.
Until Ebay do something about this type of thing - never give anyone chance to know your highest bid. They shouldn't allow anyone to withdraw a bid without a very good reason.
IMO once a person has been outbid, they should no longer be under any obligation to purchase at what had been their highest offer - unless they want to. As it is (or "was" if they've changed it) if a bid above your highest is withdrawn your bid is reinstated - even though you've been notified you've been outbid.
On a couple of occasions since the above I have put in my one and only highest offer when the auction has only eight seconds to run, it doesn't allow sufficient time for any jiggery pokery by the seller. I'm not certain but it might also beat the automatic snipers.
Definitely wait until the last 10 minutes or so to start bidding and would be worth trying one of those bid sniper programs
Talking about bids, do you know why ebay takes a long time to pay you when you sell a product? I sold it a month ago and it says funds will be available the 11th of February? I don't have any proof that the buyer has got the product either.
I decide what my max bid will be and wait. if its gone over that then i leave it. If not then i wait till the last few 30 seconds or so, stick in my max bid with an extra 50p ish on top. No point bidding before hand as i feel you're just bumping the price up
Try to leave it till the last 3 -5 seconds , that will cut out most of the "bid snipers" and will give no time for a "human" to outbid you . 20 - 30 secs gives time for you to be outbid .
HappyTravels I had it as a program on my laptop . Probably an app now . Just google "snipe tool " or "EBay bid sniper" and there are quite a few .
That's how I see it too ....I rarely use Ebay but I do think that's the best strategy.
Also look at bid increments, they jump up at different price points so try to guess the maximum bid of others. I.e. if you think someone else will bid up to £6 and the bid increment is 50p you might be able to win by putting in a bid of £5.51 before they put in their bid of £6. It used to be ebay would autobid up to your maximum and then expect 50p above that so £6 would be short of the total required for the next bid of £6.01. This works best if you can snipe just before others so if you can set 10 or 12 seconds and their snipe comes in at 4 seconds you can win. It's no good of course if your snipe comes in later.
You have to know the bid increment though if it was 20p then they would win with £5.71.
I have put a few bids in eBay for the same product. Does anyone know what happens if you win both? I don't want to pay twice although I doubt I win.
GSM If "for the same product" you meant the same item from different sellers, if you won both you would be required to pay for both.
You shouldn't bid for more than one of the same item unless you are willing to go through with the purchases if you win more than one.
davidstockport although I assume if that happens I could contact the seller and hopefully explain?
GSM Many sellers wouldn't be too happy having to pay again to relist the item. I'm not too sure but Ebay wouldn't be too happy either.
Probably better always waiting until you are outbid on one item before bidding on another.
This might help: https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/rules-policies-buyers/nonbinding-bid-policy?id=4228
I decide my highest bid and put a max bid in. That way you dont get carried away
Reading the comments I can now see why some of my bids haven't made it. I tend to wait until the last hour or so now and see what happens. The thing with bidding is not to get carried away and go over what you would reasonably expect, or want, to pay in the first place.
I haven’t bothered with biding for years, since eBay allowed “making an offer” option.
The items I wanted in the past never been “popular” and didn’t have any bids.
I usually offer them their starting bidding price and 90% out of the time the offer gets accepted x
danicaaaI suspect that when you said "starting bidding price"* you meant "buy it now price" if so it's a good strategy. Must remember though if you "make an offer" and that offer is accepted you are obliged to buy at the amount you offered.
*I'm not too sure (I can't recall seeing one) but I don't think items up for bidding (auction) ever have the option to make an offer - it wouldn't be fair on those bidding. You make your offer by bidding
davidstockport This is only example of how it looks like. I sell odd bits on eBay and “make offer” is automatically added to my listings.
(not sure if it is still there, after someone bided - I only get offers on “unbided“ items x
davidstockport If they accept your offer, the item is automatically sold and auction is finished before set time.
Sometimes they make you undercounter offer, which is usually bit higher than yours, but less than asking price x
danicaaa Thanks I hadn't seen that feature before, I haven't used Ebay very much recently. or perhaps not been looking for things that sold like that. Most of my purchases on Ebay have been "Buy it Now" some of which have had the "make offer" option.
Things have changed through the years - and no doubt will change even more in the coming years.
davidstockport I can highly recommend using that option, including Buy Now items - even if it means saving a pound on each item. It will soon add up x
danicaaa On one occasion (buying size twelve shoes) I stated my reason for offering ten pounds less than the asking price, that I was matching their buy it now price for the same shoes (size 15) - my offer was accepted.
I feel giving a reason might help. Although I could see the possible reason that the larger ones cost less... there are far fewer people who want size 15 so harder to sell.
I can only recall making one other offer - it was rejected (without a counter offer).
I use auction sniper if its some thing I really want. You get so many free credits. You put in the maximum your willing to pay bit no bids are placed until the very last second when it digitaly bids is placed for you so no one knows you are bidding until then axn I worried about it freezing etc
I’ve no used eBay for years now.
Used to place a bid in the last 39 seconds to a minute before the auction closes.
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