Why oh why do people bid so early on Ebay?!

[cheriemek]

I put in the max I am willing to pay and if I don't get it, I bid on the next one. Eventually I get my item at the price I want to pay. If it makes people bid more than an item is worth, that's not my problem. I don't have time to keep checking back in and bidding at the last minute. That's just me.....

Me too. I have been on Ebay since 1998, and have always followed this.

 

[IDoDis]

I don't buy much on ebay anymore, but when I do, I use esnipe.
http://esnipe10.esnipe.com/
I can go in and put my maximum bid days before the auction ends, and then esnipe bids for me a few seconds before the auction ends. That way the price doesn't get driven up unnecessarily and I don't have to be home to bid.

Years ago esnipe used to be free and then they started charging. I was grandfathered into the free program, so I can bid for free as long as the price is under $25.00. If it's over $25, I use points that add up to some change -- like 25 cents or 50 cents depending on the bid amount.

If I get outbid before esnipe has a chance to bid for me, they send me a message so I can go in and adjust my bid. Usually I don't adjust it. I put my max and if I get it fine, if I don't fine.

 

[maggiew]

I put in the max I am willing to pay and if I don't get it, I bid on the next one. Eventually I get my item at the price I want to pay. If it makes people bid more than an item is worth, that's not my problem. I don't have time to keep checking back in and bidding at the last minute. That's just me.....

This.

Maggie

 

[talulabelle]

I don't buy much on ebay anymore, but when I do, I use esnipe.
http://esnipe10.esnipe.com/
I can go in and put my maximum bid days before the auction ends, and then esnipe bids for me a few seconds before the auction ends. That way the price doesn't get driven up unnecessarily and I don't have to be home to bid.

Years ago esnipe used to be free and then they started charging. I was grandfathered into the free program, so I can bid for free as long as the price is under $25.00. If it's over $25, I use points that add up to some change -- like 25 cents or 50 cents depending on the bid amount.

If I get outbid before esnipe has a chance to bid for me, they send me a message so I can go in and adjust my bid. Usually I don't adjust it. I put my max and if I get it fine, if I don't fine.

This is cool, I've never heard of it I'll have to check it out. That's the thing... if it's a competitive item, like Uggs...bidding early drives up the price. You will never get the item for your max or under. People will just bid until they figure out your max and outdo you by $1. This is what I was talking about in my OP. If you bid your max at the last minute...a competitor doesn't have time to figure out your max, but the computer will outbid their max if yours is higher. I'm still only bidding up to my max and not going over what I want to pay...I'm just not giving anyone time to figure out what my max is. Sometimes I get out bid anyway- and thats fine, I don't want to spend over my max. But sometimes I win a very competitive item, that if I had bid early on, I would have never gotten for under my max. KWIM?

 

[torinsmom]

This is cool, I've never heard of it I'll have to check it out. That's the thing... if it's a competitive item, like Uggs...bidding early drives up the price. You will never get the item for your max or under. People will just bid until they figure out your max and outdo you by $1. This is what I was talking about in my OP. If you bid your max at the last minute...a competitor doesn't have time to figure out your max, but the computer will outbid their max if yours is higher. I'm still only bidding up to my max and not going over what I want to pay...I'm just not giving anyone time to figure out what my max is. Sometimes I get out bid anyway- and thats fine, I don't want to spend over my max. But sometimes I win a very competitive item, that if I had bid early on, I would have never gotten for under my max. KWIM?

People don't always do this. I rarely have to bid on more than 3 or 4 of an item before I get my item at or under my max. I'm not going to pay a service to go in and raise my bid by a few dollars, then a few more. Everyone can bid the way they want. Truth is, with an item like Uggs this close to Christmas, you are unlikely to get a great deal, unless the shoes are fake.

 

[VanessainWonderland]

It is against policy, it's called shill bidding.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/seller-shill-bidding.html

Oh Yeah! It is absolutely wrong and I don't agree with it, but I am sure people do it all the time to drive up their bids.

 

[Purseval]

Shill bidding is as common on Ebay as counterfeit goods. Ebay calls it illegal but doesn't go after anyone unless it's something outrageous like the power seller of antiques who admitted in a newspaper interview that he would call friends and ask the to drive up his prices if they weren't in his target range. His article got picked up and quoted all over the Ebay message boards so they had to act. But other than that it's common and actually a moneymaker for Ebay since a shill bid is still a bid and items that get bid on generate commissions.

 

[talulabelle]

People don't always do this. I rarely have to bid on more than 3 or 4 of an item before I get my item at or under my max. I'm not going to pay a service to go in and raise my bid by a few dollars, then a few more. Everyone can bid the way they want. Truth is, with an item like Uggs this close to Christmas, you are unlikely to get a great deal, unless the shoes are fake.

I'm fully aware they will most likely be fake - and am bidding accordingly. I refuse to pay $180 for the boots she wants. She will never know the difference and neither will her friends. Assuming they are fake, I'm willing to pay 50% for them. I am only bidding on the ones from sellers with good ratings that have lots of feedback from customers that already bought their boots and are happy with them. (There are good fakes, and then there are just bad fakes).

 

[beansmom]

it sounds like sour grapes to me, frankly. Any one has the right to bid what and when they want. You either bid based on that or you don't. I recently wanted an item that I got for a very good price so I waited on pins and needles til the last minute to bid.

If it's a 'maybe' , then i'll put in my max and go about my business. If i get it, fine, if I don't, fine.

As PP said, the higher the price, the happier the seller. That's what ebay is about. And it's always a gamble regardless of when you bid.

 

[talulabelle]

it sounds like sour grapes to me, frankly. Any one has the right to bid what and when they want. You either bid based on that or you don't. I recently wanted an item that I got for a very good price so I waited on pins and needles til the last minute to bid.

If it's a 'maybe' , then i'll put in my max and go about my business. If i get it, fine, if I don't, fine.

As PP said, the higher the price, the happier the seller. That's what ebay is about. And it's always a gamble regardless of when you bid.

I never said people don't have the right to do this....I just don't always understand it. they drive up the price and just hurt themselves in the long run. It baffles me, thats all. i personally find it an unwise thing to do on a hot item (as you said yourself - you used my strategy on an item your really wanted)

No sour grapes here - just baffled and frustrated is all.

 

[Dancemom03]

What's funny is that whenever I sell stuff on ebay it appears to be the opposite that happens. I'll have tons of people "watch" the item the whole time, but there won't be any bids until the last day. Or maybe even the last few hours. I guess it's a matter of perspective.

That's my problem too! I just want to know where all these early high-bidders are when I'm selling.

I might not have Uggs, but I've got lots of other good stuff sitting on people's watch lists until somebody bids during those last few minutes. I don't even look anymore until it's all over - way too stressful these days for me to watch and wonder...

 

[Dancemom03]

I'm fully aware they will most likely be fake - and am bidding accordingly. I refuse to pay $180 for the boots she wants. She will never know the difference and neither will her friends. Assuming they are fake, I'm willing to pay 50% for them. I am only bidding on the ones from sellers with good ratings that have lots of feedback from customers that already bought their boots and are happy with them. (There are good fakes, and then there are just bad fakes).

Not sure where you're located but, if you don't care about whether they're fake, check a few flea markets for vendors.

I've seen them between $45-$75 in Ugg boxes that looked real enough in MD & PA flea markets recently. A few weeks ago, this guy next to me was busy all day long with folks buying his $65 Uggs - while the rest of us there barely sold enough to pay for gas and our spaces...

 

[Purseval]

Not sure where you're located but, if you don't care about whether they're fake, check a few flea markets for vendors.

I've seen them between $45-$75 in Ugg boxes that looked real enough in MD & PA flea markets recently. A few weeks ago, this guy next to me was busy all day long with folks buying his $65 Uggs - while the rest of us there barely sold enough to pay for gas and our spaces...

They may not have been fakes. Flea markets historically and Ebay since its inception have been a common way to dispose of stolen goods at a much higher profit margin than thieves could get from a fence.

 

[talulabelle]

Not sure where you're located but, if you don't care about whether they're fake, check a few flea markets for vendors.

I've seen them between $45-$75 in Ugg boxes that looked real enough in MD & PA flea markets recently. A few weeks ago, this guy next to me was busy all day long with folks buying his $65 Uggs - while the rest of us there barely sold enough to pay for gas and our spaces...

I live on the Mason- Dixon! What flea markets? Preferably MD ones - I don't like going too far into PA - I usually am heading south.

 

[Dancemom03]

They may not have been fakes. Flea markets historically and Ebay since its inception have been a common way to dispose of stolen goods at a much higher profit margin than thieves could get from a fence.

You could be right but he had an easy-up canopy frame full of designer handbags there too. When he packed up it was in those big fabric bags you see the street vendors using in NYC so I just assumed they were fake.

There were far fewer street vendors the last time I was in NYC and, when I saw these, I figured they'd found another outlet for them since the streets don't seem to be as hospitable as in prior years...

 

[Dancemom03]

I live on the Mason- Dixon! What flea markets? Preferably MD ones - I don't like going too far into PA - I usually am heading south.

It's getting colder now but this was outside maybe two weeks ago at Morningstar Flea Market in Thomasville on Sunday. He said he sets up at another inside market near there on Saturdays but I'm not sure which that'd be. I do know I've seen them at flea markets several times since summer. We'll be going to the one in the old Belair CMart building this coming weekend so I'll look there and let you know if I see any.

Also, if you ever venture that way, you might check the bigger ones open 7 days a week closer to Lancaster too...

 

[talulabelle]

It's getting colder now but this was outside maybe two weeks ago at Morningstar Flea Market in Thomasville on Sunday. He said he sets up at another inside market near there on Saturdays but I'm not sure which that'd be. I do know I've seen them at flea markets several times since summer. We'll be going to the one in the old Belair CMart building this coming weekend so I'll look there and let you know if I see any.

Also, if you ever venture that way, you might check the bigger ones open 7 days a week closer to Lancaster too...

Thanks! let me know if you see him (or someone similar) in BelAir - I could get there - but it's a bit of a trip for me and I'm short of time on weekends... wouldn't mind making the trip if I had a good chance at success, but don't want to venture there without knowing I have a good chance.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I have been using eBay since early 1997 and I can tell you the main reason for not bidding early is to prevent being shilled. Shilling is rampant on eBay and I refuse to let anyone rip me off in this way. I only snipe bid (bid at the last second) or bid on buy it now auctions. There are plenty of reputable automated free sniping services.

 

[Ava]

For me personally, I know the max I want to pay. That's what I put in as my max. If I see an item I bid on it then and there, I can't be bothered to follow up chasing items to see when it is close to what I want to pay. I bid my max, if nobody else bid high, then the price only goes up to the next increment (not my max). It only goes to my max if someone bids the next price under it. Then, if I get outbid, oh well.

I do the same thing. It's very easy to end up spending more than you wanted to for something on eBay if you get caught up in a last minute bidding war. To avoid the temptation, I decide the max I'm willing to pay for the item, put in my bid, and walk away. If I win, great; if not, oh well. Also, if I put something on watch with the intention of bidding on it closer to the end of the auction, 9 times out of 10 I'd forget and the auction would end without me bidding at all. If I bid when I first see something, at least I have a chance.

 

[jandel]

Not sure where you're located but, if you don't care about whether they're fake, check a few flea markets for vendors.

I've seen them between $45-$75 in Ugg boxes that looked real enough in MD & PA flea markets recently. A few weeks ago, this guy next to me was busy all day long with folks buying his $65 Uggs - while the rest of us there barely sold enough to pay for gas and our spaces...

You mean those $35 Dooney & Burke bags and $40 Coach bags I saw at my flea market yesterday weren't real