eBay fading?

[jett]

Originally Posted by StockwellDay

I know this is OT, but can anyone, ANYONE, explain to me why some people come into auctions that start at $.01, make the first bid and then vanish, never to make another bid? I can understand new eBay member, who might not fully understand the auction concept/eBay, but i regularly see members w/ 50+ feedback doing this. These people cannot possibly think their $.01 bid will stand up for 7 days can they???

I'm newish to Ebay and I do this sometime. The hope is that no one will notice or care and your low bid will make it through. I do it on items that I sort of like but not enough to really commit to. I got a pair of AE shoes with a $10 bid two days ago so it's worked at least once.

What I don't understand are items with NO bidder at all that the second you bid on them you get outbid.

 

[DocHolliday]

Originally Posted by Serpentson

They are probably using a snipe program and trying to make sure that at least one bid is registered on ebay to keep seller from withdrawing item for no bids.

This is one reason I do it. It fixes the starting price and keeps the seller from revising the listing. And it's also helpful in getting rid of the BIN much of the time.

I had a new pair of EGs sold out from under me not long ago. Logged in one day to discover that the seller had ended the auction early to sell at the opening bid -- $300. I'm not sure what was up with that. But because the auction had only one bid several days in, I wondered if indicating interest early would have changed the outcome.

 

[aportnoy]

This struck me as a good deal...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...3575&rd=1&rd=1

 

[dkzzzz]

Originally Posted by StockwellDay

I know this is OT, but can anyone, ANYONE, explain to me why some people come into auctions that start at $.01, make the first bid and then vanish, never to make another bid? I can understand new eBay member, who might not fully understand the auction concept/eBay, but i regularly see members w/ 50+ feedback doing this. These people cannot possibly think their $.01 bid will stand up for 7 days can they???

I was wondering the same thing for years. The whole concept of Ebay is based on a human idiocy, is it not?
Who in a right mind would bid over and over and over on the auction that is not going to close for another 4 days/hours?
The whole concept of the auction is that you come with a highest bid at the very last moment before the mallet strikes the third time...

The fact that Ebay is still around and its concept still works, makes me so less hopeful that some day mammals will evolve into something intelligent.

 

[rnoldh]

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

This is one reason I do it. It fixes the starting price and keeps the seller from revising the listing. And it's also helpful in getting rid of the BIN much of the time.

.


Same here, but I've wondered. What is the Ebay policy of removing a BIN price? It seems like sometimes the BIN price disappears as soon as an initial bid is made and other times the BIN price stays even after a bid is made.

Does anyone know the Ebay BIN removal policy?

The other selling strategy that seems strange is when the start price and the BIN price are almost the same. Like when a nice shirt has a start price of $69, and a BIN of $79! Do you think that the seller is pointing out the value of the BIN price, or is just looking for "bargain-hunters", that will think they've bought a bargain if they buy for less than the BIN.

 

[DocHolliday]

Originally Posted by rnoldh

Same here, but I've wondered. What is the Ebay policy of removing a BIN price? It seems like sometimes the BIN price disappears as soon as an initial bid is made and other times the BIN price stays even after a bid is made.

Does anyone know the Ebay BIN removal policy?

I believe the BIN disappears when a bid is placed unless the seller has opted for a reserve-price auction.

Originally Posted by rnoldh

The other selling strategy that seems strange is when the start price and the BIN price are almost the same. Like when a nice shirt has a start price of $69, and a BIN of $79! Do you think that the seller is pointing out the value of the BIN price, or is just looking for "bargain-hunters", that will think they've bought a bargain if they buy for less than the BIN.

I'll do that if I think odds are slim I'll get a second bidder, in hopes that someone will use the BIN and I'll get an extra $10 (or whatever). Or I'll do it if I fear the item won't sell at all. Makes an impulse purchase more likely.

 

[amerikajinda]

Originally Posted by aportnoy

This struck me as a good deal...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...3575&rd=1&rd=1

That's a nice suit! Pure cashmere! Have you received it yet?

 

[Aristocrat]

I can really second that, the really good deals has almost disappered on ebay.
The times when you could find really good ties and handkerchiefs at 50 and below.
Good times.

 

[billiebob]

I kind of like when the BIN is slightly above the opening bid price. The difference is the premium you pay for really wanting the item.

Sometimes when shopping for gifts I can't risk that someone will nab an item from me, so I go for the BIN. More than once I've bid at the opening and the final price went way over the BIN, because people probably didn't see the auction until after my bid. Once an item has bids, others are more willing to bid on the item too, as if the existence of a bid properly values the item.

That Oxxford is awesome. If it turned out to be in the excellent condition listed, a steal and a half too!

 

[rssmsvc]

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

This is one reason I do it. It fixes the starting price and keeps the seller from revising the listing. And it's also helpful in getting rid of the BIN much of the time.

I had a new pair of EGs sold out from under me not long ago. Logged in one day to discover that the seller had ended the auction early to sell at the opening bid -- $300. I'm not sure what was up with that. But because the auction had only one bid several days in, I wondered if indicating interest early would have changed the outcome.

It can be done to prevent people from bidding up an auction and then cancelling their bids , or I have in done in cases where a family emergency has come up and I want to be 100% sure the item is shipped on time and can't wait out the auction.

 

[aportnoy]

Originally Posted by amerikajinda

That's a nice suit! Pure cashmere! Have you received it yet?

Still waiting for it to arrive, I'll report back when it does.

Originally Posted by billiebob

That Oxxford is awesome. If it turned out to be in the excellent condition listed, a steal and a half too!

It looks to be in excellent shape but I'll know for certain soon. I suppose that this would go for $5-$6k.