What's with E-Bay?

cooltoy

Member
Local time
10:03 AM
Joined
Jan 6, 2008
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341
Location
Lindsay,Ontario. Canada
Today I put a bid in on an 80cc,the opening bid was 49 bucks but every time I would place a bid,it would come back as "you were overbid". That seems hard for me to understand as I would lose the bid as fast as I could clik my mouse. Is this bullcarp? Also, how can a person place an ad asking for a buck,when we all know that that is a lie? I don't get it!
I don't understand how a Canadian seller can offer these motors in the $100.00 range, is this just a bunch of lies?
 
HI,

Probably the best thing to do is read about the bidding process on one of the help sections in eBay.

As far as why you were seemingly out bid as soon as you put your bid in was because you probably bid an amount just over what the current bid was and the other bidders set their limit for bidding quite a bit higher than yours....therefore your bid if very close to the current bid, your bid was easily eclipsed by the other bidders higher limits....eBay uses automated bidding that will bid as high and as far as you allow it.

As far as the $1.00 asking price it's just a starting point (some start higher and some lower).....every auction has to start somewhere and that person just chose to start a $1.00.....The true price what something sells for can only be determined at the auction end (unless the reserve price is not met or the auction ends early with a local sale but that's another story)....

Best way to have a chance to get something on eBay is to set the MAX you want to pay for an item and let the automated bidding system do the work for you....

Good luck!

Andrew

P.S. - Very helpful to read up on eBay on the eBay site.....could save a lot of mental anguish...But I hope my explanation was clear enough for you.
 
Someone's an ebay noobie and it ain't me. Cool, google the term auction sniper and you'll be even more amazed or confused.
 
Thanks to both of you-good points. I put a $50 on the one for a buck and it was taken so we will see. I figure that with shipping it would be around a hundred so we shall see...lol. I figure that for parts alone, it would be well worth it.
I will now go and google aution sniper but already I don't like the sounds of that!
 
engiines

in my sxperience, i have paid 150 from boygo fast and livefast, almost everytime, it will end up being 100 for a happytime, thats why i just say screw it, and gewt a buy it now, but if you are bidding on a happy time, i guarntee, boygofast will charge 100 for the engine, but 50 for shipping, but good luck and let us know where it takes you!:D
 
Andy described it well. What you're actually bidding when you click the button is the max you are willing to pay, not necessarily what it would take to win the item.

I keep changing my strategies on ebay. At first, I decided what I was willing to pay and bid early and then didn't worry about it. Lately, when I do that, I see a better item and curse that I've already committed my lucre, only to be outbid at the last minute by the bid snipers anyway (once with 3 seconds to go). I lost a cheap local CB175 a few months ago that way. I had already committed to buy another bike and then saw the 175, and got out bid on the first bike anyway. :confused::mad: Now, I still make one bid at my max but I wait as late as I can to see if something else comes up that I'd rather have.
 
?

I just use "BUY NOW". If it's from power king they have buy now ones as well. I don't fool around to save 5 bucks and go through **** being out bid. They all seem to max out at about 100 bucks anyway. Better yet......buy one from the guys with the adds posted here. Do it up right for "happy fun time"
 
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I noticed this morning that I got outbid and have decided that I will not play that game any longer. I will start to keep an eye on the want ads here instead. Thanks to all for responding. Oh, by the way, I now know what that sniper thing is and won't be playing that game as well.
 
The key to eBay is to wait until the last 30 seconds of the auction and put in the most you would be willing to pay. Works for me and I seldom have to pay my max.
 
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