Bidders questions

[scoda3756]

I am selling an item, and a bidder has placed a bid, to my knowledge they are the only bidder to date, my item has a start price of $10 and the bidder has placed the minimum bid as $10, but is advised that they have been outbid, they are now at 16.50 and are still being advised they have been outbid, how can this be???, I look at the bid log and they have in fact made a number of bids to outbid themselves

[enigmabear · Accepted solution]

When I look I see there are 2 bidders on the couch

so, if the first bidder put their maximum bid first (say for arguement $20) and they were the very first bidder so it's only going to show as, say $10.50 as the high bid to others until someone else bids

if that second person bids say, $15 then person 1's bid will automatically outbid them, unless and until that 2nd person bids more than the first person's maximum bid (and it will *look* like they are bidding against temselves while that process happens

so if person 2 then bids say $18 and then $19, then person 1's max bid of $20 will again outbid them

[jellybirddesigns]

I can see 2 bidders.

I haven't done auctions for years, but I think it's do do with the second bidder having set a maximum bid (lets say $100 for example). Your first bidder will keep getting outbid until they go higher than $100, as all bids are done in small increments and nobody knows what the second bidders maximum bid is.

[twyngwyn]

https://pages.ebay.com.au/help/buy/bidding-overview.html

[collect247]

Other way around cush because the first bidder has actually made a bid and now then second bidder is bidding at small amounts but is still lower than the first bidder so the first bidder is still winning.

[jellybirddesigns]

Thanks Eezi - you're right!

Just goes to show I need more coffee.

[imastawka]

Click on  'show automatic bids' on the bidding page.

[springyzone]

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@scoda3756 wrote:

I am selling an item, and a bidder has placed a bid, to my knowledge they are the only bidder to date, my item has a start price of $10 and the bidder has placed the minimum bid as $10, but is advised that they have been outbid, they are now at 16.50 and are still being advised they have been outbid, how can this be???, I look at the bid log and they have in fact made a number of bids to outbid themselves

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There are 2 different bidders, is what i am seeing.

If you only had one bidder then as you say, a person who made a bid would not be outbid, even if they then entered a different maximum.

So don't worry, it's all good. It is just that someone has put in a higher maximum bid so the automated system will bid up in increments even if they aren't around. Your enquirer has not outbid himself.

This will work in your favour. Let's face it, you wouldn't really want someone to walk away with the couches for 16.50 if another bidder will pay more!! And it is obvious they will!

Maybe answer the one who contacted you, just tell them there is a second bidder.