Last second bidding

[ozrock44]

Hello sellers

For the first time in my eBay selling experience I had an item purchased in the last few seconds.  I watched the auction very carefully during the final minute, and I am certain the sole bid was placed in the last 1 or 2 seconds.  The end result was my item selling for 0.99.  It's my fault for selecting that as my start price.  I just wanted to share this experience, perhaps it will help others.

Even though eBay suggest you use $0.99 "to attract interest" there is a potential for your item to be sold for virtually nothing.

Good luck with your selling friends.

[clarry100]

Absolutely...

Very risky to start at 99-cents for this very reason.

We always list auctions at the lowest price we would be happy to accept. If we get more than that it's a bonus.

90% of the time there is only a single bid so we are covered doing it this way. 

[curraone]

hi there:  the buyer probably used a sniper program - which is quite legit to do - and put his proposed bid with them at any time.

The sniper bids at the last minute on behalf of the buyer - I see that the bid was at 30-Oct-14 13:14:20 AEDST, as you say just a few seconds before end of auction.

Good on you for trying to warn other sellers.    No matter what the ebay tutorial says - it is best to start an auction at a price that you would be happy to get.

[bakeandfry]

So in the event to "attract interest", how much interest did it attract?

[horizon1907]

😞 Ebay suggest you start the auction at 99c. Mistake #1. That may have been years ago, but I'm afraid to say these days that is very much "old hat" IMO. You have had, what they call a Sniper Bid or someone clever enough to wait until the dying seconds and they got a bargain. It's all legal and many do it. I would recommend in the fiuture if your going to sell, start with a price that you are happy to part with the item for. Just out of interest, what was the item or give out the item number.

[imastawka]

Just  heads-up, but you have other auctions listed at 99cent start price

with $9.75 postage.   You do realise ebay will take 97c for that postage?

Then fvfs, paypal - you're paying people to take them off your hands.

[ozrock44]

Thank you for the replies.  I certainly need to reconsider my pricing strategy.

As a matter of interest, the buyer hasn't even left me feedback hah hah.

[bakeandfry]

Your buyer wont leave you feedback (if at all) till they get item.

[ozrock44]

I delivered the item in person to their front door.

[curraone]

so it is not too late to change your listings from 99c to something better