Why doesn't ebay use the going going gone auction process. The goods go to highest bidder

[hoges69zi]

Why doesn't ebay modify their auction process to stop last second bidders waiting until the very end of the auction. When a last second bid comes in the auction end time should be extended by a set time maybe 5mins until the bidding finally stops. I think it is called going going gone the same as a normal auction

[tstore]

Gotta Have It's website which is an auction house has the 5 min extended bidding thing.

[*crikey*mate*]

so these extended times on these various sites - is it just the one extension? so really, you might still be able to snipe sort of? They don't go on indefinitely?

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

Nope, don't like that idea at all.  As a seller, it would mean lots and lots of nibble bids that keep the auction going on, and on, and on, rather than members putting in their maximum either manually or by a snipe.  It would not guarantee a higher price for sellers and may in fact lead to lower prices.  That's okay if you are a buyer, but I think many sellers would move towards Buy-It-Now format.

As a seller, I would hate to have to wait up for hours after the time I decided I wanted my item to end.  I say hours because that could happen if time was extended by 5 minutes each time someone bid.  it wouldn't become an auction where the person prepared to bid and pay the most would necessarily win, it would be the one that could stay up late enough to be the last bidder.

hoges, is your complaint really that you did not win an item you really really wanted and did not have enough time to place just one more bid because of a last second bid?

My advice, and the advice of seasoned eBayers, just bid your maximum.  If it is high enough you will win, if it is not then you wont win . . . . . it really is that simple.  If you want extra time to place just one more bid then you are not bidding your maximum are you?

[padi*0409]

Hoges, I'm with all the others on this one - if a seller (or eBay) decided to use that system I would definitly not be bidding on any of their listings.

I think it would be detrimental to both buyers and sellers alike - it's a no brainer.......................

[tstore]

The item I was bidding on at the website I mentioned went on for over 10 hours. How it worked is that the auction 'lot' had over 500 items. And bidding would be extended for all items by 5 mins if one item out of 500 received a new bid.

It was god awful to say the least.

I am sure some sites howevee have it for individual items rather than an entire 'lot'

[tstore]

Overtime bidding

Bids placed on any lot within 10 minutes of the auction’s scheduled closing time will extend the closing time by 10 minutes of all the lots in the auction The auction will end when no new bids have been received on any lots in the auction for a period of 10 minutes.

[*crikey*mate*]

gawd! that'd do my head in!

I'd really have to really really want that item to muck around with that malarky!

I don't nibble bid, but I also don't put in my maximum bid until the last possible moment so that i don't have to pay more than i "should have" if others didn't nibble and nudge up my price, but bail out or worse - withdraw their bid once my maximum was revealed...

Last night an item was at maybe $10? My max bid was $69 (anticipating other snipers) fortunately there were no other snipers, and the previous high bidders maximum was 20 - so I got it for a bit over that - think it was 50c more?

nibble bidders could have seen me up around the $69 mark - but i only want to pay that if i have to - i still like a bargain!

[lane-ends]

An auction house is fundementally different to a 24/7 online auction. In an auction house all buyers are assembled at a particular time when everything is sold. With an online auction items end at all times of day or night, so to expect most potential buyers to be there at "hammerfall" is unrealistic. Hence the "tender' format.

The current system is well known, and as long as you know how it works then fine for all.

The use of the 'auction" format is fading compared to how it used to be as more and more buyers are convience buyers, who dont want to wait around for a week for a maybe win, maybe loose, item. That novelty has worn off for many.

[*crikey*mate*]

it was another light (from an aussie seller) and now they've invoiced me $22 extra in postage! without asking or saying anything! - but that's another issue, and it's under control - but sheesh - I'm really not meant to buy lights on ebay, eh? That's 3 out of 4 that have gone dodgy!