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I am currently the highest/only bidder for an item on ebay. I want to put in a second bid - a high one so if it goes gangbusters at the last min I have my highest bid in.

But I don't want to bid against myself and drive up the price...
so if bidding is currently at $19.95 and I go in a put in say $38 that won't show up will it? I am just changing my maximu behind the scenes aren't I?

Once before I thought I was upping my own max bid but my 2nd bid showed up to the seller. Don't want this to happen obviously.

Can anyone confirm?

Thx bidding ends in 2.5 hrs when I won't be at my computer to watch.

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~~~ My fish blow kisses at me all day long ~~~

well, I don't think the seller should be able to see what the max bid is. In fact, I don't think ANYONE can/should be able to see the max bid. Reason is: I'm a seller, you're a buyer. I see that you've put in a max bid of $100, but I doutb anyone will bid over $75. I just have my friend, or possibly even a second account, bid up to $99.

Basically, ebay should let you raise your max bid, but it should never, under any instance show ANYONE the max bids.

Rasco I had a look at the few other auctions to see what happens and you can see the person (for instance) putting in a bid for say $50, then upping it to $55 then again to $65.

So effectively they are driving the price up against themself. If you are the only bidder you are listed as wanting to pay 65. Really you want to pay 50 (the other bids are to keep the other people out)

In that case does the seller have to accept their lower bid as it is obvious that they are only wanting to secure the item.

This is an example... although I am not buying a plasma tv...
http://offer.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&item=5812452514

See how the same person is showing up as getting more and more in price against themself?

btw - cool avatar

Last edited by wish-ga at 28-Sep-2005 01:31

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~~~ My fish blow kisses at me all day long ~~~

I've done what you're asking, and at least in the past, the current bid did not become superceeded by my second bid. Even if your max is 20 bucks, and you put in a higher one, it will still be 20 bucks, because of the bid increments. You can safely add a second bid and have the price be the same.

Well not to harp on a point but why are the bids for the same bidder showing up as part of the auction?

Hang on! Maybe once someone outbids you THEN your series of bids shows up and the seller/everyone can see that you upped it in increments!

BUT if you are the highest bidder it doesn't show?

Am I Koo-Koo?

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~~~ My fish blow kisses at me all day long ~~~

im not much help but isnt there a program you can get to monitor an auction and bid at the last second automatically

OH TOLEEDY!

its called sniping, I've won auctions with 4 seconds left. Try esnipe.com, its the one I usually use.

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I used to be Snow White, but I drifted.
~ Mae West

what happens is: if you put in a max bid, ebay keeps that info saved where only you know what you put in. if someone outbids your current bid, ebay ups your own bid so that you are still the highest bidder, but in increments above whatever the other person bid. it will keep doing this until the bidding goes above your max bid. however, if the bid has a reserve on it, and your current bid is below the reserve price and then you put in a max bid, it will bid up to the reserve price. i think this might be what happened when you thought you were bidding against yourself. there is no way ebay will let you bid against yourself, so this has to be what happened.

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

its called a proxy bid.....isn't it explained somewhere on Ebay? Also watch out for sellers bidding on their own merchandise to drive up the price. I've heard one of the more recent "scams" uses this method. They drive up the bidding themselves, then when the auction is over they contact you saying that the other bidder refused to pay, and they'll offer you the item at the last price you bid. Just be careful

if the bid has a reserve on it, and your current bid is below the reserve price and then you put in a max bid, it will bid up to the reserve price. i think this might be what happened when you thought you were bidding against yourself. there is no way ebay will let you bid against yourself, so this has to be what happened.

Ohhh moondog that must be it! It had a reserve price.

I didn't get the item this time. Decided that I was only prepared to pay $20 and someone got it for $26. meh! Nevermind.

I go into it thinking "if this was at the op shop how much would I pay?" & I always include the postage in my hypothetical. So the item would have been a 29-dollar item once you include the postage & that is all I was willing to pay.

They drive up the bidding themselves, then when the auction is over they contact you saying that the other bidder refused to pay, and they'll offer you the item at the last price you bid. Just be careful

That is a scam & a 1/2 thanks for the heads up Firecontrol.

Last edited by wish-ga at 28-Sep-2005 18:13

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~~~ My fish blow kisses at me all day long ~~~