OK - I have no clue what I am doing - please help?

[Katymac]

I found this on ebay for my DD

Now on 21st July I am going to Romford for a ballromm competition so I could drive down and pick it up

How do I ask the buyer if he could keep it until then?

How do I bid for it - I imagine it will go for a lot more than £150

I really haven't a clue

[fryalot]

The first thing you do is contact the seller and ask them if you are successful in winning the item, can you collect it on that date.... assuming they say yes, wait till there is only five minutes or so left on the auction then put in the absolute maximum that you are prepared to pay.

Then wait.

[Katymac]

Really - it's that easy

How do I ensure I win

Can I buy it without it going to auction?

[Katymac]

He hasn't used it's proper name - so I don't think anyone has seen it

They go for hundreds more than that

[wurlywurly]

if the auction had ended then you can still contact the seller, explain that you missed the item, make an offer and see if they accept, they may let you do it without it going thru ebay to save on the fees, but at the same time ask if they could hold the item for you until that date.

[SconesandMajesticSandwiches]

Yes - email the seller now to ask if he will keep it until that date. IT is 3 weeks away so don't be totally surprised if he turns you down - depends if he has space to store it. OTOH he hasn't stated collection within X days on his listing which is what I would do if I was desperate to get rid

[SconesandMajesticSandwiches]

Does anyone konow if hte seller can put a BIN up this close to the end? If he can KatyMac could ask if he would put a BIN up of £XXX and she could buy it without going to auction.

I suspect it is too late for a BIN now though?

[Katymac]

I have emailed him to ask if I could collect on that date - I also asked if he would help me get it on the roofrack - as I have no chance of doing it myself

Fingers crossed he gets back to me

I really want this boat I have been looking for one for ages see here

[Katymac]

Oww - I really want this boat

[Katymac]

& now someone has bid on it

What do I do now??

[pirategirl]

bid!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and put in your max

[dustystar]

Still wait until the auction is nearly over and then bid the maximum you are prepared to pay and let ebay do the rest.

[Katymac]

So as it still says £150 - that's what this person has bid?

So I bid higher than that?

[Katymac]

He hasn't answered about the collection

[dustystar]

You may have to bid higher than that. it depends on what the current bidder has put in as their maximum bid. You can bid now but you run the risk of pushing the price up further. If you wait until the auctions nearly over there is always the chance that the current bidder will not be watching and you can beat their bid.

[dustystar]

Sorry i realise that wasn't clear. You will certainly have to bid above £150 but the current bidder may have places a maximum of much higher and in order to beat their bid you will have to beat that maximum. Trouble is you don't know what that figure is so its a guessing game.

[pirategirl]

thing is if you leave it til near the end to put in your max bid, and someone else has the same exact max bid, if that person put tin their max bid b4 you they will win it not u.

i always choose my prcie and enter it whenever, and leave it. If someone got in there before me thats that.

op, if you click on the bidder you will se how much they have bid, and when, for the current bid

[pirategirl]

sorry you click where it says bid 1, and it says that this bidder bid £150 at 11.26 today.

[Katymac]

OK so I clicked on it & it says £150

So if I bidded higher it would show him my bid

So putting in !75 or 200 now won't help as he will see that and choose whether to put more than that in

Whereas if I wait until say 8.25 tonite - he might be down the pub and not notice it?

Is that right?

[Katymac]

BUT I can't do anything until he replies to my email really can I?

[pirategirl]

if you put in your top bid, if it were 175, or 200, it wouldnt show that amount.

this is your top bid.

the bidding goes up in stages, i am not sure, i think its like by a fiver.

so it would go up by a fiver in your favour.

just like when u bid at a real auction, you have the info inyour head of how much you realisticly wish to pay.

If this person sees your bid of a fivermore ( even tho you have entered more in the grand scheme of things) he may again. he might have already put in his bid of £300 for all you know, and the pc will keep bidding, as his bid is challenged.

this person may or may not be serious, may leave it till the last min.

I have always found that a bidding war right at the end, can push the price up too much, and it gets silly.

[pirategirl]

well, if you win it, and he hasnt answered, it surely wouldnt matter when you pick the item up??? Unless he is away or moving house of course.

there's still hrs to go. thats what ebay is about with the bidding, you take a chance.

[Katymac]

Thanks for your help

I think I will wait til later to give him a reasonable chance to answer

As he is 300 miles away & that is the only day I can collect - I think it only fair to him to give it a reasonable chance

Could the bidder have put in more than 150 & that is all that is showing because it's the starting bid?

[sixlostmonkeys]

"Could the bidder have put in more than 150 & that is all that is showing because it's the starting bid?"

yes

[Katymac]

Oh

Poo

[Katymac]

So if I bid 175 & he's already put in 200 my bid won't even register?