Bidding on EBay, help!

[user6776]

Desperate to win an item but it's currently got 14 bids and 20 watchers with 40 minutes to go 😅

How do I win this!? Should I submit my highest bid now or wait as late as possible? Really don't want to lose out at last min!

Can any experienced eBay shoppers give me some tips?

I enter the amount I'm prepared to pay and if it goes over that's tough on me.

Submit the highest price you are willing to pay

Bid a bit high now to see what the response is. Bid your absolute maximum at seconds to go, put the bid ready and have your finger ready at 10 seconds, or miss my first step and take them by surprise at 10 seconds to go.

And never flat amounts say 15.73
17.08
21.65 etc

Yes go with a few pounds and pence over an obvious looking bid. And if you don't give them time to respond they can't make a last minute decision to bid higher.

So I should submit now?

This is what I do. Enter my absolute maximum at 13 seconds to go.

There is zero point bidding any sooner than 5 seconds before the end of the auction.

My strategy is always ensure that I am logged in a few minutes before the end and then bid the maximum I am prepared to pay a few seconds before it finishes.

I've submitted a bid, and it's the highest so far..

This is not my maximum bid though so I'll bid again when it's near the end and hope for the best!

I've submitted a bid, and it's the highest so far

Schoolgirl error. If there are 14 bids and 20 watchers you will be outbid in the dying seconds. If not I will be astonished.

You need to use a sniper - software that automatically bids for you in the last second of the bid. You put the highest bid you're prepared to make into the sniper and then the computer does it all for you faster than you would be able to. I use Gixen - I've never lost an auction when using it. Your computer doesn't even need to be on for it to make the bid for you. Very handy for when auctions finish at tricky times of day or night.
https://www.gixen.com/main/index.php

Yep, this is what I do too! And not full amounts. I win every item I Want.

You need to have as much as you'd be prepared to pay as your highest bid now, then any last min bids will be matched by you. If it goes over what you were prepared to pay then you didn't want it anyway!

Oh shit have I messed it up 🙈

You submit your max bid.

The that way you don't need to rush at the last minute as if someone puts a bid in and yours is higher, yours is automatic.

For example if you are prepared to pay £20 and it's currently at £12.. instead of doing £13, then £14, etc

Just do £20 and if someone outbids you on the current bid it will keep going until it gets to £20.

Also tip: if you are prepared to pay £20
Put your top bid as £20.49 as someone else will also be prepared to pay £20.

Ok maximum bid submitted... fingers crossed

Do not bid until 5 seconds before the end and then bid the absolute maximum you’re willing to pay.

Yes, always submit your very highest just 10-15 seconds before it ends 🫣

The most I'm willing to pay is quite a bit over the current bid so hopefully nobody else outbids me at the last second 😂 this is tense!

@Scalessayeek I get what you mean, but I'd be gutted if I submitted last second, wasn't the highest then I'd missed out!

25 watchers now 😭 I'm going to get outbid aren't i!

That's not how the human mind works when it comes to eBay auctions.

If you put 20.49 now the other person who was only willing to bid up to 20 will say what's another 70p and outbid you with 20.70.

If you wait to the last moment and they've bid up to 20 they won't have time to retaliate to your 20.49 bid

You must have an idea of what your maximum is? So say it's £100 and that's it - you wouldn't bid more - and you've currently gone to £60.

Wait until 15 seconds before auction end and just put in 100.68 or whatever