Ebay - buy it now or auction

[CadleCap]

I have put a few things up for auction but I have been contacted by several buyers asking for a buy-it-now price. Most of my enjoyment of bay comes from the last few minutes of auctions and wathing the bids. I certainly don't enjoy the 10% they now take.

So AIBU in thinking that ebay is no longer an auction site but has changed into one big shop with stuff that is available now.

A sniper, in Ebay terms, is someone who bids right at the last available second before an auction ends. Some people do this manually, others use automated sniping programs to do it for them.

I much prefer BINs. Auctions inevitably get sniped, and I haven't got the patience with that.

Sniping is what all auctions, and ebay, has always been about - right from the beginning!

If you put an item on auction and BIN, the BIN price has to be at least 40% more than the start price (eBay rule). So if asked for a BIN price you could always quote that - it's worked well for me. If the buyer wants it in a hurry, eg for a party, they will pay more, and you can tick the 'pay immediately' box.

But with the sniper things, you have to enter the max you'd be willing to pay, yes?

So why not just put your max bid in the box direct on ebay anyway? If no-one else bids you won't pay the full amount, and if you don't win it, it went for more than you were willing to pay anyway.

Fliss Because if you use a sniper you can set when to put your bid in to the second ie 1 or 2 seconds before the end..thus ensuring that nobody can outbid you if you have the highest bid.

If you place a bid for your maximum too early, on the ebay box there's always a chance someone will outbid you.

I used to use a sniper but i now do it manually, i always put my bid in with about 2 seconds to go.

Fliss, the point is you don't do it until the last few seconds. If you bid earlier, you'll just push the price up unnecessarily. So why does anyone bid early? That's what baffles me.

In the dying seconds, you can put in an absurdly high bid to secure the item, safe in the knowledge that no-one will have time to push the price above (say) £5.99 or whatever.

I will never a add a BIN to my auctions after they have started as too many times I have added one at a buyers request and they haven't bloody bought it!

If one person asks you for a BIN, yes you can easily say no, but when you list an item as auction only, and you get a constant stream of emails asking if you have a BIN price it is pretty annoying! I tend to ignore them, especially the ones who give you sob stories about not being in that day or going on holiday etc, if you really want it you would make arrangements for someone else to bid for you or put your highest bid in and let ebay do the bidding for you- it's not rocket science.

Hi imogen, when I buy it's usually stuff like clothes, or for the kids etc. If I'm not going to be around I might place a bid, but it's usually not worth it if it's a sought-after item as you're almost certain to be outbid. If there's something I need quickly I usually just look at BIN items.

As a seller I usually make sure auctions close on Sunday evening after 9, when people like me (us?) can sit down and bid/watch. I think people who list items to come off during a weekday are a bit thoughtless! But they're also losing out as they're missing out on all the ebay users who are at work, or have to do the school run, come home and cook tea etc. Having said that, if you can be there you're more likely to pick up the item cheaply.

A lot of it depends on your internet connection too. I suppose that's why the sniping tools are popular - although I've never actually used one.

I agree that buyers can be a bloody nuisance, they'll go off and forget or have second thoughts without letting you know, or fail to leave feedback. It's the same in any retail environment though. I can't stand the people who'll haggle at car boot sales to get 20p off an item offered for 50p. Or people in charity shops who haggle. For some people it's a sport...

So why does anyone bid early?

hahaha,because I can't be arsed to set up a sniper & my max really is my max, so may as well test the rival bidders to see whether I'm wasting my time trying to bid on something that has too much interest from rivals. I put in a low value bid & use my Bid History List to keep track of stuff I'm truly interested in buying (I use the Watch List to keep track of other types of items). I don't mind seller getting slightly more for the item either. Eventually I get an item for what I want, would never use Ebay auction to buy anything I needed in a hurry, anyway.

I always set up my maximum bid to be a few pence above the 50p increments or whatever they are.
Most people will go up nicely in zeros. So, if you list even 1p above it as maximum bid, you win the item.