to hate ebay bidders pushing up the price in a frenzy to be highest bidder??

[mamamila]

why do they do this? i wait a week watching something and then a bidding frenzy makes the price unreasonable. why do people have to see their bid as the highest? why can't they just lurk and bid at the last minute keeping price low?

it drives me crazy

Er... because if their bid isn't highest it won't win??

Often it will be automatic bidding.

I'm thinking perhaps that you are not compleeeeetely understanding the auctions concept...

I'm sure the sellers aren't complaining. I agree it's silly though.

surely that is the point of ebay!

maybe they're out when the auction ends or don't like the last minute flapping

i think 'weekenders' are the problem, weekday bidders are far more furtive. the point of ebay for me is bargains but these out of control bidders push prices way over what's reasonable for 2nd hand items without warranties etc

Because if everyone bid at the last minute no-one would get anything, as a last minute bid wouldnt show up until the auction has ended if you do it properly. Im afraid Im a hardcore sniper!

i learned the art of last minute bidding after i missing out last min on every item i tried to buy.
it's just so frustrating watching a bargain for a week and a sudden bidding frenzy in final hours triples the price and there's still an hour to go...

presumably the other bidders find their maximum bids to be reasonable, though, mamamila, even if you would not bid so high for the item yourself. And so, the item goes to the highest bidder, whether they bid early or late, their bid will always be higher than yours.

personally I'm a sniper, as I find I get the best deals this way. I am usually grateful to know early on if an item has been escalated out of my price range early on as it means I can move on without waiting for the end of the auction.

So, you're just p-eed off because people are prepared to pay more than you are??

what?

they want to buy the item. They don't want you to buy it, they want to buy it.

Is this a joke?

yes soupdragon i'm very annoyed by that

greensleeves - yes the unfairness summed up in that analogy is making me tearful

it's not an analogy

so what exactly is it that's got into your knickers?

not an analogy? jeez and i was once an english teacher...

i'm too scared to say what i'm bidding on as the price is still spiralling out of control. but i'm v pregnant and lost enthusiasm for all this online shopping a week or 2 back..

i've been trying to buy 2 pushchairs to solve the baby/ toddler/ pram dilemmas but it's driving me over the edge

someone starts an AIBU thread

they are

they get upset

people dont want to sell it to YOU
they want to sell it for MONEY.

so yes they are pleased.

people bid before the last minute because they have LIVES to lead and dont know abotu sniping.

"they want to buy the item. They don't want you to buy it, they want to buy it."

is NOT an analogy, it's a straightforward decription. It contains no metaphor.

To think you were once an English teacher

Yes

Ill pile in as a teacher and agree

No analogy

mamamila, the best way to get a pushchair on ebay I have been told is to choose one where you have to pick it up yourself. and have you ever tried searching for an item through fatfingers.com?

ooh thanks for that foxy.

yes part of problem is the items with postage get more attention

i often suspect the sellers of pushing up the prices too..

I just bought a tandem buggy for £15, collection only. Bargaintastic - it's an Emmaljunga as well, not a cheap one.

Maybe if ebay is upsetting you so much you should take a step back and look on here for 2nd hand buggies?

OP, you obviously haven't discovered sniping tools that will put in a bid for you at the last minute whilst you're not chained to your PC/laptop!

I use this because I do not want to get involved with silly bidding wars and it also means that I can withdraw my "bid" if I change my mind. I have a set price on an item which I view to be realistic and if my bid isn't the highest then no big deal, I move on.

Seriously, sniping is the way to go if you're that annoyed about not winning an item. However, if it's because you don't want to pay what others are willing to pay, then there's always freecycle.

Is this what pregnancy does to you?

YABU.....that's the point of ebay. Agree with looking for collection only in your area for bigger items. Chill out - sometimes ebay is bargainous, sometimes no cheaper than high street and more fraught.

I can see the OP's point. It's irritating when you think you're on to a winner but you get outbid at the last minute, but that's eBay for you.

I think Gumtree is better for buggies. I gave up looking for a Maclaren Techno XT on eBay after being outbid all the time. I am now the proud owner of a Techno buggy that cost all of £20 .