Can sellers bid on the stuff they are selling to bump up the price?

[NickRobinsonsloveslave]

Cos I'm sure this has happened to me.

caughtinanet - yes, it does matter, because some people don't initially bid their maximum - they see an item with a bid on it, and gradually input higher and higher bids until they are the highest bidder and so if you put your maximum bid in earlier, you can lose out. Then of course they are sitting ducks for someone else to come along and snipe at the end. It doesn't make sense to me, but some people do this.

Sniper style bidding at the end is more like an auction with sealed bids - everybody's maximum bid comes in at the same time, and you can't see what anyone else is bidding, so you have to bid what you actually think an item is worth.

OP - I used to feel the same and it took me AGES to win anything. I couldn't understand how people kept outbidding me so quickly. Now I understand the 'maximum bid' procedure & never bid until the very end ('sniping' makes it much more exciting) I win most of the things I really want.

Another tip is to put in a 'random' top bid. E.g. if £10 is your 'maximum', can you stretch to £10.23? That way if someone has already entered £10 or £10.20, you will still win.

Good luck. You'll be sniping with the rest of us in no time!

caughtinanet - I see others have already explained the benefits of sniping. It matters very much when you put in your highest bid! Certainly not before the last 20 seconds, and the last 10 is a much safer bet. (Note: you may sometimes lose out if your internet connection sloooooooooooows or cuts out, or you just forget. That's eBay life.)

Today I knew I wouldn't be around for the end of an auction, so just put in my highest bid before leaving the house. Ten minutes later, another bidder raised their max amount so I lost out. But if I'd been sniping, they wouldn't have had time to reconsider the amount it was worth to them.

Still awaiting the joyous news of the OP's first win.

Flymetothemoon. Oh yes! Its soooooo cute. Its a freedom microlite, a teeny tiny fibreglass 3 berth. Me and DD2 just go (the teenager thinks its naff) i've wanted a caravan since i was about 8! Everything's all mini!

I got one! Could'nt believe it when the email said I had won.

Am now addicted.

Congratulations!!!

Hurrah :)

Update from me (it's FlyMeTo... here sporting yet another namechange) - we sold our coin for £125. Even after fees that's roughly one week's wages!

congratulations - make sure you send it special delivery