Seller bumping up price - advice?

[ArgyMargy]

I've just bid on an oil burner listed at 99p and immediately was told I was outbid. I assume this is the seller wanting me to bid again and gradually increase to their desired price. Are there conventions around this? Is it partly so they can avoid the higher listing prices? I'm quite new to ebay and still learning tactics!!

You can report for shill bidding, but how do you know it isn't another bidder. Has the bidder bid on sellers other items too?

If there was already a bid on the item when you placed your bid and the first bidder's max bid was higher than yours then it will immediately tell you that you were outbid.

Its more likely to be someone else who is bidding. Was there already a bid on the item? If they had listed a higher maximum bid than you then this is what would have happened.

The seller isnt able to increase the price like this, the only way they can is to have a second account or friend to bid for them, but this isnt allowed. If you think that is what is happeneing then they can be reported to ebay for it, but from what you have said it doesnt sound like the most likely explanation.

Hmm. There WAS another bid but it didn't show up when I did my bid. I think this is because I put the item on "watch" at the time when there were no bids and then bid from there. Reassuring to know that it was my error. I've read about shill bidding and perhaps that's what made me so suspicious! Thanks for the advice.

Was there already a bid on it? If so, the successful bidder's maximum price was higher than the amount the bidding was currently at and higher than your bid, IYSWIM- eg the seller puts on a starting price of 99p, someone bids a fiver. The current price will be showing at 99p so if you bid three quid, the bidding will jump to £3.20 or so but you'll be outbid. I reckon that's what happened here as you were told immediately that you'd been outbid- if it was the seller doing it, it would take time.

It is likely there is a 2nd bidder who made a bid before you.

eg say the item starting price is 50p. If a bidder bids £2.50, then eBay will only put a bid of 50p on the item.

If a 2nd bidder come along and bids £1.95 (say), then eBay will automatically increase the bid of the first bidder to £2.00 because it is within that bidder's maximum bid of £2.50.

That's probably how you were outbid straightaway. Sellers can't increase the price and if they get someone else to bid from another account, they are breaking eBay rules.

Thanks everyone!