Buy It Now disappears after a single bid

[cuppachar]

What is the whole point of this? I've listed an item with a 99p starting price and a Buy It Now price of £220. Someone has bid 99p so my BIN has disappeared even though there is still over a week left to run. I know this is just how it works, but why?

It didn't used to work this way, and it pisses me off royally, esp when you pay extra to have a BIN feature,
Ebay is a crock of shit and very, very sneaky... but Paypal is worse!

Guys, it always did this...it will disappear after the first bid unless you put a reserve on.
HTH

I agree re crock of sh*t btw and paypal

Thing is I didn't really want a reserve as I think it puts bidders off, but I would really like the BIN to stay on, as it's set at a slightly higher amount than I'm likely to get via auction.

I just think it;s annoying spending several £ adding a BIN only for it to disappear thanks to a 99p bid. Surely it doesn't help ebay to make the most profit either? And encourages people to make BIN offers outside ebay?

Anyway, just venting really - I know there's no answer but just wondered if others find this annoying too.

Yes it is annoying - you could always start the bidding higher, which also puts people off - or put no reserve, no BIN and just pull it near the end if it's not looking hopeful

Serves the b*ggers right, they are an awful organisation IMO but sadly the best option for selling stuff.

I thought about ebid for a while but it's full of useless stuff nobody wants.

I'll admit to putting on a 99p bid if I see something expensive that I possibly want, but am not absolutely sure about, so no one else can bin before I get a chance to work out collection logistics. Also, if I know the auction price will be lower than the bin price.

Does that make me a bad person ?

Can't understand the point of the bin price disappearing at all. Would surely be better for ebay if it didn't.

No, Wriggle, I've done that too but I do hate it when someone else does it!! lol. It's like bagsying something!

sometimes it's better in these kind of instances to do BIN or best offer. On usa ebay the buy it now stays, I know I have bid on stuff before from US with a BIN but it doesn't disapear and no rserve! Unlike here.

That's weird if it works differently on the US site. And WriggleJiggle, it doesn't annoy me at all if buyers use that tactic - I would happily do so myself. It's the system that annoys me as I just can't see the logic behind it and can't see how it even benefits ebay, let alone the seller.

I'm in th US and the BIN has always disappeared after the first bid ime.

The thing is, once a bidder makes a bid both sides are contractually obliged to complete the auction.

It isn't really fair if the bidders is bidding on an item that the seller has listed as a BIN and has a standard auction going on at the same time, and then the item just disappears because somebody does a BIN. The seller would be breaking the trust and the contractual agreement with the bidders - the contractual obligation to the auction having been started before the BIN option was exercised.

Ending auctions early is quite strongly discouraged. If buyers find they are being left high and dry by sellers who keep removing items from auctions they will get mightly fed up and not bother with ebay again - I know I wouldn't if it happened more than once - and that is no good for anybody, buyers, sellers or ebay.

I don't understand why you would have such a huge difference between the starting price and the BIN. If the item is worth as much as the BIN price nobody expects to get away with paying 99p - they know it is going to go higher and all that early bidding is a waste of time. Have a higher starting price and set the BIN at a realistic price and then you wouldn't be worrying about not getting the full value for it, nor would you get silly bids by chancers hoping, but not expecting, to get something for nothing and yet ending your chances of doing a BIN.

Oh right jabberwocky....how strange. I have honestly had that happen to me at least twice, where I have bid to remove the buy it now but it never disappears! I even showed DH because it was so unusual..

me too maxybrown, promise!!

ok, here for example this not looked at items, just found something with bids and a buy it now but no mention of a reserve.

ok, here for example this not looked at items, just found something with bids and a buy it now but no mention of a reserve.

ok, here for example this not looked at items, just found something with bids and a buy it now but no mention of a reserve.

and here just a small item so doubtful it has reserve!

Niecie - the reason I've started at 99p despite it being quite a high value item is (a) to save listing fees but mainly (b) because I've been told this maximises the number of watchers & bidders, the level of interest (and perceived interest) in the item, and therefore the final selling price. Not sure if this is true of course, but that's my reasoning!

Also, regardless of what you say about both sides being contractually obliged to complete the auction, this is the 2nd time I've listed this item - first time round the winning bidder withdrew immediately after the sale. So if I do decide to end this one early I wouldn't feel too bad about it!

maxybrown - I've just looked at your links and it does appear the US site works the way I would like the UK one to. Wonder why there's a difference?

I love the US descriptions - I've never seen baby clothes on the UK ebay described as "good for church"!