So how do I know if I'm really winning?

[Mirnyj]

I just started my Ebay account and was bidding on some ponies. The auction page told me I was the highest bidder, until the auction ended. Suddenly there were higher bidders and I had lost the auction. First I was like  and then I was like  and now I'm like  and feel very disappointed and cheated on. Could someone explain me what on earth happened there? How can I ever tell if I really am the highest bidder or not?

[Stormness_1]

Well, the auction page was right. At that time, you were the highest bidder. However, someone can outbid you after you've bid. Ebay will bid upto your 'maximum bid'. If someone bids over that, the bid shown will go up, and that person will win. So with an auction, you've got to watch the end, and if you haven't put in a 'maximum bid', then bid manually, but be warned, bidding takes time, and sometimes time will run out before you bid again, and then you'll lose!

[Yurusumaji]

Some people probably had clients up that bid within the last few minutes or even seconds. If you don't refresh the web page, you won't know until it's too late. I have the app on my phone so it will alert me, but ultimately if they do it close enough to the end of the auction then you won't have time to respond.

For me, I always always always put in my maximum bid. I think, "How much is this worth to me?" and I put in the amount that I think I am okay with paying. That way, if someone snipes me, they were willing to pay more than me and I can walk away with a clean conscience. No matter what amount you put in as your max, the bid only goes up by whatever increment it usually does. If it goes up by a penny, that's how much you'll raise it. If it goes up by a dollar, that's how much you'll raise it. The auction will not automatically jump to the max amount you put in unless someone else put in an amount that was right below yours in value (doesn't happen very often).

So, for example, if the auction is just starting and there are no bids and it starts at the base of $.99, then I can put in a max bid of, say, $10. That will start the auction off at the base price, which is $.99. If someone else comes in and bids, say, $5 as their max bid then it will simply push my bid up to whatever the next increment above $5 is. If it's going up a dollar each time, then my bid will jump to $6. If someone comes in later and is willing to pay a little more than me and bids $12, then they will have outbid my max bid and the auction would then jump to $11 and I will back out of the auction then because I decided I wasn't willing to pay more than $10 for that item. Keep in mind that other bidders cannot see your max bid, so you don't really have to worry about people outbidding you based on your max bid.

Some other people use sniping clients, which you can try. The max bid system works for me, but not everyone likes it.

[Mirnyj]

So Ebay doesn't have a 5 minute rule? That's a bummer...  The second last bid had come in four seconds before the end, and it still had been outbid two seconds after... Well, next time I'll be wiser. 

[banditpony]

Yep, as stated. The best way to win something is to bid the max amount you want to pay for an item. If you lost, it only means someone wants to pay more.

Sniping is a strategy that many people use-- but they still have to put in the highest bid to win.

I think with that in mind, then it's fair.

[PandaBerryInSpace]

And this is exactly why I never bid on things. I'm sorry this happened to you.

[Eluluu]

yeah the only real way to beat the snipers is to join them (unless you just put in the max bid and walk away) but youll have to be at the comp as it ends. i typically will type in my high bid with 10 seconds on the clock, and confirm it with 3 or 4 left. its frustrating but it works. =/

'sniping clients?' i just do it myself. *puzzled*

[andibgoode]

yeah the only real way to beat the snipers is to join them (unless you just put in the max bid and walk away) but youll have to be at the comp as it ends. i typically will type in my high bid with 10 seconds on the clock, and confirm it with 3 or 4 left. its frustrating but it works. =/

'sniping clients?' i just do it myself. *puzzled*

Well, I use a client as about 90% of auctions I'm interested in end from 1-5am Australia time & I barely get enough sleep as it is. I also have issues with anxiety and find that if I do it myself I spend the entire day the auction ends feeling incredibly ill from being anxious and it takes me a good few hours afterward to calm down and recover.

Edit: I was assuming you were wondering why people use the clients, hence my answer but if you weren't then just ignore me

And to the OP - eBay is hard. I barely ever win but a few times I have it's been worth it. Good luck if you decide to hang in there!

[Mirnyj]

He, thanks for your answers and cheer-ups everyone. 

I guess I'll go for the automatic bidding thingy. I have bid on online auctions before, but they've always had the 5 minute rule going, and it was such a killjoy to see that the Ebay auction ended precisely when the time ran out. 

I'm just glad there are other ways too for getting ponies besides evilbay, just got another package carried to me two hours ago! 

[Ringlets]

*hugs *        I know how super frustrating it is to be sniped in the last few seconds on ebay
usually i will watch the end of the auction and keep refreshing the page (or keep two pages of it open, one to watch the countdown and one with my final bid ready to place in the last few seconds   )  if its something I really really want. Otherwise I will just put the highest amount 'm willing to pay and if someone else pays more than thats ok with me cos I wasnt prepared to.  I like to buy ponies from people here a lot though TBH  - its much less stressful than waiitng for an ebay auction wherre you may get sniped, plus the people here are nicer to deal with

[ponylady]

Yep, ebay can be very stressful at times.  I am the same as most in that I decide what I am willing to pay to begin with and enter my max bid.  If I win, Yay!! but if not then I know I didn't overspend on anything because I decided to get in a bidding war in the end.

[PinkRosedust]

If you don't mind me asking, what is the 5 minute rule from other bidding sites? o.O

[melipuffles]

If you don't mind me asking, what is the 5 minute rule from other bidding sites? o.O

If I'm not wrong, I think it's that the auction extends by 5 minutes every time you try to snipe in the last 5 minutes.

[Mirnyj]

^ That's exactly what it is. Auction closes at ending time OR 5 minutes after last bid, so it makes sniping quite impossible if you're watching the bid until the end.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

^ That's exactly what it is. Auction closes at ending time OR 5 minutes after last bid, so it makes sniping quite impossible if you're watching the bid until the end.

Which simply raises the price higher and higher - not a good thing!  Then people get a false sense of what the item's worth and pay even MORE next time!  I like Ebay's ending times and incremental bidding - keeps a sense of budget in focus.