eBay question (2 Viewers)

[GO]

Back to Bataan by The Maids.

I really love that tune and the story behind the record.

 

[Froog]

there's also a program that will automatically outbid your competitors by 1 cent or something, called ebay sniper?

 

[rettucs]

i could go bankrupt on ebay.

but i'll try not to

-thanks for all your advices, people. so just to clarify - if i bid (for example) 20 euro on something i may only end up having to pay 1 or 2 if no one else bids from the starting price?

I haven't used ebay in a while. I did use it quite a bit a couple of years ago. From my experience at that time I noticed something a little suspicious about it. It may have been nothing, but it got me wondering.

Basically, if you really want something and put in a 'max bid' thats a good bit higher than the current highest bid, it always seemed to be the case that there was always a flurry of activity (if you look at the bid history) right near the end of the auction.

That caused the price to be pushed up, yet you'd still win the item. I reckon there are seasoned ebayers out there who bid on their own items to push up the price. I reckon they can probably gauge how badly people want their stuff by how aggressively they bid to early hikes.

So, unless you really want something, don't put anything too extravagant in the 'max bid' field. The sharks always seem to know how to push the price up to whatever it is you set it to.

 

[Lili Marlene]

I haven't used ebay in a while. I did use it quite a bit a couple of years ago. From my experience at that time I noticed something a little suspicious about it. It may have been nothing, but it got me wondering.

Basically, if you really want something and put in a 'max bid' thats a good bit higher than the current highest bid, it always seemed to be the case that there was always a flurry of activity (if you look at the bid history) right near the end of the auction.

That caused the price to be pushed up, yet you'd still win the item. I reckon there are seasoned ebayers out there who bid on their own items to push up the price. I reckon they can probably gauge how badly people want their stuff by how aggressively they bid to early hikes.

So, unless you really want something, don't put anything too extravagant in the 'max bid' field. The sharks always seem to know how to push the price up to whatever it is you set it to.

As far as I know it's actually less likely to happen with seasoned eBayers, this type of thing is taken quite seriously and will get them removed from eBay.

It still happens but usually only on fairly new sellers who then get in trouble for it

There's a flurry of activity at the end because everyone puts in their bid in the last minute in an attempt to get the item as cheaply as possible

 

[rettucs]

As far as I know it's actually less likely to happen with seasoned eBayers, this type of thing is taken quite seriously and will get them removed from eBay.

It still happens but usually only on fairly new sellers who then get in trouble for it

There's a flurry of activity at the end because everyone puts in their bid in the last minute in an attempt to get the item as cheaply as possible

yeah, thats why I figured it might be nothing. But it always seemed to be 2 bidder involved, mysteriously upping each others bids by the minimum possible.

 

[Cormcolash]

decide exactly what you want to pay or the item in advance, place your bid as late as you can.

I haven't read the rest of this thread but it should probably just be closed after this post.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

only bid in the last 30 seconds if at all possible.

unless the auction is ending at a time when you're not going to have access to a computer.

if you want something badly enough then you gotta bid higher than normal. Your maximum is likely to be similar to that of many other people.

a maximum bid of the most you're mentally prepared to pay + 50% should see off all other bidders.

a bid of this size will usually come in successful and the full 50% ceiling is rarely utilised - normally c20%

i.e. a record on sale. I'm prepared to pay $100 so I make a maximum bid of $150.

I should get it for $115 - $120.

most reliable sellers for records or CDs are the Japanese. The more expensive the item, the more TLC and prompt attention you get.

 

[Flux]

Man, I'd love to see nnigglyy's record collection.

 

[GO]

unless the auction is ending at a time when you're not going to have access to a computer.

Man,you can stay in the auction by Sms also.

I was up a mountain in Sligo once and I was still in the game for a record I was bidding on.
Mad.

 

[mr pharmacist!!!!1]

Man,you can stay in the auction by Sms also.

I was up a mountain in Sligo once and I was still in the game for a record I was bidding on.
Mad.

dude, you have to be my the best poster on thumped at the moment.

 

[Flux]

I really hope he was on the extreme tip of this geographical anomaly;

http://www.jobsoxo.com/tourism/Benbulben%2007.jpg

 

[I Bleed Black]

Ah good old ebay, I fell off the wagon only a few days ago. Hadn't bid on anything in over a year i'd say which i was pretty pleased with after an expensive flurry of activity in 2006/7.

 

[hugh]

What I do is put in a bid that puts me there as the top bidder. I then put in another bid that is higher than that.

This seems to work .. really .. I don't understand why. I think someone comes along in the last few seconds and outbids me .... but then my second secret higher bid kicks in and outbids them and by the time they realise what's happened I am in fact the proud owner of something useless that I've paid too much for and not them! Ha ha! Take that!

 

[mr pharmacist!!!!1]

is it better to choose paypals exchange rate or your own credit cards exchange rate?
im assuming the credit card route?
is the rate taken from the day you order or when the order is processed?

 

[Pat Pockets]

Im looking at an item for sale that says 8 days left. If I buy the item then its mine straight away, the 8 days is just how long potential buyers have to make their mind up is it? Or do I have to wait that length of time for them to process my order.

Cheers

 

[hugh]

Im looking at an item for sale that says 8 days left. If I buy the item then its mine straight away, the 8 days is just how long potential buyers have to make their mind up is it? Or do I have to wait that length of time for them to process my order.

Cheers

If there is a "Buy It Now" button on it then there is a fixed price, which you can pay immediately, and then it's yours immediately. The 8 days is just how long the auction will remain on the site.

It's kinda like the golden goal in extra time.

By the way, anyone here sell stuff on ebay? I've just started doing this ... offloading duplicates of records I have. It's fun.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

By the way, anyone here sell stuff on ebay? I've just started doing this ... offloading duplicates of records I have. It's fun.

I do. Had a good few auctions running last year.

Sell on .co.uk not .ie

Everything priced in GBP.

Postage rates are high though - it costs more to post one CD from Ireland to England than the other way around. You can lower your postage costs if you want but it just comes off the profit.

Posting vinyl is prohibitively expensive.

DVDs sell better than CDs especially region 1s.

Very hard to make decent money on CDs. None of mine went for more than GBP 6. By the time you take into account waiting in post office with packages etc, it's hard to see how it's worth it.

A good investment is a kitchen scales and a list of An Post charges. Guessing is futile.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

is it better to choose paypals exchange rate or your own credit cards exchange rate?
im assuming the credit card route?
is the rate taken from the day you order or when the order is processed?

rate taken when you authorise the payment.

handy thing about paypal is if you sell too - you can keep all your GBP proceeds in sterling and use them to pay for sterling purchases. No conversion.

 

[hugh]

Sell on .co.uk not .ie
Everything priced in GBP.

Why do you say that?

Do you think that things being priced in Euro puts buyers off?

 

[nlgbbbblth]

Why do you say that?

Do you think that things being priced in Euro puts buyers off?

it's to do with the

- search engines. I found that some ebay.ie listings do not come up when searching .co.uk but only .com as 'international'.

- the majority of buyers (for me) tend to be UK. My last 24 items sold - 17 were UK, 2 Ireland and 5 Europe.

- and the fact that my seller's account was registered on .co.uk all those years ago.