I have lost my share of e-bay items at the last minute. Today I would really like to win something that is very important. Does this system really work? I am currently the high bidder but below reserve, what to do?
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
quote:
Originally posted by baby e-bay:
Does this system really work?
Yes. AS is better then sliced bread or canned beer and not fattening.
Yes, it really works. But...
only if you are the high bidder and the reserve has been met. AS is NOT magic. Using AS and bidding at the last possible moment prevents other bidders from changing their mind about how much they want to spend. (they don't have time). If you really want it, enter a snipe for the MAXIMUM you are willing to pay, sit back and wait. If you win, great. If you win at a lower than expected price, even better. If you still loose, it's because the item got to expensive. Remember, enter your MAXIMUM.
Good Luck, and let us know how it turns out.
only if you are the high bidder and the reserve has been met. AS is NOT magic. Using AS and bidding at the last possible moment prevents other bidders from changing their mind about how much they want to spend. (they don't have time). If you really want it, enter a snipe for the MAXIMUM you are willing to pay, sit back and wait. If you win, great. If you win at a lower than expected price, even better. If you still loose, it's because the item got to expensive. Remember, enter your MAXIMUM.
Good Luck, and let us know how it turns out.
And, of course, we like to recommend 8 seconds lead time for non-prime time, and 15 seconds for Sunday evenings, and auctions that end on quarter hour might be wize to use 30 seconds. Happy hunting.
Oh yea, one other thing. You might consider contacting the seller and asking what the reserve is. Seller may ignore your email, but they just might tell you. It depends on what the item is, and how much they want to sell it.
I never understood the reasoning of a reserve. Why not just use a starting bid?
I never understood the reasoning of a reserve. Why not just use a starting bid?
our forum!As you can see, we really believe in AS! It is the only way to go! When I snipe, I use 8 seconds as my normal default. On Sunday 5:30 to 8:30 PST, I add 15 seconds and on the hour, quarter, and half, I do the same. Always snipe the max you want to pay and if you are outbid, then you know they paid too much Generally, if you are patient, another one will come down the Ebay pike, cheaper! 
Puppy, I agree. I don't bid on reserve auctions very often. Nonsense to me! 
With a reserve, a seller need only one interested bidder to get a bidding war going. The war is between the bidder and the reserve. Other auctions require 2 or more.
I don't see a reserve auction as that much different then a non-reserve auction. About the only difference is that the seller may value the item at a higher price then I, or anyone else does, and the item will not be sold. If I'm willing to pay X, then I'm prepared to pay X.
I also think from a seller's stand-point, it gives them more flexibility in selling their goods. After all, enough people must like them or sellers wouldn't list them and bidders wouldn't bid on them.
I don't see a reserve auction as that much different then a non-reserve auction. About the only difference is that the seller may value the item at a higher price then I, or anyone else does, and the item will not be sold. If I'm willing to pay X, then I'm prepared to pay X.
I also think from a seller's stand-point, it gives them more flexibility in selling their goods. After all, enough people must like them or sellers wouldn't list them and bidders wouldn't bid on them.
IMO, a seller is saying that they will take x amount or more , if you want to pay it..not a true auction to me! I have sold a lot of multi thousand dollar items. I put it on the block and let it go. Never have I been hurt. I just don't like playing guessing games...sitting there all week only to find out our proxy or snipe is too low..waste of my time...and rick, you know THAT is valuable.
Some people love 'em, and some people leave 'em, and some are middle-of-the-roaders. Just another way to sell merchandise.
I don't set policy for ebay (obviously), but I think selling is a higher mission for ebay then auctioning.
I don't set policy for ebay (obviously), but I think selling is a higher mission for ebay then auctioning.
Put me down for 'hate em' I don't see the flexibility. The only advantage of reserve auctions is to draw a bidder into getting so carried away with the process, they forget what their max is. While that may happen more often than I think, I bet they have a bigger 'buyer remorse' problem than I do. If you have an item you won't take less than $50 for, then set your opening bid at $50. Don't waist my time with an opening bid of $2 and a secret minimum of 50.
Sorry, just venting. And besides, I want Mrs. M to bid on my auctions!
quote:
Mrs. M:
I don't bid on reserve auctions very often
Sorry, just venting. And besides, I want Mrs. M to bid on my auctions!
Yes, well, puppy, that would be a shot in a million! Lol, unless they are puppy. But, since you are on my side.. I'll start looking! LOL!
But, since you are on my side.. I'll start looking! LOL! quote:
Originally posted by puppy_raiser:
And besides, I want Mrs. M to bid on my auctions!
Sounds like she will.
Mrs. M. Don't look to hard, there won't be any for a while. I figure about March.
Rick, now you know, if you have a problem they will send you to 
who will drive you to the 
which will drive you to.... 
who will drive you to the which will drive you to.... 
As everyone else said. All you can do is bid the max you will pay on AS and then let the computer do the work. If someone else bids higher, at least you did not overpay. Unless this gizmo is a one of a kind, hand made thingamabob, there are a lot more of them to show up. That is why the BID GROUP folder is the way to go. Just move all your snips of that gizmo into that folder at your max price and sooner or later you will get it at your price. I agree with everyone else. I will not bid on a reserve auction.
If they do not have the courage to say how much they want, it is not worth my time and effort.
"Shop" and My Snipes
If they do not have the courage to say how much they want, it is not worth my time and effort.
"Shop" and My Snipes
Hi Puppy & Mrs.M!
Just want to address somewhat the issue of reserves. Obviously the seller does not want the item to go for below a certain amount. You contend the opening bid should be set for that minimum amount INSTEAD of setting a reserve with a lower opening bid. It might come down to the fee amount charged by ebay!
For example, say a seller has an item he wants no less than $60. If he lists it for no reserve & opening bid, the ebay listing fee = $2.20. Now if the seller sets a reserve at $60 and sets an opening bid of $5, the ebay listing fee = $0.30 with an additional reserve fee of $1 ONLY if the thing doesn't meet the reserve. Seller saves ~$2 in ebay fees.
Might that be a reason?
Jabbergah
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Just want to address somewhat the issue of reserves. Obviously the seller does not want the item to go for below a certain amount. You contend the opening bid should be set for that minimum amount INSTEAD of setting a reserve with a lower opening bid. It might come down to the fee amount charged by ebay!
For example, say a seller has an item he wants no less than $60. If he lists it for no reserve & opening bid, the ebay listing fee = $2.20. Now if the seller sets a reserve at $60 and sets an opening bid of $5, the ebay listing fee = $0.30 with an additional reserve fee of $1 ONLY if the thing doesn't meet the reserve. Seller saves ~$2 in ebay fees.
Might that be a reason?
Jabbergah
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2 whole dollars! OMG! 
Jabber, you got a point there. A couple bucks is a couple bucks.
But I still don't like em.
But I still don't like em.
I think this forum has some Reserve Impaired members. Maybe they are Reserve Challenged. Or perhaps they are Reserve Handicap. I can work on starting Reserve Parking, but I'm a Reserve person.
HELLO?
Jabber, I am aware of all the reasons a seller might put in a reserve. I don't care. I personally don't like them . I could not tell you how many times I sat there for a week, thinking I had a snipe or proxy large enough to win, only to descover that it didn't reach the reserve at the end...and yes, I do ask, but do not always get an answer. Games people play!
RESERVE IMPAIRED
Yes, well, I am not SIGNATURE IMPAIRED!
Hi Mrs. M. How are you tonight?
Hi Mr. Rick, and how are you?
I'm fine, but I'm 
Impaired. 
Impaired.
The ubbcode is handy, but really, using html is a lot better because you can do so much more with it.
Since this forum doesn't support html, what more can you do with it?
NADA