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The following is not critical of anyone, but trying to see where this would fit in.


I've been thinking about contingency bid groups. I've come up with a couple of reasons when someone would use them:
1) Prerequisite item.
2) Reduced shipping cost (same seller).

Prerequisite item would seem to be limited to 2 auctions. The issue: "If I don't get the first one, then the I don't need the second one." An example would be a 2 volume book with each volume on a separate auction. If I don't win volume one, don't snipe volume two because I don't want to start reading the book in the middle, or only read the first half.

I don't think prerequisite item would apply to more then 2 because with each auction I increase my chances of not getting the complete set, but this could be a mistake on my part.

Now, lets talk about this for reduced shipping cost. Lets say a seller has 5 items that I want. Would I tell AS that if I don't win #1, skip 2 thru 5? What would be the difference between winning 1 thru 4 and winning 2 thru 5, or winning 1 thru 3 and 5? Might I be willing to bid on 3 thru 5 even if I didn't win 1 and 2?

At first brush, the idea seemed to have merit, I'm just not sure how it would work.

This is not an original idea on my part:
>>> Click here <<<


P.S. If anyone is thinking, "It all depends", then that might be difficult to program and complicated to use an it-all-depends.
Last edited {1}
Sara B. - in other referenced posts, you said implementing contingency bids would probably be hard to implement. I don't think it should be too difficult.

1. Add an option to bids to, 'enter contingency bids'. Set them up in a sub-group linked to the primary item, or primary bid group.

2. Upon completion of the primary item, flow through the contingency bids - either cancelling or activating them dependent on the status of the primary item (won, lost). You already do something similar with bid groups.

Please take this as another vote for this option. I have a current situation where I have a bid group set up for a doll one of my friends has been wanting. Clothing accessories are also available for this item - and I don't need the clothes if I don't have the doll. This feature would be very welcome. Luckily, the doll is frequently available on ebay, so I'm fairly confident that if I win the accessory item and not the doll, the doll will eventually be won from another auction.

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