Renewed Auctions

[fuddyfudpucker]

Evening all.  I've been bidding on Captain America Brave New World blu ray (don't judge me) recently and failing multiple times. Three sellers I've tried and each time I miss out. Nothing unusual in that of course. My most recent failure was 20 mins ago, I was winning with seconds remaining and then..... damn, lost again. Thing is, these lots seem to just auto renew immediately and start the 7 day bidding process all over again. I did have a second attempt with one seller, but I'm not going to bite a third time. What's noticeable about this evenings failure is that it still says one available. Anybody any thoughts? Are these just glitches or something more sinister?

Many thanks.

[style_wise]

Whenever possible, I believe Sellers are acting in good faith. If they prove that wrong, fair enough - you can take appropriate action. But in the meantime life is too short to worry about conspiracy theories. Good luck with your bidding!

[thesmokingrunner]

Personally @fuddyfudpucker  I wouldn't take advice from someone who is obviously a business seller trading on a private account...

It's actually difficult to identify precisely why you missed out three times in a row - there are so many glitches on eBay these days any one (or more) of them could cause a bid to fail at the last second.

Possible reasons for you missing out are: It's a sought-after DVD so the price is higher than you may otherwise expect; there just happen to be more bidders than usual on the DVDs on which you are bidding; a previous bidder has put in a higher bid which automatically beats yours.

As to why sellers are relisting immediately after an auction ends - it's all down to marketing. Have a listing with 5 available and buyers don't necessarily rush to buy - why would they if the seller's got a few in stock? List a single item and buyers a) are more likely to buy and b) if more than one buyer is interested the final price is likely to be higher.

The seller's best tactic, therefore, is to list and sell one item at a time. And I suspect that's what is happening with the DVD you're trying to buy: the seller has several but they're listing them one at a time to increase the chances of getting a better price.

Don't give up. Hang in there - sooner or later you'll be the only person who wants that DVD and you'll get it for the opening price... : )

[fuddyfudpucker]

Thanks for your reply. Actually, your reasoning for having multiple copies of the same item, but selling them one at a time, does make sense and may be the reason. Do you think then though, that they should register as a business seller rather than private if they have multiple copies of items.

[thesmokingrunner]

Although the obvious answer is yes, they should be registered as a business seller, the less clear answer is that it depends. They might have bought several copies with the sole intention of reselling them because, for example, it was a special or limited edition release, or they could be a genuine private seller who was given several copies and decided to sell the duplicates.

There is no clear answer and the seller may or may not tell the truth if asked. eBay is awash with businesses masquerading as private sellers because there are no commission costs for private sellers; the only downside - if there is one - is the Buyer Protection Fee, which buyers pay when purchasing from private but not business sellers. It really comes down to the moral honesty of the seller as to whether they register correctly - and despite being presented with all the evidence, even when reported eBay does nothing. But then again if eBay receives income as either commission from businesses or private sellers' BPF why should they - there is simply no incentive to tidy up the site.

Personally I do not buy from businesses who are not correctly registered - if they're not prepared to register correctly then I suspect they are less than honest in other respects. These days I don't buy from private sellers either as I totally disagree with the BPF - there is already a Money Back Guarantee; the BPF is just an underhand money-grab.

[insidethe93]

Occasionally when I really need/want something, I throw caution to the winds and bid much higher than common sense would suggest. It takes only one other person to want it as much as you, then you lose out.

No one knows your maximum bid. No one knows whether a particular auction is the time that you bid really high unless they themselves start to bid high. It's paid off several times for me.

In the category I mostly buy in, some retired items that are secondhand sell for a lot more than if they were new. Scarcity of an item is more important than its original new price.

Like most, I can't afford to do it often. It's a matter of priorities.

"I've been bidding on Captain America Brave New World blu ray..." No, say it proudly.  I'm  a fan of Captain America too. Plenty of us fans around.

Good luck with the bidding!

[ed_58611 · Accepted solution]

It would seem that you bid "early" and are being outbid by "snipers" who bid later and higher than you're last bid... you're actually defeating yourself because that is how auctions work, and you are less likely to enjoy success until you get more competitve and definitely change your modus operandi.

The sellers are listing 1 copy at a time AT AUCTION which, when ended, they simply "restart" for another separate item they have in stock.

Nothing sinister there - check the bidding history - you just need to bid higher and later if you want one now but more cheaply than the £15 BIN currently available from HMV here (other BINs on other platforms would be cheaper at present time of writing) and I suggest that not bidding until the very last moments is the smartest approach for a desirable "hot" item attracting strong interest and numbers of other bidders doing exactly as I am advising, usually with just 3 seconds left on the clock.

Adopting this method - bidding the highest amount you wish to spend at the last moment - should increase your successes at auction, remembering to allow/set your device to adjust it's internal clock automatically and thereby keep pace with the eBay timer. 

Good luck!