Maximum Bids

[flosskins]

I bid a maximum of £6.01 for a jigsaw puzzle which had a start bid of £4.50.

It sold at £5.83.  What is the point of having an automatic bidding system when a maximum bid is disregarded in favour of a lower bid,  Very disappointed in Ebay. 

[john1297576]

Probably because the price sold at is what seller receives, the buyer pays additional buying fees, probably totalling around £6.80.

Your bid of £6.01, would only have been around £5 plus buyers fees.

Hope this makes sense because the whole system does not make any sense.

As a seller on my phone I am advised of offers (total made by buyer), but on my Ipad I am advised of Net amount, that is the amount I will receive.

[red_magpie]

It would help us to answer you if you could post the item number, or if you prefer not to disclose this just copy and paste the bidding history.

The point to remember is that in this price range the minimum bid increment is 50p. This can lead to an item selling for less than the highest bid.  However, the order in which bids are placed also plays a part so it's much easier to explain if you show us the actual bidding history.

Plus of course the situation is now further complicated by eBay's new buyer protection fee.  

[flosskins]

The 'rules' make no sense to me either.  You either put the highest bid and win the auction, or you don't. I have now purchased the Wasgij puzzle from another seller.Sue Sayers

[red_magpie]

What's complicated the system is the addition of eBay's new buyer protection fee. That's why it would have helped if you showed us the bidding history.

The use of bid increments is is not the problem, although it can explain why a bid which slightly exceeds the current high bid is not counted.

Bid increments are standard practice in auctions, nothing unique to eBay. Auctioneers set minimum bid increments, which increase according to the price level. Bids which don't reach the next minimum bid increment are disallowed.

Without them, auctions could drag on forever while bidders battle it out a few pence at a time.