Bidding
BUYING
Can I bid incrementally? (one bid increment at at a time)
Timed auctions sites are designed as a proxy bid site
where you place your highest bid and the computer bids for you. You may
place your maximum bid and/or raise your bids up until when the item
closes. Incremental bidding near the end of the auction is possible and somewhat mimics a live auction. However, you risk missing something due to internet delays, variations in computer clock times , speed etc. If bids are placed
within the last five minutes of the auction, the closing time will extend
by five minutes - some times known as a "soft close".
IMPORTANT: If your are intend bidding incrementally near the item's close, make sure you're on a page that has the "Place Bid" button. You may watch in near real time by observing the count down clocks. This view will also show if you are outbid and when the item will close. Lists in your "My Account" area don't have count down clocks. A great way to bid is to add items on your wish list by clicking on the heart shape icon. The heart turns yellow when an items adds to the Wish List.
Remember, assorted internet time variance can
cause an item to appear available even though it may be closed. It takes a minimum of ten seconds for item's bid status gets updated
What is a bid increment?
When someone else places a bid, the site will enter a slightly higher
bid for you. The amount the bid increases by is known as a bid
increment.
FROM TO INCREMENT
- 0.01 - 4.99 0.25
- 5.00 - 24.99 0.50
- 25.00 - 99.99 1.00
- 100.00 -249.99 2.50
- 250.00 -499.99 5.00
- 500.00 -999.99 10.00
- 1000.00 - 2499.99 20.00
- 2500.00 - 4999.99 50.00
- 5000.00 - and up 100.00
oops, can I retract a bid?
You may retract a bid, however, bid retraction becomes disabled 3 hours before the items' closing time
Wish List aka watch list, allow bidders to place all items of interest on one page. Do this by clicking on the "heart" icon on the listings. Remember there is minimum o 10 seconds before a competing bid becomes visible
All bids on this site are proxy bids except for "buy out" items. Proxy bids are also known as absentee bids. If you place the maximum you are willing to pay, the system will place bids on your behalf up to your maximum bid. In other words, the system bids for you against other bidders.
For example: some one
bid $100 for an item, someone else bid $120 and you bid $500. When the
auction closes, you win the item for $122.50. This assumes a system
with $2.50 bidding increments. You would only pay the $500 if someone
else bid $495