I've been using eBay to find good deals and nifty stuff for quite a number of years now. I've heard differing opinions on how to navigate the bidding process. Ultimately, it depends on your desire for the item, how much of a deal you want, and what time the auction ends. The basic bidding process is the easiest to use, because eBay handles a lot of the work for you. When you find an item you want, place a bid for the absolute most you're willing to pay (before shipping) and eBay will bid in increments up to your maximum bid as long as the auction is open. If you get outbid and decide you really would be willing to spend more, you can bid again. This isn't necessarily the best way to get a good deal, however. With most purchases I like to use the "bid shark" method:
1. Watch the item until it becomes near the end of the auction.
2. If the bid price is still low enough to be worth bidding, watch the item by refreshing the page every 30 seconds to a minute.
3. Place a bid for the absolute most you're willing to pay at the very end, with between 30 seconds and a minute to go before close of the auction.
This technique accomplishes a few things:
- It keeps other bidders from deciding "Oh, I guess I could spend a few more dollars, let me go back and bid again since I've been outbid."
- It keeps the purchase price lower because bidders aren't constantly going back and forth, raising the price with each bid.
- It ensures that you will only bid high enough to get a really good deal; you won't be tempted to bid again and again just to "win" the item.
When choosing to use this technique, you need to remember a few things:
- Make sure you can and will be paying very close attention to the auction when it comes to a close. I have missed quite a few deals by watching TV or surfing the net instead of entering my final bid. I've even completely forgotten about the auction many times! This also means don't try to bid this way on auctions that close at 2 in the morning; they're probably not worth the extra hassle.
- Don't use the "bid shark" method if the auction is something you simply must have and can't risk losing to an extremely high pre-placed maximum bid. You probably won't have time to re-bid if you wait until the last 30 seconds of an auction to place your bid.
- Make sure you finish your bid completely; there are at least 2 steps to completing a bid on an item. Do not forget to confirm, or you will miss out on making your bid!
I hope this helps you understand the process better. Remember, use your powers for good, not evil!
2 comments:
Hi Anna,
I have to say that your blog is very helpful, especially since times are changing and a lot of the shopping is done online now-a-days. The "bid shark" methodology of yours seems to be the best strategy when bidding on ebay. I also have to admit that I have lost many good deals using other strategies. Your blog is very important for those who are new to shopping online, because there can be many catches and fraudulent websites that will take your money!
Yep, I lost a lot of auctions to other "bid sharks" and I realized in order to beat em, I had to join em! Some of my future topics will touch on some of the fraudulent pitfalls online shoppers need to be aware of... don't wanna scare people away at first, ya know?
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