[Phillip Mold]

I might be getting cynical in my old age but the last three times I have bid for something relatively expensive on E Bay the same thing has happened. I was the highest bidder until one other stepped in, taking the bidding from £981 to £1491, my last bid being £1471, then I receive a second chance offer to buy it for £1471.

"Hello, the person that placed the highest bid for the xxxx appears to be messing me about.I can not contact them and they have feedback that indicates that they are time wasters who place bids but don't buy the item.if you still want the xxxx please phone me on 078-- ------ regards xxxxxx"

I do wonder sometimes if people get their friends to bid up against my serious bid so If I win or take advantage of the second chance offer I am paying over the true auction price.

[AshWhite]

It does of course happen, but its up to you to pay a price (and no more) than you are willing to pay - this is the only indication of an items value.

Personally, if I still wanted the item, I'd make a counter offer for a bit less than the amount I'd bid - might teach them for being greedy!

[JandS]

Costs them though if their friends bid
ends up being the winner.
John

[bobby p]

ive had a few folk bid on things i had for sale but then not pay up. i then go thru the ebay system of reporting them,but as far as im aware nothing happens to them and i lose a good 2 weeks before i can relist it

 is that how it works at a regular auction house-if the winning bidder doesnt cough up,it goes back in next auction? what if its a million dollar oil painting? surely its all legally binding??

[Paul Wade]

Java a quick gander at a website called auction stealer, maybe it's what there using and no doubt if your a regular eBay user it will help u out big time.....
But sssssh don't tell anyone lol...

[CATMAN]

Shill bidding on ebay is rife.

Many ebayers have dual accounts and do bid up there own items.

I was looking at a caravan on there but decided against it as if you look at bidding history you'll see that they have only ever bid on the sellers items.

ebay will not do anything about it

[TomCrowther]

I bought a quite expensive item a while ago. It was something I really needed and so I was sitting on the pc as the auction ran down in case I needed to increase my bid in the last few seconds. Anyway, I was winning the bid with around £500 "spare" until my highest bid was met, then in literally the last second, bids came flying in but only up to my highest bid. whn I looked at the bidders, they had bid on the sellers other items in a similar fashion.
So I won the item but felt I had paid way over what the next "genuine" bidder was prepared to pay.

[Paul Redden Countryfresh]

if you sell an item, then sell it elsewhere and someone has bid on it you cant cancel
the listing, I put a bid on a scrubber but the seller had his tel no listed.....yep you guessed
austion listing was cancelled 

[wynne jones]

Two things I do

Have a top price I'm willing to pay

Bid in last 10 seconds

If you can't do it at the time there's plenty of software to schedule a bid.

If someone comes back stick to the price you thought it was worth.

I have done well with ebay over the years, only a couple of times been burned.

[Neil Williams]

I've noticed similar things happening when I've bid on things. Strangely no one seems interested then in the last 5 minutes someone steps in with their one and only bid.
But I'll take on board what Wynne has written.

[Craigp]

Costs them though if their friends bid
ends up being the winner.
John

No it doesn't, you just cancel the transaction, and the final value fee gets refunded as well.

[Craigp]

Back to OP.

I've had this too phillip, I think it's rife, happens all the time.

[Russ Chadd]

So you was bidding for the "Dirtbusters van" then with all that Pro equipment?? Lol

[JandS]

How can you cancel a transaction, they've bid
and won. As far as e bay is concerned it's sold
and you pay the commission surely.

John

[AshWhite]

The seller can cancel the transaction, as long as the buyer agrees or doesn't respond within 7 days its no problem, and all fees are refunded.

[Craigp]

John, say you sold a big item that had a final value fee of say £80 then what you could do is when the buyer picks up the item from you is take the payment in cash as per auction winning amount, then bung them back £20 and say to the buyer just agree to the email asking 'do you agree to cancel the transaction' and you'll be refunded your £80 final value fee. so your only down £20 instead of £80.

Of course I would never do this myself, but it can be done.   

It can also be done if it were his mate putting fake bids on. As Ash W says the buyer just has to agree.

[AshWhite]

Max final value fee is £40 on most items, so might not be worth the hassle?