19 bids from 1 bidder on same auction

zep33 · November 20, 2008 8:46PM

Selling a few things from work under a brand new user name. They all have reserves so I'm guessing the guy kept bidding to see if he could find out what the reserve is. But he didn't reach it.

I'm thinking it makes me and the whole auction look bad to have it still showing the opening bid but that there are 19 bids on it from the same guy. Especially with a zero feedback new seller.

You guys think that will turn too many people off and that I should cancel his bids and block him?

WinPitcher · November 20, 2008 9:52PM

I think you should state what the reserve is in the description and then you would not have this type of problem.

No I would not block the guy, like you said he was trying to see what the reserve was.

If he reaches the reserve and then retracts his bid then I might block him.

Steve

slantycouch · November 20, 2008 10:05PM

Steve's got a point. If you state the reserve that would probably help with that situation.

nam812 · November 20, 2008 11:08PM

This is not for you Zep, but I saw a discussion about not disclosing reserves in another thread where the poster said he didnt want to "show his hand" or something like that. Doesn't he want the reserve to be met? He obviously feels it's a fair price to sell the item at because he set the reserve there. Unless of course he set an outrageous reserve just to see where the bidding would go.

Unless you set it ridiculously high just to gauge your auction, revealing a reserve can only help you.

WinPitcher · November 21, 2008 12:09AM

Unless you set it ridiculously high just to gauge your auction, revealing a reserve can only help you.

Bingo. If you set a high, ridiculous reserve you are simply fishing for an ignorant buyer or
wanting to see how much your item could go for. I'm not into playing games or helping
sellers that really do not want to sell an item gauge what the item is worth.

I have no problem if a seller wants to use a reserve to protect his investment, just state it for gods sake it is not
some top secret info!

I too did not understand what hand that other person was talking about.

Steve

perkdog · November 21, 2008 12:14AM

Glad to see this post, I was curious what you guys thought about stating the reserve price in auctions. I have not done it but certainly will from now on, I always list a reserve at the minimum of what I hope to get for an item that I dont want to lose money on but that is on few items such as cards worth several hundred dollars- most of my auctions are set at .99 and I let them fly.

zep33 · November 21, 2008 12:53AM

Thanks guys

I was just thinking it would make the auction look shilled to others. Never thought about stating what the reserve was within the auction.

I would have just done a BIN only but Ebay won't allow new sellers to do that till have 10 feedbacks or something like that

I'm gonna go revise the auctions to show what the reserve is

thanks

perkdog · November 21, 2008 1:10AM

Good luck Zep, I hope you do well.

swartz1 · November 21, 2008 1:18AM

<< Thanks guys

I was just thinking it would make the auction look shilled to others. Never thought about stating what the reserve was within the auction.

I would have just done a BIN only but Ebay won't allow new sellers to do that till have 10 feedbacks or something like that

I'm gonna go revise the auctions to show what the reserve is

thanks >>

Great Idea!!

rube26105 · November 21, 2008 2:27AM

id never put the reserve in the auction description, to me it kinda defeats the idea of having one i the 1st place,

jlzinck · November 21, 2008 2:35AM

I guess this is the next logical question.

Why a new account? Have you not been on Ebay for a while?

I would think you would have better luck with your other account

dontippet · November 21, 2008 2:38AM

I have tend to avoid auctions with reserves. And I see that alot of reserve auctions do not garner the full attention of bidders because they assume that a deal cannot be had. I would agree with the masses, list the reserve.

slantycouch · November 21, 2008 2:39AM

<< id never put the reserve in the auction description, to me it kinda defeats the idea of having one i the 1st place,

>>

I've never used one. If I want to get "at least" a certain price, I just make that my minimum bid.

I think some people feel that starting an auction at .99 and having a reserve might help them in the long run by getting potential buyers "hooked" at a low price.... with the hopes they will then bid beyond their original intentions when the bidding war starts.

I think with so many sniping services and the general frustration with reserves, I prefer just to avoid them.

storm888 · November 21, 2008 2:53AM

<< id never put the reserve in the auction description, to me it kinda defeats the idea of having one i the 1st place,

>>

/////////////

Ditto.

If one must have a certain price for the item, revealing the reserve is
the same as starting the auction at the "must have" price.

zep33 · November 21, 2008 2:54AM

<< I guess this is the next logical question.

Why a new account? Have you not been on Ebay for a while?

I would think you would have better luck with your other account >>

Don't want parts I'm selling for work to have anything to do with my personal life / account

Have to have the reserve there on these cause these are brand new items that we have to atleast cover what we paid for them

zep33 · November 21, 2008 2:55AM

If ebay allowed me to use BIN as a new seller, none of this conversation would be taking place

WinPitcher · November 21, 2008 7:37AM

If one must have a certain price for the item, revealing the reserve is
the same as starting the auction at the "must have" price.

Exactly, so why not just reveal it then?

Steve

storm888 · November 21, 2008 8:06AM

<< If one must have a certain price for the item, revealing the reserve is
the same as starting the auction at the "must have" price.

Exactly, so why not just reveal it then?

Steve >>

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

I think the real question is, "Why use a reserve, if you are going to reveal it?"

"Why not just start the bidding at the must-have price?"

BunchOBull · November 21, 2008 8:11AM

I always add the clause on reserve auctions:

"If you have any questions about this item or this auction, please don't hesitate to contact me."

If they ask, I tell them. If not, I let it run.

Granted, I've only ever ran 2 reserve auctions.

scooperqpr · November 22, 2008 2:19AM

And did they reach the reserve?

WinPitcher · November 22, 2008 5:15AM

Storm, people that use the reserve type auction also want to start the auction at .99 or some other
really low price.

They also (I think) pay less up front using the reserve format. If the item sells they pay more.

IMO if I see a reserve type auction it better have what the reserve is in the description or
I'm out. I want no part in helping sellers determine what their item is worth.

I have used the reserve format a few times I'm sure and I started a high dollar item really low.

I was fishing............

I normally would start an item at the least I'd want for it unless it was an item that I knew
would fetch its value.

Steve

WinPitcher · November 22, 2008 5:18AM

One other point, and I have never done this but have seen and heard of it happening lowlife
buyers bid until they meet or exceed the reserve then retract the bid. This way they see what the reserve
is and then decide if they think it is worth it. Besides them finding out the world does too.

If a person is afraid of losing an item below what he paid or what it is worth a reserve formatted auction
is one way to go.

Steve

19 bids from 1 bidder on same auction

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