Ebay: is a bid below reserve price binding on the bidder?

Can't see your argument.
You indicated you would be willing to pay up to £104 to buy the item. You didn't contract to limit your bid to less than the reserve. There is no point in bidding if you don't want to buy.

The buyer may have put a starting bid of £99 and a reserve of £100 on the item. More fool him. But he can do as he likes, within the rules.

It's not his fault you bought it.
 
I'm not whinging. In fact I am more than happy with my purchase, I was just hoping to give some insight on my experience of how the reserve system works to the OP
 
longjohnsilver said:
If the seller reduces his reserve price to less than your bid, your bid will automatically be also reduced to £1 less than the new reserve price, giving you the chance to bid again, or not, as you see fit.
Click to expand...

I've now found the definitive answer (I think) amongst ebay's guides (it took a lot of delving).

It pretty much says what Longjohnsilver said above....proving, yet again, what an amazing source of knowledge this forum is!

Thanks to all.
 
Croak said:
I bid on a boat once, it was on at a starting bid of £99, Reserve not met.

I was intrested and thought I would put a bid in so there might be an option of talking to the seller about how much he wanted for it.

So I put a bid in for £104 at the last second Just incase some other bidder decided to put a bid in for £99 at the last second aswell.

I pressed the confirm bid button and was shocked to be told that I had won the item.

At first I thought I must have got the decimal place wrong and have bidded £1040.

But on checking it seems I bought it for £100 reserve met, only me bid.

Three things from this:-

1. Ebay raised my bid, in theory it should have said £99 reserve not met.

2. Why did the seller start an auction at £99 then put a £100 reserve on it

3. I had to wait till the wife came home, to tell her I had bought another boat.


As it happened by the time she got home I had got used to the idea and am extremely happy with my purchase.

I have also been in a situation where someone lowered the reserve price, making me the winning bidder. Fortunatly I was outbid.


I used to bid on things happy that I was under the reserve price, content that I Wasn't going to win, but I don't do it any more.
Click to expand...

I remember Billy Conolly telling about a celeb charity auction for charity. He said Jimmy Tarbuck,the host,asked him (privately before the auction) to start the bidding off for a £100, i think for a signed football . So Tarbuck did the chat offered it up, Connolly Bid the £100 and Tarbuck came back fast and immedietly said sold to the man with the beard

I guess you must have felt Conolyd !
 
Croak said:
I bid on a boat once, it was on at a starting bid of £99, Reserve not met.

I was intrested and thought I would put a bid in so there might be an option of talking to the seller about how much he wanted for it.
......

I have also been in a situation where someone lowered the reserve price, making me the winning bidder. Fortunatly I was outbid.

I used to bid on things happy that I was under the reserve price, content that I Wasn't going to win, but I don't do it any more.
Click to expand...

Croak said:
But I bid thinking that I wouldn't win.

If I had bid £1000, And the reserve was £900, And someone else bid £38, I would have expected the bid to be £40 reserve not met, not £900 you win. Because the value of the item is only £40.

Obviously I was wrong.
Click to expand...
People like you bidding, with no intention of winning are probably why some of us have to suffer "selling" something on ebay, and the "buyer" never paying.

Please don't bid if you don't want to buy, and don't bid more than you are prepared to pay. Simple.

If you just want to "talk to the seller" then just use the ebay system to ask him a question, you do not have to bid first before you can communicate with him.

To the OP Can you not Retract your bid? Just tick the option of I made a mistake.
 
Last edited:
Croak said:
2. Why did the seller start an auction at £99 then put a £100 reserve on it
Click to expand...

To only get interested people bidding. Saves having a lot of small incremental bids. Some folk avoid auctions where there's a lot of bidding activity - me for a start.
 
agurney said:
To only get interested people bidding. Saves having a lot of small incremental bids. Some folk avoid auctions where there's a lot of bidding activity - me for a start.
Click to expand...
I think that Croak may have been reasoning, as I did, that setting a reserve costs you and if your starting bid is only a quid less then you've wasted your Reserve Fee.
 
you can't be forced into buying anything.

If you made a bid and it didn't meet reserve - the i would say by default your bid has not been accepted - the whole point of a reserve setting.

If you're being hassled into buying, then i'd beware of the seller - seems a bit unreasonable to me. Why not advise them to re-advertise realistically and leave it to the auction - that's a fair compromise if you have any guilty feelings.
 
ProDave said:
People like you bidding, with no intention of winning are probably why some of us have to suffer "selling" something on ebay, and the "buyer" never paying.

Please don't bid if you don't want to buy, and don't bid more than you are prepared to pay. Simple.

If you just want to "talk to the seller" then just use the ebay system to ask him a question, you do not have to bid first before you can communicate with him.

To the OP Can you not Retract your bid? Just tick the option of I made a mistake.
Click to expand...

People like me.......

When have I said I have ever not payed for anything I have won?

Wheras you are vindicating lying.



As It happens I have never, I have bought and sold on Ebay since Dec 02 and have 100% feedback.
 
Last edited:
agurney said:
To only get interested people bidding. Saves having a lot of small incremental bids. Some folk avoid auctions where there's a lot of bidding activity - me for a start.
Click to expand...

I don't understand how that saves having a lot of small incremental bids.

As it happend the seller was new to selling on ebay and thought he had to put a reserve on.
 
Give the guy a break for god sake.

I bid what i'm prepared to pay, if that doesn't meet reserve then by default i'm not obliged to buy, even if i win i'm not obliged unless the item is acceptable. This is because ebay has deteriorated lately with inaccurate descriptions, hence the extra ebay fees and conditions.

If a seller wants to take a best offer that didn't reach reserve, then they may ask if a low bidder wants it - and usually with the intention of avoiding ebay fees.
 
Croak said:
But I bid thinking that I wouldn't win.

If I had bid £1000, And the reserve was £900, And someone else bid £38, I would have expected the bid to be £40 reserve not met, not £900 you win. Because the value of the item is only £40.

Obviously I was wrong.
Click to expand...

There's non so strange as folk!

You make a bid of £1000 and expect to pay £40. You know there's a reserve, The seller has set a minimum sale price and you agreed to pay more so the system sets your bid to the reserve. If anyone else is about ( at say £950 ) you will still be the high bidder but at £960.

If you were in an auction room the price would be now be £1000!

Is your intent to say 'Hey look at me I have deep pockets'? If it is you will find them very empty quite quickly! :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top