Help with bidding- why it is not "refreshed/accurate"?

[hb002013]

Why does a bid say a low amount  ($2.25) and when I place a new bid, then clicking to make my max bid (auto bidding)      . . . and then when I place the bid ($2.50)  all of a sudden a "new bid" (that was not in the history 2 seconds ago but is dated from yesterday) appears that was $3.75 and so now Im at my max bid or it asks me to increase my bid. Why is this not more accurate? If I click on bids and see the date and time before I bid - my new bid should be the highest unless someone has auto bidding right?

This has happened more than once and I wonder what I'm doing or not doing.

[reallynicestamps · Accepted solution]

EBay uses "proxy bidding".

An item is listed with an opening bid of $1.00

Bidder A puts in a bid of $10.

The listing now shows a bid of $1 (the minimum bid) but remembers that $10.

Bidder B puts in a bid of $2.

The listing now shows Bidder A with a bid of $2.25, one "increment" above the second bid.

You put in a bid of $3 and the listing will show a bid of $3.25, one increment above your bid.

In order to win, someone would have to put in a bid of $10.01, because any bid above the highest (hidden) bid will win.

Most bidders will bid only once, late in the auction, and bid their highest price. If they are outbid, they just move on. With over 140 million items offered on eBay daily, a similar item will come along at the desired price eventually.

Some unwanted advice. Don't forget to allow for the cost of shipping to Canada and be sure the seller will ship to Canada by USPS (not a courier) before you bid.

[hb002013]

So "proxy" bidding will go in and add a bid that is backdated? The thing I find odd is that a bid from the day before did not show up till I put a bid in.  I would expect it to have the same date/time stamp as my bid.thanks