I was winning the auction until 5 seconds before the deadline, when a bidder whose identity was kept private outbid me. Why is this allowed?

[greenmartine038]

I was a bit suspicious when I was outbid by a "Private" bidder.  The item I was hoping to purchase was admittedly undervalued so I have to wonder if this is a tactic that sellers use so that their product doesn't go for too little. Why protect someone's identity to the extent where all information is blocked.

Martine

[beautiful_times]

Only the seller can see the username for all the bidders.

The best way to win an auction is to bid once with your maximum amount.

Many buyers use a snipe program that will bid in the last few seconds of the auction hopefully ensuring a win.