why are the costs gifferent?

[stancad]

Hello,

I would like to know why, when I look at items for sale, it shows, for example ( $5.00. ) then, when I go to place a bid, it shows  a bid already of ( $8.00 ) . Why is that. I find it deceiving.

I hope you understand my question,lol

Thank You.

[hnintx · Accepted solution]

Probably that is the other bidders high bid.

[scifan57 · Accepted solution]

You've just run into the eBay proxy bidding system. The displayed high bid is always one bid increment above the next highest bid. If you bid more than that bidder's max bid,your bid will jump to one bid increment above his max bid.$8.00,presumably. Here is a page on automatic bidding. This page explains about bid increments.

[femmefan1946 · Accepted solution]

EBay has literally millions of members. Thousands are bidding at any given moment.

Even computers find it hard to keep up.

While the listing may show the current high bid, it is quite possible that by the time you enter your bid, another bidder has done the same. And of course there are the proxy and snipe bidder to consider.

[stancad]

ok, here's one for you,

i see 2 bids on the same item, different time, and still the same amount bid.

[dmil8030]

Hello 'stancad',

Did you see the links posted by scifan?  I mean did you click on them?  They're really good.

Anyway, the way you get two bids for the same denomination is when someone has bid $5.00 and you see the message to "bid $5.50 or more".  So you bid $8.00.  You're in the lead, but as it points out in the above link, ebay only uses as much of your high bid as necessary to keep you ahead.

The next day I see the item and it now says "bid $6.00 or more".  So I bid $8.00.  Because you bid first, your $8 appears as the 'winner', and I get an immediate dialogue box that tells me I am outbid.  Time-wise I am, - but amount-wise we're the same.

In case of a tie, the earler bid wins.  That is why so many people use odd amounts, like $8.27, - to avoid a tie.  Not much point to it early on, mind, but at the end when everyone snipes, it's like picking lotto numbers in a way, -- unlikely anyone else picks the exact combination as you. 🙂