Bidding on eBay

Study about bidding on eBay.

Here's how to bid on an item:
1. Carefully review the listing.
2. Click the Place Bid button. You may need to sign in.
3. Enter your maximum bid, and then click the Continue button.
4. Review your bid, and then click the Confirm Bid button.
5. When the listing ends, you'll receive an email indicating whether you've won the item and an explanation of what to do next.

Bid history and bidder search

To keep certain info private, we limit how bid history information is displayed. When the highest bid, reserve price, or Buy It Now price reaches or exceeds a certain level, members can't view or search for member-specific information, such as user IDs, on the Bid History page. Though the Bid History: Details page has information on bidders, each bidder is assigned an anonymous name (x***y, for example). Only the seller can see a bidder's user ID.

Regardless of the current high bid, when a reserve or Buy It Now price is set at a certain level, user IDs will appear as anonymous names for the duration of the listing, even if the seller lowers the price.

Note: eBay determines when user IDs are no longer view-able based on the price or bid amount, and this varies by country.

Using 1-click bidding

To help you avoid being outbid, we offer 1-click bidding during the final 60 minutes of a listing. When you use 1-click bidding, we automatically raise your bid by one increment. To use 1-click bidding, you need to be signed in to eBay and have at least one previous bid on the item.
Changing or retracting your bid

As a general rule, you're not allowed to retract or cancel a bid on eBay. However, there might be times when you'd like to change your maximum bid and have a valid reason for doing so. Review the requirements for retracting or canceling your bid.

Listings with special bidding requirements:

a) Reserve price auction-style listings Some sellers specify a reserve price, which is a hidden minimum price on their item.
b) Bids over $15,000 
To place a bid of $15,000 or more, you must provide a valid credit card (your card won't be charged. This requirement helps ensure that members involved in large sales are of legal age and serious about completing the transaction.

You need to provide this information only once. To find out if you already have a credit card on file, check your Account Activitypage.

c) Pre-approved bidders Occasionally, for certain high-profile listings, we allow a seller to create a pre-approved bidders list to restrict their listings to a specified group. Here's what you can expect if you bid on a listing that has a pre-approved bidders list:

* If you're a pre-approved bidder: The bidding process will proceed as usual.

* If you're not one of the pre-approved bidders: If you bid, you'll get a notice that the item is restricted, and you will not be allowed to bid on the item. If you're interested in the item, contact the seller to ask to be added to the pre-approved bidders list.

Blocked bidders

Sellers can make their listings unavailable to certain bidders based on certain criteria, such as whether or not they have a PayPal account, their country of registration, or their buying history on eBay.

If you're blocked from a listing and want to discuss the situation with the seller, click the seller's user ID or the Ask a question link on the listing page. Learn about managing bidders and buyers from a seller's point of view.
Other terms

Bidding is meant to be fun, but remember that each bid you place enters you into a binding contract. The only bids that are non-binding are those placed in the Real Estate category and for vehicles on eBay Motors. All bids are active until the listing ends. If you win an item, you're obligated to purchase it.

Don't bid on identical items in different listings if you only want one item. If you win both, you'll be obligated to buy both.

If you're outbid on an item, wait until the listing has ended before placing a bid on an equivalent item. If the bidder who won doesn't complete the transaction for any reason, you could become the winning bidder.

If you're blocked from bidding on a seller's listings, you cannot bid using another user ID.

Our automatic bidding system makes bidding convenient so you don't have to keep coming back to re-bid every time someone places another bid.
How automatic bidding works

• When you place a bid, you enter the maximum amount you're willing to pay for the item. The seller and other bidders don't know your maximum bid.
• We'll place bids on your behalf using the automatic bid increment amount, which is based on the current high bid. We'll bid only as much as necessary to make sure that you remain the high bidder, or to meet the reserve price, up to your maximum amount.
• If another bidder places the same maximum bid or higher, we'll notify you so you can place another bid. Your maximum bid is kept confidential until it is exceeded by another bidder. 

Example:

The current bid for an item is $10.00. Tom is the high bidder, and has placed a maximum bid of $12.00 on the item. His maximum bid is kept confidential from other members.

Laura views the item and places a maximum bid of $15.00. Laura becomes the high bidder.

Tom's bid is incremented to his maximum of $12.00. Laura's bid is now $12.50.

We send Tom an email that he has been outbid. If he doesn't raise his maximum bid, Laura wins the item.
Other terms

In reserve price auctions, if your maximum bid is at least the reserve price, we'll automatically increase your bid to meet the reserve, and bidding will continue from there.

Managing items you're watching

The Lists section of My eBay lets you create multiple lists where you can track up to 200 items that interest you before you bid or buy. You can add any active listing to your list.

To add an item to your watch list, click the Add to Watch list link in the listing.

To watch an item in a listing with variations, select the specific variation you want before you click the Add to Watch list link.

To manage items you're watching:1. Go to My eBay. You may be asked to sign in.
2. Choose any of your lists from the Lists section on the left side of the page. (Note: To see all your lists, click the All lists link.)3. Select from the following activities:

**See groups of items: Select All, Active, or Ended at the top of the list.
**Delete an item from your watch list: Select the check box next to the listing, then then click the Delete from lists button.
**Add a note to an item: Select the check box next to the listing, and then click the Add note button. Type your note, and then click the Save button.

Managing items you're bidding on

In the Bidding section of My eBay you can view all the items you're currently bidding on, whether or not you're the current high bidder.

To manage items you're bidding on:1. Go to My eBay.
2. Click the Bids/Offers link in the left column, in the Buy section.
3. Optionally, filter this list to see only the items you're winning or not winning by selecting Winning or Not winning at the top of this section.

After a listing ends, it automatically moves to the Purchase history or Didn't win section. You can't delete an active item until the listing ends.

Buying items in listings with variations

Some listings have several variations to choose from, such as T-shirts that come in various sizes or colors. Select the variations and quantity you want before you click the Buy It Now button.

Managing your Best Offers and Second Chance Offers

The Best Offer option lets you offer to purchase a Buy it Now item at a price that you choose.

With a Second Chance Offer the seller can offer an item to any buyer who bid on the listing if:* the winning bidder doesn't pay the seller
* the seller has duplicate items
* the reserve price was not met in a reserve price auction

To manage Best Offers and Second Chance Offers:1. Go to My eBay.
2. Click the Bids/Offers link in the left column in the Buy section, and then scroll down to the Offers section.

If you make a Best Offer or receive a Second Chance Offer, we'll add a note to the item to let you know.

For a Best Offer, you'll see 2 prices in My eBay. One shows the highest bid the seller received. The other shows the amount of your offer.
Creating custom lists of items, searches, and sellers

You can create a custom list from items in different sections of My eBay and name the list whatever you'd like. For example, add items from your Watch listand Purchase history into a list and name it "Birthday gifts for mom." You also can save your searches and save your favorite sellers and Stores to your list.

To create a custom list, select the Add to a new list option in the listing in theAdd to Watch list drop-down menu.

After the listing is over, and if you won the item, you'll need to pay for it and leave Feedback.

Use the Purchase history section of My eBay to view all your recent purchases and check whether you've paid for the items and left Feedback for the seller.

The Didn't win section shows listings that ended but were won by another member.Click the Won link on the left side of the page to:
a) Track where you are in the purchase and Feedback process
b) Delete the item from My eBay
c) Add the item to a list

Click the Didn't win link on the left side of the page to:a) View similar items
b) Contact the seller
c) Click the Active link on the left side of the page to see any Best Offers or Second Chance Offers.

Deleting and restoring items

You can delete items from most of the sections in My eBay, including Lists,Didn't win, Sold, and Unsold. You can't delete items from your Purchase history, but you can archive them.

To delete an item from Lists, Didn't win, Sold, or Unsold:1. Select the check box next to the items you want to delete.
2. Click the Delete button at the bottom of the section.

You can restore deleted items that you've bid on or received offers on. You can't restore deleted items that you were watching, but didn't bid on. You have 60 days to restore deleted items.

To restore an item:1. Click the Deleted link in the Buy section to view the items you've deleted.
2. From the list of items, select the check box next to the items you want to restore.
3. Click the Undelete button at the bottom of the Deleted section.

Note: You can sort your deleted items using the Sort by drop-down menu. This option is useful if you've deleted many items and want to find and restore one or more of them.

To archive an item in your Purchase history:1. Click the Purchase history link on the left side of the page
2. Select the items you want to hide and click the Hide button.

Note: You can find the items you've hidden by selecting the Archive option in the Purchase history section.

What's a reserve price?

A reserve price is a price a seller can set when they create an auction-style listing. It's the minimum price they're willing to accept for an item. If the bidding doesn't reach this price, they aren't obligated to sell the item.

Sellers might use a reserve price because it allows them to set a low starting price to generate interest and bidding, but protects them from having to sell their item at a price that they feel is too low.

The reserve price is hidden from buyers, but some sellers include it in the item description or tell buyers who contact them and ask what the reserve price is. However, sellers aren't obligated to reveal their reserve price.

Until the reserve price has been met, the listing shows the message Reserve not met.

How bidding works for an item with a reserve price

When you bid on an item with a reserve price, if your maximum bid meets the reserve, it will automatically increase to meet that price.

Example: A seller lists an item with a starting bid of $1.00 and a reserve of $100.00. Bidder A bids $1.50. The current bid increases to $1.50 but the reserve isn't met. If nobody else places a bid, Bidder A does not win the item.

Bidder B places a maximum bid of $150.00. The current bid increases to $100.00 (the amount of the reserve) and the reserve is met. If nobody else places a bid, Bidder B wins the item at the price of $100.00.

Note: If a seller's reserve price isn't met, they might choose to offer the item to one of the bidders using a Second Chance Offer.

How bid increments work

As an auction-style listing proceeds, we'll automatically increase your bid on your behalf, up to your maximum bid, to maintain your position as the high bidder or to meet the item's reserve price. The bid increment is the minimum amount by which your bid will be raised.

What determines the amount of the bid increment?

The incremental amount is predetermined based on the current high bid on the item. The following table shows the amount of bid increments.

Current Price	Bid Increment
$ 0.01 - $ 0.99	$ 0.05
$ 1.00 - $ 4.99	$ 0.25
$ 5.00 - $ 24.99	$ 0.50
$ 25.00 - $ 99.99	$ 1.00
$ 100.00 - $ 249.99	$ 2.50
$ 250.00 - $ 499.99	$ 5.00
$ 500.00 - $ 999.99	$ 10.00
$ 1000.00 - $ 2499.99	$ 25.00
$ 2500.00 - $ 4999.99	$ 50.00
$ 5000.00 and up	$ 100.00

Note: Although we specify our usual bid increments in the table above, we may, from time to time, change (increase or decrease) these increments. We may do this on all or parts of our site in order to test new features, optimize the site, improve usability, or for other purposes.

A bid can be increased by more than the standard increment if more than a standard increment is required to:

Meet the reserve amount. In reserve price auctions, we'll automatically increase the bid to meet the reserve, and bidding will continue from there. We won't exceed your current maximum bid, however.

Beat a competing bidder's high bid. We'll increase your bid to more than the incremental amount to beat another bid up to the amount of your maximum bid.

You can be outbid by less than a full increment. A winning bidder's maximum bid needs only to exceed the next highest maximum bid by one cent.

For example:

1. You're the first bidder on a listing where the starting price is $8.50, and you place a maximum bid of $20.00. Your opening bid will be $8.50. When a second bidder places a maximum bid of $9.00, your bid is automatically raised to $9.50.

2. When a third bidder bids $20.01, this bidder becomes the high bidder at $20.01. The third bidder needs only to exceed your next automatic bid amount of $10.00 ($9.50 plus $0.50). Since $20.01 is more than $10.00, and is also more than your maximum bid, the third bidder becomes the winning bidder, unless you raise your bid or another bidder enters a higher maximum bid.

You can raise your maximum bid at any time before the end of a listing. To do this, simply place another bid at a higher amount.

Remember, when you pace a maximum bid, we automatically bid only as much as necessary to make sure that you remain the high bidder.

When you're the current high bidder in a reserve price listing and the reserve has not been met, your bid may be raised if you place another bid that meets the reserve amount. This allows the listing to end successfully.
Changing your mind about your maximum bid

As a general rule, you can't retract or cancel a bid. When you place a bid, you agree to pay for the item if you're the winning bidder.

If you want to lower your maximum bid, you’ll need to retract your original bid first and then place a lower bid.

There are only a few circumstances when you may retract a bid:

You accidentally entered the wrong bid amount. (Changing your mind doesn't qualify.) For example, you bid $99.50 instead of $9.95. If this happens, you'll need to reenter the correct bid amount right away. If you don't place another bid, the retraction will be in violation of our policy and could result in your suspension.

The item's description changed significantly after you entered your last bid.

You can't reach the seller by telephone or email.

As a general rule, you can't retract or cancel a bid. Once you place a bid, you agree to pay for the item if you're the winning bidder. However, honest mistakes sometimes occur.

If you want to retract a bid:a) Review the conditions and time restrictions for canceling a bid.
b) If you feel you have a valid reason for canceling a bid, fill out the Bid Retractions form.
c) If you want to cancel a Best Offer, use the Best Offer Cancellation form.

If you won an item and you no longer want to buy it, you need to contact the seller.

A bid on eBay is considered a contract, and you're obligated to purchase the item. Read about changing your mind about an item.

Whether you can retract a bid depends on the circumstances and timing of the bid. You can retract a bid for the following reasons:

a) You accidentally entered the wrong bid amount due to a typographical error. For example, you bid $99.50 instead of $9.95. If this happens, you need to reenter the correct bid amount right away. Changing your mind does not qualify as accidentally entering a wrong bid amount.b) The item's description changed significantly after you entered your last bid. For example, the seller updated details about the item's features or condition.
c) You can't reach the seller by telephone or email.

How long do I have to retract a bid?

Listing ends in more than 12 hours - Yes
* When you retract the bid, we remove all bids you placed on the item. If you are correcting a bidding error, you must bid again.

Listing ends in less than 12 hours - Yes, but only if you retract the bid within one hour of placing it 

* When you retract the bid, we remove only your most recent bid. Bids you placed prior to the last 12 hours of the listing are not removed.

If you can't retract a bid, you can contact the seller to request that your bid be canceled. The decision to cancel a bid is up to the seller.

Other terms

Please remember that every bid is binding, unless the item is listed in a category covered by the non-binding bid policy or the sale is prohibited by law or by our User Agreement. Bidding on multiple identical items should be done only if you intend to buy all of the items.

Your bids affect how other users bid for an item and the item's final selling price. We carefully investigate all bid retractions to determine whether they are appropriate and conform to the rules for buyers. Abuse of bid retractions can result in the suspension of your account.

Bids retracted within the last 24 hours of a listing can be viewed as an example of shill bidding, which is a serious violation of eBay policy.

You cannot retract a purchase made through a Buy It Now listing. Once you confirm your purchase, you are obligated to pay the seller.

You've been outbid when another buyer has placed a higher maximum bid than yours, and you're not the current high bidder.

Sometimes you'll be outbid as soon as you enter your bid, even though the bid you entered was higher than the current bid shown on the item listing. When this happens, you'll usually be notified immediately and given a chance to make another bid.

This happens because another buyer had a higher maximum bid than yours. Your bid prompted our automatic bidding system to raise the other buyer's bid above yours. The other bidder may have placed their bid hours or days before. If you and another bidder had the same maximum bid, the earlier bid would win.

Avoiding being outbid in the final minutes

Placing a high bid in the closing seconds of an auction-style listing is called "sniping" within the eBay community. Sniping is part of the eBay experience, and all bids placed before a listing ends are valid, even if they're placed 1 second before the listing ends.

These tips can help you avoid being outbid:

a) Make sure that your maximum bid is the highest price that you're willing to pay. Our bidding system automatically increases your bid up to the maximum price you specify, so entering a higher maximum might help prevent you from being outbid in the closing seconds of a listing.

b) In the final 60 minutes of a listing, use 1-click bids to quickly increase your bid. When you click the 1-click bid button, we automatically raise your bid by one increment. To use 1-click bidding, you need to be signed in to eBay and have at least one bid on the item already.

You can receive email notifications if you're outbid on a listing.

When another buyer's bid exceeds your maximum price, you'll receive an email letting you know that you have been outbid. You can use the link in this email to return to the item page and increase your bid.

When a listing ends, an email is automatically sent to losing bidders, informing them that they didn't win the item. It also highlights items that are similar to the one they lost.

If you don't want to receive these email notifications, you can change your communication preferences.1. Go to My eBay and click the Account tab.
2. On the left side of the page, click the Communication Preferenceslink.
3. Click the Show link next to Notification Delivery Format.
4. Change your communication preferences.

We can alert you when you've been outbid or when an item has ended by sending an IM (instant message) to your chat window

To subscribe to these alerts, change your communication preferences.1. Go to My eBay and click the Account tab.
2. On the left side of the page, click the Communication Preferenceslink.
3. Click the Show link next to Buying Activity.
4. Change your communication preferences by selecting your preferences from the drop-down menus.
5. Once you're finished, click the Save button at the bottom of the section.

We can alert you when you've been outbid or when an item has ended by sending you an instant message (IM) or calling you. Find out how to sign up for these services.