> I understand how Ebay works as an auction. However I have seen
> many objects
> in the TR6 category that are clearly people selling new items
> that they are
> themselves manufacturing. How does this fit into the auction mechanism?
Mark, I'm not sure I understand your question. Ebay cares not if the goods
you are selling are new or used, the auction remains the same.
> For example, the gentleman selling the tube shock conversion for
> $90 on his
> web site is also listing it in Ebay. His reserve is $90. This has
> presently
> 4 bidders and the reserve is labelled has having been met with the present
> bid at $90. So did the first 3 people bid less than the reserve
> (pointless).
I assume you're referring to item #1873120032. There were only 2 bidders
(each of whom placed two bids), and my guess is that they did not know that
the seller's reserve was $90. Without outside knowledge, the only way to
learn what the reserve is, is to bid more than the reserve (or wait until
someone else does so).
Personally, I don't like reserve auctions and I rarely bid on them. IMO a
seller who withholds essential information (like minimum selling price) may
withhold other information too ... and refusing to accept personal checks
implies a certain distrust of me. It's bad enough I have to send him my
money and then wait several days to see if I get anything in return (meaning
I have to trust him).
> Why would I bid $90.01 when I know that he wishes to sell as many
> kits as he
> can (by the way it looks like a nice kit) at $90.
If you know you can buy them from his web site at $90, then there is no
reason at all. Many eBay sellers make this explicit, by setting a "Buy it
now" price the same as their minimum bid (thus guaranteeing the first bid
ends the auction, and allowing them to start a new auction immediately).
Why this person doesn't do that, I have no idea.
However, I note that many eBay buyers do not seem to understand how it all
works (and this auction is a good example of that). Perhaps the same thing
applies to sellers ?
BTW, you can't bid $90.01 on this auction. Minimum bid is $91.00 .
Randall
/// triumphs@autox.team.net mailing list
/// or try http://www.team.net/cgi-bin/majorcool
/// Archives at http://www.team.net/archive
|