eBay auction Reserve prices are evil!

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

Your definition of evil is way out of whack. If I'm selling something on Ebay I don't want to risk the chance that someone gets something that's worth $100 for only $10. So maybe I would set a $60 reserve. If it doesn't sell then I'll know that my reserve price was too high and I can either relist it with a lower reserve, decide not to sell or look at other venues. (This is all hypothetical as I don't sell on eBay).

Don't want to risk it going for $10? Then don't list it starting at $10. List it starting for $60 in the first place.
The lie of starting $10 with a $60 reserve just alienates a portion of potential bidders.
What good does it do?

[Wearever]

Originally Posted by ApK

No, that is not at all correct.

It is in the link you gave explaining how Reserve bidding works. If you click the Learn More link, it gives that example. Essentially the reserve is what needs to be met. You can over bid or under bid. But you'll be paying the reserve price even if you over bid. The over bidders win in this type of auction. The lower bids are discounted because they didn't reach the reserve set amount.

I personally don't bid on ebay, I just pay the amount shown at Buy it Now. But some do.

[eschwartz]

It isn't "evil".

It is just counterproductive and leads to you (rhet.) not selling your item.
It is a very, very unwise thing to do... but "evil" would imply that by doing so you (rhet.) are actively hurting other people somehow, which simply isn't the case.

Well, maybe you (rhet.) are hurting eBay, by doing your part to ensure eBay seems like a useless place where you can't actually buy things (not that that smear endeavor is particularly successful).

[DiapDealer]

Sold one thing on ebay years, and years ago. It was a high-end camera lens. It was an entirely successful transaction, and I counted my blessings and never returned. I remember I set a reserve. Seemed wise. I'm pretty sure no one died.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

It isn't "evil".

It is just counterproductive and leads to you (rhet.) not selling your item.
It is a very, very unwise thing to do... but "evil" would imply that by doing so you (rhet.) are actively hurting other people somehow, which simply isn't the case.

Well, maybe you (rhet.) are hurting eBay, by doing your part to ensure eBay seems like a useless place where you can't actually buy things (not that that smear endeavor is particularly successful).

Geesh people, get with the colloquial, contemporary use of 'evil' as hyperbole and obvious over-statement. It's not a brand new thing.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Wearever

It is in the link you gave explaining how Reserve bidding works. If you click the Learn More link, it gives that example. Essentially the reserve is what needs to be met. You can over bid or under bid. But you'll be paying the reserve price even if you over bid. The over bidders win in this type of auction. The lower bids are discounted because they didn't reach the reserve set amount.

I personally don't bid on ebay, I just pay the amount shown at Buy it Now. But some do.

Reread that example, taking heed of the phrase "maximum bid".

Now, consider the fact that your erroneous interpretation would result in an incredibly silly way of doing things, rendering the whole concept of "bidding" a bizarre and pointless form of "buy it now-ing".

[issybird]

Related posts moved to this thread from Flea Market.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by ApK

Geesh people, get with the colloquial, contemporary use of 'evil' as hyperbole and obvious over-statement. It's not a brand new thing.

I figured I'd get it out of the way, now, while essentially agreeing with everything you said.

You know someone would have said it regardless.

(Also, the colloquial contemporary use is vaguely irritating, even if it isn't new. I much prefer my hyperbolic overstatement to be less unwitting, anyway.)

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Wearever

It is in the link you gave explaining how Reserve bidding works. If you click the Learn More link, it gives that example. Essentially the reserve is what needs to be met. You can over bid or under bid. But you'll be paying the reserve price even if you over bid. The over bidders win in this type of auction. The lower bids are discounted because they didn't reach the reserve set amount.

I personally don't bid on ebay, I just pay the amount shown at Buy it Now. But some do.

You mis-understand. Forgetting reserves for a minute, the normal way the eBay proxy bidding system works is this: You enter the maximum price you are willing to bid. EBay will automatically bid for you only enough to make the next bid increment, and if no one else bids higher, you will not pay any more. As people bid (or if there were already higer proxy bids ready to go,) eBay will bid you up, one increment at a time until you're the higest bid or you hit your maximum. No one ever pays more than one increment higher than the next highest bidder.

What that aricle says is, if there is a reserve, and your Max bid meets or exceeds it, your bid will jump HIGHER than it other wise would, all the way up to the reserve price, then the auction proceeds as any normal, non-reserve auction.

[Gardenman]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

To me, it would depend on the reserve amount.

But the buyer has no way of knowing what the reserve is.

[Gardenman]

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

Your definition of evil is way out of whack. If I'm selling something on Ebay I don't want to risk the chance that someone gets something that's worth $100 for only $10. So maybe I would set a $60 reserve. If it doesn't sell then I'll know that my reserve price was too high and I can either relist it with a lower reserve, decide not to sell or look at other venues. (This is all hypothetical as I don't sell on eBay).

If the lowest price you will take is $60 than start the auction at that price

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by ApK

more unsold items,

And that's ok. That means that I'm not selling for less than I'm willing to let it go for.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Tarana

And that's ok. That means that I'm not selling for less than I'm willing to let it go for.

You can accomplish THAT by simply not listing the item at all. Keep it in your attic. Or throw it in the trash.

But if your goal is to actually SELL it for the price you want, you're better off just listing it at the price you're willing to let it go for, with no reserve.

[Wearever]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Reread that example, taking heed of the phrase "maximum bid".

Now, consider the fact that your erroneous interpretation would result in an incredibly silly way of doing things, rendering the whole concept of "bidding" a bizarre and pointless form of "buy it now-ing".

Right didn't realize the Max Bid was not the last highest bid. It may have been bizarre concept but I've seen stranger things happen on ebay.

[Wearever]

Originally Posted by ApK

You mis-understand. Forgetting reserves for a minute, the normal way the eBay proxy bidding system works is this: You enter the maximum price you are willing to bid. EBay will automatically bid for you only enough to make the next bid increment, and if no one else bids higher, you will not pay any more. As people bid (or if there were already higer proxy bids ready to go,) eBay will bid you up, one increment at a time until you're the higest bid or you hit your maximum. No one ever pays more than one increment higher than the next highest bidder.

What that aricle says is, if there is a reserve, and your Max bid meets or exceeds it, your bid will jump HIGHER than it other wise would, all the way up to the reserve price, then the auction proceeds as any normal, non-reserve auction.

Your right, I didn't know Max Bid they showed was not the actual last bid.