One of the most confusing aspects of eBay is just how the proxy bidding system works. I’ve lost count of the number of threads I’ve read on eBay message boards where people try to work out just who bid what when. Today eBay.com have announced that they are to make the process more transparent, as members will now be given the option to see automatic bids made by the system on a buyer’s behalf.
Hopefully this will make things a little easier for inexperienced (and some experienced!) buyers, though with the auction format close to dead in an increasing number of eBay categories, they’d be better putting their energies into ways to make buying it now a little easier.
4 Responses
“though with the auction format close to dead in an increasing number of eBay categories…”
which categories did you have in mind, Sue? I find auctions very active and viable in my categories.
Collectables are the only category where I’m hearing sellers consistently say that auctions work for them, Lynne. So the ones I had in mind were all the rest.
Interesting. Certainly, even in collectables, for some items, the prices are going down, and those items I would only offer in the shop at a BIN (with Best Offer usually) price. As Dan said, it is becoming more and more important to keep a finger on the pulse of popularity and trim your strategies accordingly.
Please excuse the melange of mixed metaphors…..