eBay Madness!

Ok, so I’m on eBay looking for some bargains and I can’t help but think that some of the people using eBay might have missed the point of an auction.

Y’see, an auction is supposed to be a place where you bid as much as you are willing to pay for an item, and see who wants it the most. But over the past few days, I’ve seen a lot of people playing a different game. They seem to be trying to pay an amount as close to the item’s retail value as possible, without going over. Sort of like a real version of The Price Is Right.

I’ll give you an example. I was bidding on a used computer game. I had already had the foresight to look at online retailers to determine what they were selling it for. Play.com had the lowest price, so I deducted the postage costs from their price and found the maximum that it was worth paying for the game. Then I deduct a little more to find my maximum bid that I’m willing to go to.

In the end, I got sniped in the last minute of the auction, something I hate to see (but am forced to do myself in order to win any auction).

To these people, I ask you a question: What is the point of paying £24.49 for a used version of an item that sells brand new for £24.99? Seriously! Is it some sort of psychological compulsion? I know eBay addiction exists, and some people just have to win an auction, but I’ve seen this behaviour so many times, it’s worrying.

My sister once bid on a book and CD for teach yourself chinese. The seller actually put in his listing: “Please don’t bid more than £25 for this item as the book is still in print and sells for this amount.”

She was sniped in the last five minutes by someone who paid £27 for the book.

What a tool.

The problem is, I don’t see an easy solution. It’s a balance between getting the best bargain, and getting an item you really really want. If I put in the maximum bid I was willing to entertain paying straight away, I’d probably get sniped at the last minute, but I could end up paying more than I might have otherwise got away with. If I constantly re-bid on the item, I push the price up anyway and risk going over my personally set limit for the item.