THE $xxx.99 bid to jsut drive up the costs

[jake33]

I am getting a little annoyed with a number of auctions on various sites with some bidders puttin obvious

I just bid on a game used jersey on NFL auctions and a bidder had put down 8 consecutive bids at these amounts below.


$497.00
$474.00
$449.00
$399.00
$388.00
$379.99
$348.00
$324.00

I copied and pasted that bidders ID and did a google search and found 4 otehr auctions this bidders has bid on and check the bid history and the bidder has a track record of putting numerous consecutive bids at dollar amount designed to not WIN the auction but to just drive the price up and/or in a attempt to determine the point where the auction hits someone's max bid to maybe snipe it at the last second.


From being in the game used industry for a decade, this drives me nuts and it is not a isolated incident. I wish there was a way to police this crap, but guess I am just pissing and moaning.

[packfan84]

I see this all the time on MLB Auctions by the same people too. It drives me nuts as well. Especially when an item gets bid up high with over a week to go.

I also notice this on ebay where I'll make a bid then the next bid seems designed to only bump the price up and not actually win.

[jppopma]

Wish there was something that could be done about them. Sometimes I think that people just don't know how to bid, or want to big time to say they "bid" on whatever item.

[JDubbs73]

I agree. It's disgraceful. My first experience with NFL Auctions, one bidder walked the price up to my max bid in $10.00 increments and stopped as soon as they realized they hit it. Over twenty bids! I was furious. It's happened each time since, albeit less egregiously.

[solarlottry]

I know how you feel. I just had to contend with a eerily similar situation.

I was bidding on a gamer on NFL Auctions and a single bidder cost me almost 1000$! I did a little research into this bidder and found that he was and has been bidding on multiple jerseys but not winning any. It appears that his singular goal is to drive up the price of many NFL Auctions gamers but not win any.

It is a free country and anyone can bid on NFL Auctions but to bid just to cost collectors $$$ is really childish. I would never do something like that as it is counterproductive to the hobby and just makes you look like a complete ass. If someone wants to add a shirt to their collection and bids me up I have absolutely no issue with that. In those instances we both are eventually contributing to charity and accomplishing our own goal of adding something to our NFL collections.

On the other hand, to bid in 10$ increments with one second left and with no intention of buying the shirt, is a bit much. I have bid in small increments on items that I had every intention of winning. By bidding in small increments I am only hoping to win at the lowest possible price. To essentially screw another collector just for the sake of driving up the price is plain dumb.

I do not think such kind of activity will change unless the guilty party ends up winning a few items and the auction houses make them pay. Once that happens and the word gets out hopefully those kinds of bidders will disappear.

Always buying 49er game worn items and ALL 1994 game worn 49er items. Paying a finders fee of up to 500$ for quality info that leads to a sale.

Paul
garciajones@yahoo.com

[legaleagle92481]

This happens all the time. Some people just like to bid to say they bid. Others bid because they have a similar item and want to "protect" their investment. Some others probably are just jealous that they can't afford an item and want to make someone who is better off then they are pay a bit more for it.

[spartakid]

I agree. It's disgraceful. My first experience with NFL Auctions, one bidder walked the price up to my max bid in $10.00 increments and stopped as soon as they realized they hit it. Over twenty bids! I was furious. It's happened each time since, albeit less egregiously.

I'm confused, does the auction tell them when they have "tied" your bid?

[jake33]

Yes, look at the bid history in auctions and you can see who bid and the amount of their bid(s).

[jake33]

Last night I was thrilled to pick up Dallas Clark's Buccaneers Game used jersey, but had to pay $65 over what I wanted to pay for it, just because of that bidder.

[momen55]

mlb is the same crap. countless times have i bid on items, only to find out the amount was raised, by the same idiots mind you, in an attempt to screw me to pay more or not win at all. and yes, it is the same idiots every time. ebay, same crap.

[JDubbs73]

I'm confused, does the auction tell them when they have "tied" your bid?
Essentially, yes. I had a max bid in place on the item. With each incremental bid made by the other individual, my max bid countered with the minimum bid requirement. Once my max was equalled, no counter bid occurred and I still showed as the leading bid. It was at that point that the other individual stopped bidding.

[trsent]

You folks are talking about NFL Auctions?

I can see if you are suspicious from a private auction house or public auction web site like eBay, but if you don't like the system, bid increments and don't place a high max bid. In other words, if you are willing to pay $500.00 for something that is currently at $240.00, bid only the next bid and when you get outbid only bid the next bid.

This way you can't complain that someone is bidding you up to your max if that is what you feel is going on.

I find it hard to believe someone can bid as being discussed in this discussion and not eventually end up high bidder and forced to buy the item or get their account suspended.

If you bid more than the next bid, you are risking this happening over and over again.

[jake33]

Joel, you have a great point as always. If you as a buyer put in a $500 max bid, yes you are at risk for winning the bid. Plain and simple.

Also, the way people bid by not becoming the high bidder is in a conservative manner and knowing the minimum bid increments...

For example

If a current bid is at $90 and the bid incriment is at $10
Another buyer can place a minimum bid, in this case it would be $100.00
If that bid is placed and the next high bid is showing $101.02
That obviously means that the original bidder hit their maximum bid, because the bidding systems automatically go to the incrimental bid for outbidding, unless it is less than that incrimental bid amount.

[jake33]

Truth be told of something I did a few years ago. I don't really have the time to do this anymore, but around 6-7 years ago on ebay there was a bidder doing this to me a few times and i got sick of it.

So, to counter act his bid that was intentionally driving up my bid, I retracted my bids with 12 hours and 1 minute before the auction ended (Ebay won't let you retract bids with less than 12 hours left) with that other bidder then became the high bidder at a very low amount ($20). 2-3 minutes later I bid $99.98 to make his $99.99 the high bid and force him to be the high bidder and not have his bid being able to be retracted.

It wasn't a really great thing I did and I wouldn't take the time or effort to do that nowadays but I didn't feel too bad about it either at the time.

[JDubbs73]

Joel, I agree. Valid point and something I'll probably do for future items. To be clear, I was happy with the purchase just disappointed with the process. Lesson learned.

[spartakid]

Essentially, yes. I had a max bid in place on the item. With each incremental bid made by the other individual, my max bid countered with the minimum bid requirement. Once my max was equalled, no counter bid occurred and I still showed as the leading bid. It was at that point that the other individual stopped bidding.

I didn't know that, definitely seems like a glitch that should be fixed somehow.

[Jags Fan Dan]

I didn't know that, definitely seems like a glitch that should be fixed somehow.
I don't think it is a glitch, there is really no other way to do automated bidding that I can think of. If I put in a max bid of $100 on ebay, and you bid $100 also, it will show me as the high bidder at $100 and you will know I am maxed out because if I wasn't, it would have ticked the price to $102.50. But what is the alternative? I guess if you are annoyed by people bidding you up, you could make your max bid an odd amount to make it more difficult for the under bidders to match it or come close enough to find out your max without outbidding you.

[NEFAN]

Is it possible that these "bidders" work for NFL/MLB auctions?

[Mattapan03]

Is it possible that these "bidders" work for NFL/MLB auctions?

Honestly, you never know. I wouldnt rule out anything.

[marks01234]

I share this problem with everybody.

On ebay, I pretty much only make a serious bid in the last minute of the auction. It's the only way to prevent this and you'll find the serious bidders doing the same. I've lost a few items this way by not bidding the full amount I was willing to but have learned to really put a good value on jersey's and stick with it. I've also lost a few items because time got away from me or I forgot about the auction but they honestly weren't A list items for me anyway.

What frustrates me on Ebay is that I know a lot of these guys bidding won't pay. I know because I've been on the other end as a seller. I sold one jersey and within an hour the guy had message me saying he was sorry but wasn't going to pay for it. I'm luckly to get half of the bidders to pay for the item.

Obviously, NFL auctions makes it impossible to do last minute bidding due to the 5 minute rule. For this I suggest bidding in odd amounts (like $97.23). Let these guys get stuck being the higher bid and thinking about it for a day or two. Even if you plan to out-bid them, give it a day or two. Let them get worried that they are going to have to buy the jersey.

Now, I have no idea what NFL Auctions success rates for final sales are. I'm sure it's better than Ebay but I imagine they have issues to. I know my CC won't be able to cover some of the jerseys.