Has Anybody Else Had This Problem-ebay Bidding?

[Quinvy]

I have had this happen to me several times, am I doing something wrong?

When bidding on an item on ebay today, I pressed the BID NOW button at the top of the item page and entered the next increment shown. Pressed the confirm button, and got the YOU HAVE BEEN OUTBID. So, I entered the next increment shown which was , $24.00. Hit the confirm button was shown, YOU ARE THE CURRENT HIGH BIDDER, but, high bid $24.00, maximum bid $24000.00 WHAT?!!!!how did that happen?

As you can imagine, I won the item easily, but for much more than the record is worth. Trouble is how do you tell the seller, who is delighted with the sale price of course, that it was a mistake?

In fact I normally never bid on ebay now, because of this problem, and I always use a sniper.

Has anyone else had this experiance? Why does it happen?

Edited July 19, 2007 by quinvy

[Guest SteveSnow]

my guess is that you keyed '2400' with no decimal point, which would put your max bid at $2400, not $24.

If you explain to the seller you'll hopefully be able to sort it with no fuss - it depends if he/she is a bit of an arse or not. It's happened to me (as a seller) and I just took it on the chin.

Steve

Edited July 19, 2007 by SteveSnow

[jasonion]

I have had this happen to me several times, am I doing something wrong?

When bidding on an item on ebay today, I pressed the BID NOW button at the top of the item page and entered the next increment shown. Pressed the confirm button, and got the YOU HAVE BEEN OUTBID. So, I entered the next increment shown which was , $24.00. Hit the confirm button was shown, YOU ARE THE CURRENT HIGH BIDDER, but, high bid $24.00, maximum bid $24000.00 WHAT?!!!!how did that happen?

As you can imagine, I won the item easily, but for much more than the record is worth. Trouble is how do you tell the seller, who is delighted with the sale price of course, that it was a mistake?

In fact I normally never bid on ebay now, because of this problem, and I always use a sniper.

Has anyone else had this experiance? Why does it happen?

You probably pressed comma instead of full stop. Happened to me just the once. Sh*t myself.

[Dylan]

I get stuff at work and our eurpoean firends well the czechs in my case do have the commas and full stops the opposite way round to us brits on values for things.

[Guest DELORENZO]

I had a similiar scare on Mr Manship's Auction, I was entertaining guests as the auctions were finishing, and kept popping back to the computer to see if I was still winning, and accidently, added my new bid of £28,000, God knows what i did ??? and surprising, I did win the item lol

[AlanB]

I had similar experience around a year ago. Meant to put on late bid of $32.00 for 5 DuTones - Nobody But My Baby but instead of a full stop in middle I entered a comma which eBay ignored - resulting in maximum bid of $3200.00.

On the confirm screen I think it showed it as typed $32,00 so mistake wasn't obvious till maximum bid shown.

Too near end of auction to withdraw the bid, so spent an uncomfortable few seconds waiting to see if anyone pushed price up to stupid level with a snipe. Had to pay around $36 for my winning bid.

I'm always very careful with the punctuation now.

Alan

[SteveM]

I had a similiar scare on Mr Manship's Auction, I was entertaining guests as the auctions were finishing, and kept popping back to the computer to see if I was still winning, and accidently, added my new bid of £28,000, God knows what i did ??? and surprising, I did win the item lol

Well I'm stupid to have done it on both Ebay and on John's auction. (Rang up in a panic) In the same week (D'oh) Won both items . Luckily on jM's no one bid again, and I had a very understanding seller on Ebay. Could have been a nightmare though. Both at the very end of the auctions.

Edited July 19, 2007 by SteveM

[Jumpinjoan]

Seem to remember you telling me you'd done this ages ago Phil.... so thats at least twice now!

You ninnie

[Guest miff]

The best way to avoid this is not to put the decimal point in, if its $32 just put 32 in $100 = 100, if your trying put in a bid of 32.77 you do need to be carefull but i can see no advantage in doing this, as opposed to going 33, a lot of people do this, end bids in .77 or .75 that is

to me its just another increse in the risk of a cockup. especilly after a few beers

[Guest moggy]

Dependent on when and what time you bid

Theres always the bid retraction form

You can only use this if there are more than 12hrs on the item remaining

And obviously you can put your maximum amount in a lot earlier on an item

worked for me loads of times, if you lose it fair enough, but avoids mistakes like this & stops you getting involved in a bidding war, as thats all your prepared to pay

Ah yes

Miffs idea is also pretty full proof, just put your first 2 digits

Edited July 20, 2007 by moggy

[Guest Bearsy]

too many times to want to mention

easy done when you got the wife nagging in your ear and you want to do it quickly before she notices your after another record

had it done to me too and had people emailing that they too much in by mistake,

you are not alone

[Quinvy]

MMMMM! I've also done it on John's auction .....I know, I know.......and that was with putting the pence in, i.e. .00

The problem is that John has no control over the site, and it costs a tenner to get it altered by the people that run it.......I made my mistake on a Friday night [worst possible time] as it can't be altered until Monday .......I think it was £1200.00 I entered, and it went in at £120,000 ........Needless to say some idiot knocked it up to £2500 over the weekend BUT, and here's the funny thing, on Monday when the high bid had been returned to around the £1200 mark, as it was before my mistake. Said idiot must have cooled off and didn't bid anywhere near as high as he had before, he didn't win the 45, and it went for £1800....very strange

Phil.

[Pete S]

You shouldn't have such big fingers and thumbs