Buying a bike off Ebay: The Good, Bad and Ugly

[teigyr]

I don't have much to add except for I have purchased a bike from eBay and it was fine. I think you can get a feel for sellers and whether or not they are scammers.

I have friends who swear by esnipe (http://www.esnipe.com). I'm torn...it kind of seems like cheating but I will bet anything I've been outbid by people using this service.

[cherinyc]

I have friends who swear by esnipe (http://www.esnipe.com). I'm torn...it kind of seems like cheating but I will bet anything I've been outbid by people using this service.

Cheating Shmeating.... I want this bike. Can you tell I was a tantrum throwing child?

I signed up for esnipe. I am still a little baffled about how it works, but I think I get it enough to just sit back and wait now. I've got about 12 hours, so....

I wish I had known about all these techniques before I placed the first stupid bid - which of course raised interest. Darn it!

[short cut sally]

Hey Cheri, hows the bidding going?? Today is the day isn't it? (I've never bought a bike off ebay, lots and lots of biking stuff though..) And I do bid odd amounts. NEVER put in whole amounts, like $125.00. I'll put in 125.76, that change is usually what wins the bid sometimes. That's my theory, as it is Mimi's too. .

[bluebug32]

Cheating Shmeating.... I want this bike. Can you tell I was a tantrum throwing child?

I signed up for esnipe. I am still a little baffled about how it works, but I think I get it enough to just sit back and wait now. I've got about 12 hours, so....

I wish I had known about all these techniques before I placed the first stupid bid - which of course raised interest. Darn it!

I felt bad at first, but I've definitely won things through esnipe before. The rules of ebay have changed, so it's hard not to follow and use the tricks that everyone else does. I agree with bidding odd numbers too ($12.01, 8.59, etc.). It seems to work. And (this is always a shot in the dark), but have you contacted the buyer with an offer? Some people don't mind selling early if they know they will get the price they were looking for. Good luck!

[cherinyc]

Bidding is down to just over 2 hours now, and no action in a day. The # counter at the bottom is at 217 though - so people are watching it. The bid is at $519.11 with me highest. I had placed my ebay max bid at $5X5.00 (#'s have been disguised to protect the innocent) . Obviously it was a previous ebay sleuth, and not myself, who bid $510.11. My max bid is set at I also went into esnipe and gave a max bid of $5X9.74. (I don't want to give away my info - JIC)

If my max bid doesn't go up by $10 from the last person's bid - say they bid $5X3.11 and my max bid is $5X9.74 - will ebay take it? Or will it be bounced back as not high enough?

I did contact the seller asking him about where the buy it now price went. he said he didn't know, but would try and get it back on for me. He said if he couldn't get it back, I would just have to battle it out with the others. I took that as he was not willing to sell early. Besides, I thought ebay wouldn't let you stop early?

I think I will be outbid - thing is, that this bike - brand new at retail is on sale for ~$529.00. I'm not sure if people know that - but if they did their homework, maybe that will keep the bids where they are.

(fingers crossed)

[SouthernBelle]

In the event you have the high bid on ebay, won't esnipe then raise it?

[cherinyc]

In the event you have the high bid on ebay, won't esnipe then raise it?

No - you can't out bid yourself. esnipe goes in, acting as me, and with 6 sec to go - just puts in the high bid I gave them. Ebay acts as a proxy, only upping your bid enough to beat the last bid. It will see my highest bid, but won't apply it unless needed.

I was wondering the same thing - so I read up on that.

[mimitabby]

once ANYONE bids, the buy it now thing goes away. That's the rule.

I don't use Esnipe. I just decide before hand how high i'm willing to go and bid.

good luck, i hope you get the bike. Change your bid to 6xx.xx

[emily_in_nc]

And (this is always a shot in the dark), but have you contacted the buyer with an offer? Some people don't mind selling early if they know they will get the price they were looking for. Good luck!

"Some people" are breaking ebay rules if they do that. Sellers are not allowed to offer an item for auction on ebay and then pull the auction, cancel existing bids, and sell "off ebay". It's just not allowed and is extremely unethical. Now, if they have an "or best offer" attached to their fixed-price listing, that's a totally different thing. Or, if their item doesn't sell and they hear from someone interested after the fact who wished they'd bid after all, the seller can re-list the item with a Buy-it-now so that the buyer can then do the BIN. But they definitely can't pull the auction and take a private offer in the middle of an auction.

Cherinyc, congratulations on winning the auction! That's a beautiful bike!

Emily