411 for eBay Users - More Q&A
The ebay Q&A Board	411 for eBay Users - Main Page	411 for eBay Users - Even More Help

Click on the item/question you want to see or just scroll down this page to read all of them in order:

• How did someone beat my MAX bid by less than the minimum raise?
• How do I make sure the image is displayed next to my items description?
• When, Why, and How do I Leave Feedback?
• What happens when a reserved bid auction closes but the reserved bid was not met?
• I won a Dutch Auction, now what am I going to have to pay?
• Tell me about Copyrights?
• How can I change my email address and not loose my existing feedback?
• How do I know the status of an auction, if I won an auction, or who won my auction(s), other than waiting for email's from eBay?
• How do I keep track of the information on closed auctions?
• The item arrived damaged (USPS), but the package was insured, now what do I do?

How did someone beat my MAX bid by less than the minimum raise?

(this answer comes from the standard answer ebay Support provides)

The eBay system operates as a proxy bid system. This means that a bidder can submit a maximum bid amount and the system will act as a proxy bidder in their absence, executing their bid for them and trying to keep the bid price as low as possible. This way a bidder doesn't have to be at the auction every minute.

The key to understanding how the proxy bidding system handles new bids is to remember that the determining factors are the current high bid and the new bid about to be submitted, NOT any maximum bids held in reserve on the server in your name.

For example, You are the first bidder and the opening bid is $5 so you bid a maximum of $20. The current bid is now $5 on you with a $20 maximum bid held in confidence on the server. Another bidder comes along and decides to bid $6 and discovers he his immediately over bid (by the server executing your maximum) and you are still the current high bidder at $6.50. So he bids again, say $10 this time and again he is outbid by .50 and you are still the high bidder at $10.50. The other bidder now starts to suspect that you have left a minimum bid of $20 or so so he tests it by bidding $20.01 and he is now the high bidder at his bid of $20.01.

Why? Because the difference between the current high bid (not your reserve) and the new bid submitted is greater than the minimum bid increment in force at this level of bidding (.50) $20.01 less $10.50 = $9.51 which is greater than .50

If the bidder had bid $20, then the bid would have been tied with you as the current high bidder and the other bidder's next acceptable bid would have been $20.50.

Again, it is the current high bid and not any maximum bids held on the server that determine the acceptablity of any new bids.

I hope this has been a help in understanding how this aspect of the proxy bidding system works.

How do I make sure the image is displayed next to my items description?

When you add your item to ebay you want to make sure that you fill in the Picture URL (optional): box, which is the last part of Step 3 when adding your description.
If you already have your image available and know the URL, then enter the URL in the box. If you are using a image hosting service that requires you first have a auction number, you still need to put some type of legitimate image URL in this box to get the icon to work. If you do not have one to use, please choose one of the following to dress up your auction. Then, when you add your image afterwards you can be assured that the pic icon is set. Always try and put images below your text description, as most browsers will load the image slowly. This way you potential bidders can read the description while waiting for the image to load.
This is the 'star' gif used on eBay so will load very fast:
cayman.ebay.com/aw/pics/star.gif
www.oocities.org/MotorCity/2625/aneyes.gif
www.oocities.org/MotorCity/2625/checkmrk.gif
www.oocities.org/MotorCity/2625/coolfc.gif

When, Why, and How do I Leave Feedback?

As a buyer and/or seller you have to decide when you should leave feedback but by participating on eBay you should consider feedback part of the experience. A seller should leave feedback based on the buyers promptness in responding to the invoice and in paying. Some sellers prefer to wait until the buyer receives the item(s), but be careful because if there is a problem with the item that is legitimate the buyer should not be penalized. Buyers need feedback so if a delay happens in an ongoing deal a seller can use the feedback to decide how to proceed. Also, negative feedback on buyers is important if they back out of auctions they have won, make bad payments, etc.. so other sellers can be protected. That is the best way to track any patterns. If in doubt about a problem, leave nuetral feedback. Some sellers leave feedback if someone retracts their bid at an awkward time in an auction.

Buyers need to leave feedback about sellers to help other potential bidders. Leave feedback after receiving your item(s). Do not wait too long for the seller to leave feedback first but you can reserve your best feedback for sellers that leave you feedback. The seller's feedback is based on how promptly they shipped, how well the item is packaged, if the item is/was as described, and how well they communicated during from sending the invoice until the item arrived. Negative feedback should only be posted if necessary. Reserve negative feedback for situations like: when a seller refuses to sell even though you were the highest bidder (and if there was a reserve you met or exceeded it), which is known to happen if the winning bid was low; if the item is not as described and the seller refuses to offer a full refund; or any other major issues. Slow shipping or very bad communication should result in a bland but positive feedback unless things were really unusual. Nuetral feedback is good when there is a problem that was resolved but was just not acceptable. Remember, if you agree to work a problem out then negative feedback is not really appropriate.

If you cannot find the link on ebay but have the other persons email address, CLICK HERE TO LEAVE FEEDBACK. This link can be found on ebay at the ebay Site Map which is linked at the top of every page on ebay. Every link on ebay can be found there.

What happens when a reserved bid auction closes but the reserved bid was not met?

Neither the Seller nor any Bidder is required to enter into a transaction. Keep in mind that when a reserve is not met, eBay does not reveal the 'Reserve' after the auction ends plus the MAX of the highest bidder is also not revealed. The Seller is not even obligated to negotiate with the highest bidder, but should give them the first opportunity according to the opinion of the majority of the eBay users that frequent The ebay Q&A Board.

I won a Dutch Auction, now what am I going to have to pay?

The eBay Dutch Auction rules clearly state that "For the selling price to increase past the opening price specified by the seller, there must be an equal or higher level of demand than the supply indicated." For example, if 10 TV's are offered with a opening bid of $100..."the selling price would only increase if eleven or more TVs were bid upon, no matter what the amount of each bid."

"At the close of the auction, the highest bidders earn the right to purchase the items at the lowest successful bid." If your bid was higher, and a seller asks you to pay the amount you bid, advise the seller to read the rules and abide by them. The winning amount is always given on the items page and in the confirmation email. Remember, all Dutch auction bidders pay the same amount. A Yankee auction (which eBay does NOT support) is where winning bidders pay what they bid.

Tell me about Copyrights?

(contributed by Mike, mmcbee@access.mountain.net)

"They, the copyrights, must be legally documented with the Gov't."

That used to be the case, but not any more. Take a look at: 10 Big Myths about copyright explained For more detailed info, there's also: Copyright FAQ

How can I change my email address and not loose my existing feedback?

(this answer comes from the standard answer ebay Support provides)

You can safely change your email address by clicking here for more information. Please note... Any instances of your old email address will be changed to your new address including your feedback, any current or past auctions, your account, and on the various bulletin boards.

Please do not register under the new email address or you will not be able to use the form. If you already registered under your new email, please contact support@ebay.com with your old and new email addresses and passwords and they will combine the accounts for you.

How do I know the status of an auction, if I won an auction, or who won my auction(s), other than waiting for email's from eBay?

TWO VERY IMPORTANT SEARCHES TO BOOKMARK

To keep track of all the items you have bid on or offered on eBay for the last 30 days please do the following:

Go to the Search Page (link is at the top and bottom of every eBay page). The 4th search option on the page is to search by a 'Bidders E-mail address'. Enter your email address, and make sure you mark the 'Yes' option to look at "Past Auctions Too?" and leave the 'Yes' marked for "Past auctions you've bid on?". Click on the button to the right of that table and you will get a complete list of items past and present that you have bid on. Bookmark that page.

Sellers, you can do the same thing using Sellers option. Bookmark that page and you are set.

How do I keep track of the information on closed auctions?

As auctions close that you are the winner on or are the seller for, open that auction and save the page to your HD as a HTML document (use the search link in the above answer to find the auctions). Now you have a permanent record of the auction in case you forget the buyers/sellers email address, the item number, or the items description description.

Sellers, you need to also save a copy of the Bidders History especially if it was a Dutch Auction. The Bidders History provides you with the other bidders in case your winner backs out for some reason. Try to save the auction and bidder pages to a floppy for backup, then you can look at the information on any browser.

The item arrived damaged (USPS), but the package was insured, now what do I do?

(answer provided by bennett@chipshot.net>

Re. postal insurance, the buyer does NOT have to have the insured receipt. Not the original, not a photocopy, not nothing. Packages insured for $50 or less should have the postal 'Insured' rubber stamp marking on it somewhere. Over $50, it should have a blue paper label with an insured number starting with a 'V' probably. If you receive an item in the mail which is broken & it has one or the other on the package, immediately take the package, contents, & wrappings to your post office to begin the claims process. They will immediately pay you for the damage if it is an unnumbered insured (under $50). If it is a numbered insured (over $50), they will have you complete the address's portion of a claims form & then forward it on to the sender's post office. They, in turn, will contact the sender that the form needs to be completed, designating the payee, & signed. They may or may not demand the insurance receipt. The paperwork is then processed & the refund (minus postage & fees) will be sent to the designated payee. It does take a few weeks to handle all the steps, so the sender might consider refunding the price (including postage?) & getting their money back from the post office, or requesting payment go to the buyer who would be SOL on the postage.

In any event, the buyer does not, DOES NOT, have to have the receipt for the insurance to start the claim process.

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