Bidding on eBay is an easy step, but you'll have to compete quickly if you want to buy popular items. Of course, you don't just want to bid, but you also want to win, right? Learn the art of bidding on eBay and quickly become an eBay expert.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Bidding Online
Step 1. Find the item you want to buy
Browse the categories to find the item you want to buy or use the search function to find a specific item. Take a look at the list of available auctions and click on the auction that suits you best.
Step 2. Pay attention to the details of the item
Double-check prices, conditions, and overall product descriptions so you know what you're buying. Don't buy an item just because of the photo, as some sellers intentionally put fake photos in their auctions.
Check seller ratings. Ratings and reviews left by other buyers will help you determine if your purchase is worth the money and effort you put in. Good sellers have ratings between 94 and 100. The number of ratings a seller has can also be an indication of popularity, as sellers with many high sellers are better than sellers with few high ratings
Step 3. Click the "Place Bid" button to start the bidding process
If you're not logged in, eBay will ask you to sign in to your account.
- If you don't have an eBay account yet, you may need to create one. An eBay account is free to create and allows you to monitor current bids and orders.
- Enter your maximum bid. This bid is the highest amount you are willing to pay for the item. Enter it in the box and click "Continue".
- Understand how tiered bidding works. To ensure buyers get the item at the lowest price, eBay implements an automated tiered bidding system. Your opening bid will be the same as the seller's minimum price. If your bid is higher than the minimum bid, eBay will automatically increase your bid by a certain multiple. The bidding process will continue until your maximum bid is reached.
- Don't bargain for things you don't want to buy. According to eBay, every bid you make is a binding contract. Therefore, make sure you only bid on items that you will actually buy.
- Offer the amount you want to pay. While you may get a final price below your max bid, be prepared to pay the max price. Again, bidding functions as a binding contract, and you will be required to pay the maximum bid in full if that price is reached at auction.
- Don't bid for the same two items at the same time. If you win both, you have to pay for both. Bid one item at a time before trying another auction, unless you want to buy two of the same item.
- Increase your max bid if you like. If you decide to pay more for a particular item, you can increase your bid by entering a higher bid.
- Know the withdrawal limits of offers. There are rare occasions where you may change your bid. If you enter the wrong bid by mistake, you can change your bid right away to fix it. If the item description changes significantly after your bid has been submitted and you are unable to contact the seller, you can withdraw your bid.
Step 4. Look back and confirm your offer
Make sure your bid amount is correct and click "Confirm Bid" to accept the bid.
Method 2 of 3: Bid on Mobile
Step 1. Open the eBay mobile site on your smartphone
The eBay mobile site can be accessed for free by many types of smartphones, and can be found at
- The process of finding and bidding on items on a mobile phone is essentially the same as the process for doing so on a computer. The difference is, the mobile version of eBay is designed to be easily accessible on mobile devices.
- You can also access eBay by downloading the app on your phone. The eBay mobile app is available to all the leading smartphone brands for free. The app may have a different appearance than the website, but you can still use it to search and bid as usual.
Step 2. Find the right item
If you are using a mobile site, type a description of the item in the search box on the front page. Click the magnifying glass icon to start searching.
- Select "Browse Categories" under the search bar on the home page if you're not looking for a specific item and want to see a list of products first.
- If using a mobile app, the same technique can still be used. The search bar will be at the top of the app's home screen, usually in the top right corner or top center depending on the app version. The "Browse Categories" option is also available on the main screen but is positioned between saved searches and your favorite searches.
Step 3. Pay attention to the details of the item
Make sure you understand the description, price and condition of the item. Because bidding on eBay includes a binding contract, you should really understand the item you are bidding on before you bid on an item.
Look at seller ratings. Trusted sellers typically have ratings of around 94 percent or higher. Sellers with more ratings are also usually more popular and trusted than sellers with fewer ratings
Step 4. Select "Place Bid"
This button is no different on the mobile site or on the eBay app. Clicking this button will start the bidding process.
- Log into your account or create an eBay account. If you're using a phone app, you're usually logged into your account. However, if you use the mobile website through a browser, you may not be logged into your account.
- Enter your maximum bid amount. Touch the bid box with your finger to select it and use the on-screen keyboard to enter a bid. Your max bid is the highest bid you are willing to pay. When finished, click Continue.
- Your bid will start at the lowest number. Because eBay employs a tiered bidding system, your bid will continue to rise as other users bid until your maximum bid is reached.
- Don't bid on things you don't want. Bidding on eBay is a binding contract, so you can only bid on the items you want to buy and increase your bid by the amount you want to pay. You can always increase your max bid as you wish, by putting a higher bid on the item.
- Don't even think about withdrawing the offer. eBay only allows you to withdraw your bid if you enter an incorrect bid and correct it immediately, or if the item description changes drastically after you bid.
Step 5. Confirm your offer
Look at the maximum bid again to make sure your bid is accurate and use your finger to select "Confirm Bid".
Step 6. Wait for the notification
If you use the eBay mobile app instead of the phone website, you'll be notified when someone else bids higher than you.
Method 3 of 3: Successful Bidding Strategies
Step 1. Enter the bid amount in cents
For example, if the maximum price you want to pay is $50, enter a bid of $50.11.
Most sellers bid with whole numbers, and many eBay auctions are won by a margin of a few cents. If another seller bids $50 as well, they're more likely to set a bid limit of $50.00. Using a bid limit of $50.11, your bid is automatically raised from a competitor's bid if their bid limit (amount of $50.00) has been exceeded
Step 2. Wait until the last moment
The most effective bids are usually made 10 seconds before the auction ends.
If you place your max bid long before the auction ends, a bidding war will erupt when two bidders raise their bids by multiples. Even if your max bid is higher than other buyers, other buyers can still increase their max bid once your max bid is reached
Step 3. Open two browser windows
Monitor the auction process in one window and place your maximum bid in the last 10-15 seconds of the auction in the second window.
- Enter your maximum bid in the second window and click "Place Bid". Don't click "Confirm Bid" just yet, but make sure the button is there.
- In the first window, refresh the page every few seconds by pressing Ctrl+R or F5, to monitor the current price changes.
- Open two windows side by side if possible. Switching windows can waste valuable time.
- Move to your second window with the bid you entered in the last 10-15 seconds of the auction. Click "Confirm Bid" to place the final bid. Doing so late in the auction will make it difficult for other bidders to increase their bids before the auction closes.
Tips
- Be aware that you may not be able to win the auction even if your bid is the biggest bid, if the seller sets the hold price higher than your highest bid. This price is the minimum price for the item that is hidden from the buyer. For example, if the hold price is $20, you can't buy an item if your bid is $18, even if your bid is the highest bid.
- Have your credit card ready to bid on items over $15,000. Your credit card won't be charged until you win the auction, but you'll need to enter the number to check your age and seriousness.
