Didn’t see an announcement from eBay other then some users got an email, but it looks like eBay is rolling out automatic auction end timer on auction style listings. According to sources any bid placed between 2 minutes/1 minute of close (depending on testing) the end time will be extended, 1-2 minutes.
Doing a little research some users were notified of this as far back as May, but I still see no official announcement posted by ebay.
I don’t, either! I use more BIN than auctions, but if bidders want to duke it out at the buzzer, no problem.
I was curious about whether the countdown would keep restarting or just once, but the ebay blurb clarified that the countdown will indeed restart until there are no more (actual) last-minute bids.
I guess that counts, but this feels like a major platform change that seems to be getting no real announcement.
The way it works on like every other auction platform and in live in person auctions, each bid resets the clock, again and again and again. If two bidders are going at it I’ve seen live auctions just keep going and the lot takes 5+ minutes to close (once one bidder gives up).
I’ve always thought that Ebay’s method was silly because almost all other auctions keep going when new bids come in…
exception being school fundraiser auction in the “old” days of clipboards and pens… there’d be at least 3 moms (their oldest or only kid’s class) hovering over the piece of paper for the class art piece trying to make deals with each other for a “timeshare” scenario and some really drunk mom with her youngest kid (of her 5 kids) in that class would swoop in and up the bid by $100… and then forget to pick up the art afterward.