An eBay curiosity ...

[Osi Osgood]

I ran into something rather curious today. There was an auction I was interested in. It had two days left, as of yesterday. I put in an offer. I waited. This morning, I received a reply that offer wasn't accepted and immediately after, I received one saying that the item sold. It still had one day left, so I assumed that someone made a better offer, so I looked it up, and it sold ... Wait for it, for the starting bid amount. ?!? How is that possible? I know for a fact that the auction had a day left. Does ebay allow for a person to make an offer that is the same as the starting bid? Am I missing something?

[David Baker]

Sure Osi , why not ?
keep in mind - an auction with a best offer means this : The seller usually WILL NOT accept an offer LOWER than the starting bid . But WILL accept an offer that is equal to or higher than the starting bid .
Sounds like you think the same principles that apply to a buy it now with best offer apply to this . it doesn't ( with most sellers ) .
Next time do at least the opening bid .
Good luck with eBay !

[Osi Osgood]

I'll try that, as I am just curious of the outcome. I like learning new things. So, apparently, I can potentially end a, let's say, 10 day auction on day one, if I put in a best offer that is the starting bid, so that way, I can end the auction early, instead of just waiting an additional 9 days, just to put a bid in at the last minute?

[David Baker]

Yes providing the seller accepts it . it's worth a try .

[Mike Newell]

Don’t think eBay shows the offer price of a closed item.

[David Baker]

Usually doesn't it just say " best offer accepted " - or something like that ?

[Oliver Feld]

Mike is right

[Osi Osgood]

Yes, I noticed that when I looked up the item in my watched items, it actually had a " 0 " dollar amount, but when I clicked on it, it showed that it was bought early, for the starting bid.

[Nick Regan]

I believe that with an ebay auction, once the first matching or over the start price bid, has been accepted by the system you can no longer make an offer on the item as this interferes with the actual rules of thier action. I have had problems as a seller with this a few times and the only soloution is to let it run its course or stop the auction. This is why I now only sell at buy it now or best offer.