Expert: Rob James - 8/16/2007

Question
A major seller on eBay, (Bargainland), recently opened a new "premier" site of its own, and I bid and won some items there. My question is this: they kept changing the "end" or "closing" time of the auction. Is this fair? Is this legal? To the best of my knowledge they have nothing posted about this. I bid at 45 second remaining and watched the "closing time" change four different times

Answer
Hi Maggie,

Excellent question. Bargainland is one of the biggest sellers on eBay today. They have a huge number of sales and it seems fitting that they open their own site.

In looking at their premier site, I see they are using what is called the "popcorn" auction method. This method allows the auction time to extend a certain amount of additional time if there are still bids coming in. Typically the extension will kick in if there is any bidding happening in the last minute or thirty seconds of the auction.

This is an accepted form of auction and is similar to how a true auction house operates. Buyers are allowed to bid as long, and as high, as they wish until there are no more bidders (hence the going, going, gone! terminology).

Ubid auctions used (and may still use) this format. It is also seen on some other sites as well. With eBay being the big dog in the auction world, it is easy to get used to their way of business. Many see the definite end time of an auction to be unfair as snipers, sometimes using automated programs, can swoop in at the last second and win. But that is a different discussion.

In a nutshell, what you are seeing is fair and it is legal. It is just another way of running an online auction.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

Take care,
Rob