Jim is correct with this type seller bidding on own items through eBay control mainframe.  I find it hard to believe if a person could actually place a bid on their items up for auction under the sellers eBay registered site as the data base field syntax and semantics strings would kick in through the computer pragmatic language blocking mechanism. Like as soon as the registered name is entered then the mainframe knows who it is just like me entering this string into the debate by the actual submit icon.

Exactly. I have had friends bid some of my auctions up (no names here) but they were also willing to buy the model at that price so.....not really bidding it up, really???or is it??? I guess it depends on your point of view. It is the go behind your back types that we don't need, any site, any time. and angry is just not right when your trying to sell something. Pleasant and helpful always makes the sale. Look at my recent feed back where people have said that I was very helpful or pleasant or knowledgeable and they appreciate it, show it and come back for more of my stuff. THAT is what it is about, Repeat business. You got that you got a store.

When I find something that I like on eBay or anywhere else. I check out the credibility of the seller first. Then decide on how much I can afford including the postage information. Read the description thoroughly and study the pictures to see if there is any faults not described by the seller. Some sellers wont say anything about the item either, either through ignorance or shrewdness. Then there are those who have already bidded on the item the I check out what the bid increments indicate, are they just fifty cent bids or are they in dollars. Now this becomes the inquisition test of all to ones mind. What is their reserve bid of the last bidder. A feeler bid may help to identify this. Always save your final bid to the last 10 seconds and let the best bidder win.

There again I have to agree with James on this. Have your highest bid in mind, include what shipping will cost you in this too. Place the shipping aside for the moment and decide is it reasonable. Yes, then bid, no, back off or contact seller, if time. Wait til last minute or less. last 5 to 10 seconds is best but you will be out bid by autobots. They can come in at 2 seconds to go and I have been beaten at 1 second to go, MANUaLLy. Get that. I used to be able to get it at 2 or 3 to go. Have not bid like that in over a year. Needs practice with a good clock.

Oh Ya, don't forget the lag and your connections speed also have to be taken into account.

Which is something I'm dealing with today. I bought an item from a guy here in the US. He sent me the wrong item, and has refused to communicate with me. I sent the item back at my expense, mind you, and do you think he will reimburse me for his mistake? No way. Will I buy from him again? No way. Will I leave him 5 star feedback as he asked? I'm usually not a petty or vindictive person, but the guy had four business days to respond to one of the 3 messages I sent him about his mistake. Nothing from him until after my return got to him. This isn't customer service, it's an insult and my rating will reflect it.

I tend to rely more on the individual star ratings than the actual percentage. The percentage paints a picture in b&w - superb to reasonable or truly horrible experience - yes, I'd only leave a negative if the transactaion was a complete disaster.

The detailed individual ratings, on the other hand, tell a lot more. Does the seller tend to exaggerate his praise a bit? Perhaps somewhat slow? Inflated charges for p&p - if the postage appears reasonable, low ratings for p&p could indicate problems with combined postage - I bought 3 items from a seller recently, shipping was stated as £4.50 each. I sent a 'request total' and much to my surprise, the total for 3 models in one box was more than 3 items shipped individually! Hmmm!

Tee, don't forget about weight of your combined purchase. If it gets over 500 grams by 1 gram the shipping price doubles. It will almost double again at the next step which can be 750 grams or 1 Kilo. I know this as I ship out of Canada all the time and sometimes it can get quite expensive. The Pullmore transporter and the Rolls Royce Silver Wraith I just sold to Italy cost him $36.00 ship. He also bought about $125.00 worth of parts that was included for free as it did not change the price to ship. The pullmore Transporter alone would have cost that to ship. I don't gouge on shipping and if I were you I would ask to have the models sent in 2 or 3 shipments. If 3 make it that much  maybe 2 and a 1 would be reasonable. I would be asking though.

Christian

Yes, I'm (all too) well aware, that crossing certain weight limits can cause steep increases in price. It's just that I always try to find the best solutions (pricewise) for my customers and if 2+1 would be cheaper, I say so... without being asked. Guess it's just that: I expect the same from others.

Yes Tees you and I would get along well then. I to communicate with my customer and even hold orders for them until next weeks end, if they contact me on the first day, which is also the day they won what I am holding for them. I usually list on Sunday so if you contact me on Monday, sorry, another shipping cost. Each weeks auctions are separate and ship separate unless previously arranged. I had one guy who wanted to keep on buying to cut the shipping cost and that was fine but it was over three weeks or more and I said no. He was getting up there to a kilo anyway and that gets real expensive. I don't do that anymore

When somebody wins one of my auctions, I send a mail with the cost, but also add, that "if you'd like to buy more, you're welcome to do so and save costs on shipping. But if this is the case, please let me know that you haven't finished, so I'll know it's not just a case of you forgetting to pay"

I've had orders run up to almost a month and this can get a little difficult to keep track of. If I'd been more of a 'big seller', it would not be possible to hold items for that long - I've already messed up a couple of times...

A wins an auction, I check my ongoing auctions for current bids, and see that A is also the highest bidder on another auction, ending in a week. I send a mail saying "you'll get the bill once the other auction ends". Unfortunately A gets outbid on that other auction, so his name never shows up again... until I discover the first item, still unpaid for, and investigate... ouch, my bad!

As a consequence, I made a flimsy system using stick-it notes with the names of current bidders. If a name disappeared from that list, it meant that he'd been outbid and I'd go back in my files to find the bill. Very time consuming and not fail-proof at all, but at least it's a bit better than nothing at all.

Now that is what I call real customer service by you Teebodk, allowing bidders accumulate wins until there is enough to send in the mail by bulk.

I have won bulk lots before and combined some too and the postage does escalate which is normal practice anyway. What I like about it is, that when we can divide the total amount of items into the total winning prices and postal costs grouped together and to see just how much we can save. Like a big win, just say for $120 bucks and there are 8 Dinky toys in really good condition, then average the Dinky's works out to be only $15 bucks each contained in the bulk win. Individual wins can be cheaper too and then combined, but remember not to go over the Kilo as it costs the pocket heaps. Then there are those who are selling and jack the postal price up anyway like doubling the postal rate anyway. Well there maybe some costs to wrapping to to be added. Silly isn't it, when a person can go on-line and check the rate anyway if you know roughly where the person lives. All too easy. I always check the amount of the postage when the package arrives at my place.

Another when leaving Feedback I always start with RCVD Meaning recieved in military language and the date of arrival. It works too as I always send that message which is included in the payment status area when paying the invoice.

Today I have paid for 4 Model Collector Magazines from the late 1980s and 1990's Cost of winning bids combined 3-96 and postage registered 12.50 UK pounds. The previous four Model Collector Magazines cost 3.96 and 9-85 UK pounds. Sounds dear but this is printed material and costs more to send in the post just the same as books.

Edit I forgot to say that 4 magazines weigh just over the kilogram which jacks the price up. But I wanted them. 

Time for a Coffee break enjoy.