Bidding process

Proxy bidding - Let's be clear that there are no "BOTS" at play on the is website. 

Users may place their maximum bid ahead of time on any listing and the system will automatically bid until their maximum bid is reached.

Example -  Buyer #1 has a high bid of $56 on a listing.

Buyer #2 enters a maximum bid of $110. Assuming the bids are set at $1 increments buyer #2 now has the high bid of $57.

Buyer #1 bids $75 and the system will automatically outbid buyer #1 and the new high bid is $76 belonging to buyer #2. 

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Bidding is simple in the sense that the highest bid when the time on the auction runs out wins the listing and the right to purchase the item or lot. In the event that two users bid the same dollar amount (one by proxy and one at a later date/timestamp), the user that placed their bid first is the tie-breaker. 

Popcorn bidding is active for mybeercollectibles.com. What is popcorn? 

Popcorn means that any bid placed in the final 5 minutes before the end of the auction will reset the end time so that 5 minutes remains. There is no bid-sniping on MBC. Users cannot jump in at the last second and snipe an auction from the highest bidder. So if a bid is placed at 10:59:32 and the item is supposed to end at  11:00:00 then the end time would reset to 11:04:32. Any subsequent bids before the end item will result in extension of the auction ending time. PLEASE NOTE: The popcorn rule is a default option of this website. Sellers are not actively changing the ending times of auctions with bids on them to try to "get more money".

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This question comes up often - "I was the high bidder but didn't win the listing?"

There are 2 reasons this may happen.

1. The reserve was not met on your item of interest. The reserve price is the minimum price the seller has defined for which he/she will sell the listing. This is determined when the item is listed, before any bids are placed. The reserve price cannot be edited after bidding has started. 

2. someone bought the item for the fixed price. A seller may start an item at $50 auction, but elect for the fixed price buyout option of $70. Regardless of the bidding on that item any user can purchase immediately for the fixed price set by the seller. 

Keywords: bidding, popcorn, popcorn bid, 5-minute, last minute bid, auction time extension