I have just sold something on Ebay with a starting bid on 1p and it had 4 bids on it, all for 1p and it sold for 1p.

How on earth does that happen?

The same person, upping their bid in case someone else bid on it.

EDIT: Just noticed that the same person bid 4 times, all for the same amount.

Odd behaviour.

No, they will have been increasing their bid just in case. Because you can’t outbid yourself their actual bid stays at 1p.

This is where shill bidders would have monitored their auction and had a friend place a bid to bump the price.

You abided by the rules and your item only sold for 1p.

Was it worth 1p?

I just wanted rid of it – I’d rather someone ‘buy’ it for a penny than have someone bid it up for me then leave me with it to dispose of. It was just old junk cluttering up the office and I made £170 in total anyway with the other bits I got shot of.

If it saves you a trip to the dump and somebody gets some use from it, I’d have no problem letting something go for a penny.

Item 1p
Postage, one meeeleeeeeon dollars!

Just had a similar situation: 4 bids on a frame I’m selling and all at the starting price. Turns out the guy is in South Korea with no eBay feedback history, despite my “UK bidders only” note. Hard work eBay sometimes!

4 bids on a frame I’m selling and all at the starting price

As explained above, you never know the exact amounts that the bidder has placed for obvious reasons. You only find out some of the amounts bid if some one else bids higher.

I think some buyers put a load of low bids in thinking it will scare off other bidders who want it for somewhere near the starting price. Doesn’t make a lot of sense to me either TBH?

If it saves you a trip to the dump and somebody gets some use from it, I’d have no problem letting something go for a penny.

Exactly.

I am constantly giving things away with my local Freecycle group too, but this was a much more specialised bit of kit compared to the usual ‘old monitors’ or ‘swivel chairs’ I give away on there.