Buying in any auction either on or offline can be an exciting experience. You see an item that you are interested in and you make a bid. But then someone else bids and you are no longer the high bid. Well, your bid was a bit low anyway so you might as well raise it a little and get control because there are only a few minutes to the end of the auction.
And so up and up go the bids until the end of the auction arrives. One of two things will have happened, you will either have won the item and paid way over the odds or you will breath a sigh of relief as someone else has the winning bid.
As sellers we love two or three people to be interested in our item and bid against each other. That is how items reach two or three times the amount we expected but as a buyer it can leave us a bit flat and not a little poorer.
There is absolutely no reason why this should happen to you. Bidding in the last few minutes of an auction can become frenzied and it is not the place for value for money seekers like us to be. And the good news is that we do not have to be.
These days I make all my bids by Proxy. It is very simple and straightforward and you will often pick up a bargain. What you do is decide what is the maximum price you are prepared to pay for any item. And this is a decision you make ideally a few hours before the end of the auction although you can bid as soon as the item is listed if you wish. Personally I do not like to attract too much attention to an auction by bidding early if I can avoid it. But sometimes it can be necessary if I am going to be away from a computer for a while.
Once you have decided on the amount you are prepared to pay enter that as your bid.
Now do not worry all that will happen is that your bid will be recorded at the level of the next bid increment. For example if the current bid was 99c and you were prepared to pay £3 the actual bid would be for just $1.04 a 5c increase on the previous bid. If someone else then bid yours would increase until someone bids more than your maximum bid.
In my experience I find that by using proxy bids I get about 50% of the items I bid on and often for much less than my maximum amount. One useful tip that I can give you is to never make your maximum bid a round number. For instance if you think $10 is about right bid $10.11 or even $10.51 because a lot of people will quit bidding when the item reaches a significant amount such as $10, $50 or $100 and those few extra can swing the auction in your favour.
Once you have placed your proxy bid you can just forget about it until the auction is over and then just check your e-mail for the congratulations or "the you have been outbid" message. Either way you can be sure that you have not paid over the odds for an eBay purchase.
If you've been involved in a road traffic accident, you'll know that making a claim for compensation can be a long and difficult process. First of all, you'll need to sort out the recovery of your vehicle, before assessing the extent and costs of repairs that will need to be made. Then you'll need to obtain a replacement hire vehicle to tide you over until your car comes back from the garage. And if you're unfortunate enough to be injured in your road traffic accident, you'll also want to seek compensation for your injuries.
There are a variety of companies, bodies and institutions that can help you seek road traffic accident claims. In fact, there are so many, it can be difficult to choose between them. One of the most convenient ways to go about claiming compensation is to extend your car insurance premium and have your insurance company deal with the specifics. However, this can be a very costly process and, depending on how reliable your insurance company is, can take weeks to process.
If you're keen to find other ways to make road traffic accident claims quickly and simply, a personal injury solicitor could be the way forward. To find personal injury solicitors in your area, make a quick internet search or contact your council, who should be able to help you find what you're looking for. If you haven't been injured in your road traffic accident, some personal injury solicitors might be able to offer you limited services, such as arranging an alternative vehicle or obtaining a quote for vehicle repairs.
However, if you're seeking injury compensation too, many personal injury solicitors will be able to offer you a complete road accident compensation service - you simply need to shop around first before you find the right services for you. Signs of a first-class road traffic accident claims service include immediate arrangment of a replacement vehicle and a list of approved garages in your region. This way, your most immediate needs are taken care of and you can be sure that your vehicle will be back on the road again in no time.
Of course, the best way to avoid the hassle of making a road traffic accident claim is not to get into any at all! Always make sure your car is well-maintained, as regular maintenance will ensure problems are spotted early on, thereby decreasing the chances of you having a road accident. Additionally, try to avoid driving at night; but if you absolutely have to, put some loud or fast-paced music on to keep your mind alert. For more tips on vehicle safety, consult the AA or RAC websites, where you'll find a wealth of information on how to avoid road accidents.
Both Dave Bromley & Paul Mcindoe are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Dave Bromley has sinced written about articles on various topics from Currency Trading, Internet Marketing and Home Improvement. Dave Bromley is the webmaster and Editor for and the monthly newsletter UK AuctionLine.. Dave Bromley's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.
Paul Mcindoe has sinced written about articles on various topics from Mortgage, Types of Cancer and Manchester Travel. Paul McIndoe is an online, freelance journalist and keen hillwalker. He lives in Scotland with his two dogs.. Paul Mcindoe's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.