DVLA auction scam
Discussion
Hi guys im new here and was just enquiring about a dvla auction I won.
Story
Basically the number plate I wanted had no bidders up until the last day, including me as I was also waiting up until the final day to place a bid. However someone was also thinking along the same lines as me and 1 person came in at the reserve price of £130. I then put in a maximum bid of £600 and the person who bid first was outbid because his maximum was £140. So he kept bidding up (by changing his maximum bid) up until £200. By this point he had given up as that must have been his maximum price he was willing to pay. There were then only 5 minutes left and I thought I had it and by this time, the lot had already extended by 30 minutes. But to my astonishment a third new bidder came in and placed a bid of £610. The time was extended for a further 30 minutes. So I then placed a maximum bid of £650, (because my bid was automatically placed £10 higher at £620). In the end I got the plate for £620.
Now what Im thinking is that it was either a registration company or someone at DVLA who bided that £610 because firstly how did they know that I had bided £600? This info isn't available, they could have put down a maximum bid of anything above £200. But why exactly £10 more than mine, without them knowing my maximum bid. Secondly any sane person would obviously bid £210 not jump all the way to £610. And Thirdly why would a new bidder come in when the auction had already finished? I know it wasn't the same original bidder because it tells you on the website that there are now 3 bidders, opposed to 2, which was me and the original bidder. Sorry if this was long to read, but this should make sense if your familiar with the auction and read it line for line. It was a timed auction not a live one.
Am I just being superstitious or is there more to it?
Cheers.
Story
Basically the number plate I wanted had no bidders up until the last day, including me as I was also waiting up until the final day to place a bid. However someone was also thinking along the same lines as me and 1 person came in at the reserve price of £130. I then put in a maximum bid of £600 and the person who bid first was outbid because his maximum was £140. So he kept bidding up (by changing his maximum bid) up until £200. By this point he had given up as that must have been his maximum price he was willing to pay. There were then only 5 minutes left and I thought I had it and by this time, the lot had already extended by 30 minutes. But to my astonishment a third new bidder came in and placed a bid of £610. The time was extended for a further 30 minutes. So I then placed a maximum bid of £650, (because my bid was automatically placed £10 higher at £620). In the end I got the plate for £620.
Now what Im thinking is that it was either a registration company or someone at DVLA who bided that £610 because firstly how did they know that I had bided £600? This info isn't available, they could have put down a maximum bid of anything above £200. But why exactly £10 more than mine, without them knowing my maximum bid. Secondly any sane person would obviously bid £210 not jump all the way to £610. And Thirdly why would a new bidder come in when the auction had already finished? I know it wasn't the same original bidder because it tells you on the website that there are now 3 bidders, opposed to 2, which was me and the original bidder. Sorry if this was long to read, but this should make sense if your familiar with the auction and read it line for line. It was a timed auction not a live one.
Am I just being superstitious or is there more to it?
Cheers.
Edited by sam100000 on Wednesday 3rd July 17:58
sam100000 said:
Hi guys im new here and was just enquiring about a dvla auction I won.
Basically the number plate had no bidders until the last day when 1 person came in at the reserve price of £130. I then put in a maximum bid of £600 and the person who bid before was outbid because his maximum was £140. So he kept bidding up (by changing his maximum bid) up until £200. There were 5 minutes left and I thought I had it and by this time, the lot had already extended by 30 minutes. But to my astonishment a second new bidder came in and placed a bid of £610. The time was extended for a further 30 minutes. So I then placed a maximum bid of £650, (because my bid was automatically placed £10 higher at £620). In the end I got the plate for £620.
Now what Im thinking is that it was either a registration company or someone at DVLA who bided that £610 because firstly how did they know that I had bided £600? Secondly any sane person would obviously bid £210 not jump all the way to £610. And Thirdly how can a new bidder come in when the auction had already finished? Sorry if this was long to read, but this should make sense if your familiar with the auction and read it line for line. It was a timed auction not a live one.
Am I just being superstitious or is there more to it?
Cheers.
Very superstitious if you ask me, I'd be calling Ghostbusters or a Warlock of some sort.Basically the number plate had no bidders until the last day when 1 person came in at the reserve price of £130. I then put in a maximum bid of £600 and the person who bid before was outbid because his maximum was £140. So he kept bidding up (by changing his maximum bid) up until £200. There were 5 minutes left and I thought I had it and by this time, the lot had already extended by 30 minutes. But to my astonishment a second new bidder came in and placed a bid of £610. The time was extended for a further 30 minutes. So I then placed a maximum bid of £650, (because my bid was automatically placed £10 higher at £620). In the end I got the plate for £620.
Now what Im thinking is that it was either a registration company or someone at DVLA who bided that £610 because firstly how did they know that I had bided £600? Secondly any sane person would obviously bid £210 not jump all the way to £610. And Thirdly how can a new bidder come in when the auction had already finished? Sorry if this was long to read, but this should make sense if your familiar with the auction and read it line for line. It was a timed auction not a live one.
Am I just being superstitious or is there more to it?
Cheers.
Ever tried to buy something on eBay before? That's the way auctions work, I highly doubt there is a scam there.
On the third bidder after the auction had ended. Often some online auctions have a 5/10 minute rule where if a bid comes in during the last few minutes the time is extended to allow the outbidded to make another bid.
On the third bidder after the auction had ended. Often some online auctions have a 5/10 minute rule where if a bid comes in during the last few minutes the time is extended to allow the outbidded to make another bid.
sam100000 said:
lol I like the humour side of it with the warlock comment.
And yes I agree like ebay its the same. However how did that 3rd bidder know exactly how much my maximum bid was and placed a bid exactly £10 more than it, hmm.....
I'm guessing they just went for another cheeky tenner to see if they could get it, I've done that on eBay before.And yes I agree like ebay its the same. However how did that 3rd bidder know exactly how much my maximum bid was and placed a bid exactly £10 more than it, hmm.....
AndrewEH1 said:
Ever tried to buy something on eBay before? That's the way auctions work, I highly doubt there is a scam there.
On the third bidder after the auction had ended. Often some online auctions have a 5/10 minute rule where if a bid comes in during the last few minutes the time is extended to allow the outbidded to make another bid.
but surely that person would have come in earlier if they wanted the numberplate, not 30 minutes after it was meant to finish.On the third bidder after the auction had ended. Often some online auctions have a 5/10 minute rule where if a bid comes in during the last few minutes the time is extended to allow the outbidded to make another bid.
AndrewEH1 said:
I'm guessing they just went for another cheeky tenner to see if they could get it, I've done that on eBay before.
But what im trying to say is how did they know what my maximum bid was? You cant see that information :/This was a new 3rd bidder not the person who put the original bid down he gave up when my bids were outbidding him due to my maximum bid lol
aka_kerrly said:
Can someone enlighten me, what is this concept of bidding on an item at auction AFTER the auction is meant to have finished>?
That is not in anyway how Ebay works, there is a set end time and if you haven't bid by the end time you miss out.
its DVLA rules that if someone comes and outbids a bidder in the last 30 minutes of the auction the time is automatically extended another 30 minutes lolThat is not in anyway how Ebay works, there is a set end time and if you haven't bid by the end time you miss out.
samdale said:
I'm no auction expert but I'd guess he set is max bid higher than yours, so it automatically bid £610. When he saw this he then removed his max bid, allowing you to beat him with one more bid.
I know man its confusing and hard to explain to you if you haven't bid before. He basically set his bid at £610 and his maximum was also £610 so wen I put mine as a maximum of £650 the bidding system automatically put my bid £10 higher at £620.RichB said:
You mention that you bid was automatically incremented by £10 so presumably the 3rd bidder's bid was too, hence with your maximum bid at £600 his was incremented to £610.
Doesn't sound like "Superstitious" to me!
lol this 3rd bidder came in after the auction lot should have finished. This was not the original bidder this was a new one who just came in and put a stupidly higher bid and a maximum bid exactly near mine without the knowledge of my maximum bid.Doesn't sound like "Superstitious" to me!
sam100000 said:
samdale said:
I'm no auction expert but I'd guess he set is max bid higher than yours, so it automatically bid £610. When he saw this he then removed his max bid, allowing you to beat him with one more bid.
I know man its confusing and hard to explain to you if you haven't bid before. He basically set his bid at £610 and his maximum was also £610 so wen I put mine as a maximum of £650 the bidding system automatically put my bid £10 higher at £620.He could have set it to a grand so it automatically bid £610. He then realised that was a bit steep so dropped his max bid back to £610 so he didn't spend any more.
samdale said:
How do you know that was his original max though?
He could have set it to a grand so it automatically bid £610. He then realised that was a bit steep so dropped his max bid back to £610 so he didn't spend any more.
Because this was a new 3rd bidder who put in a random maximum bid higher than mine (without knowing what my maximum bid is because it dosent tell you).He could have set it to a grand so it automatically bid £610. He then realised that was a bit steep so dropped his max bid back to £610 so he didn't spend any more.
Also you cant bid a grand and then drop it back, once you place a bid that's it.
sam100000 said:
lol I like the humour side of it with the warlock comment.
And yes I agree like ebay its the same. However how did that 3rd bidder know exactly how much my maximum bid was and placed a bid exactly £10 more than it, hmm.....
I think there can be some auction houses that will undertake proxy bidding, so they may have a client who expresses and interest in something, then they are allowe to let him know the max bid and see if he wants to beat it. They didn't tell him earlier maybe as there was another bidder so they will only tell him the max bid in the last few minutes. And yes I agree like ebay its the same. However how did that 3rd bidder know exactly how much my maximum bid was and placed a bid exactly £10 more than it, hmm.....
I'm not sure if this is how deal work, but some online auctions are like this.
It's surely immateRial though, as you paid an amount you were willing to pay regardless and the amount it cost you over and above you initial bid was only 20 quid.
But when auctions work having an extension like this, there is no incentive to make your max bid first. Just watch it and outbid all others up to the limit as you would in a live auction house set up.
Well done on getting your number though! Hopefully it is a personal one not a car one and you can hold onto it for many years.
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