How do eBay auctions work?

When you list an item for sale in an eBay auction, you choose a starting price, and interested buyers place bids. When the auction ends, you sell to the highest bidder. Are you a buyer looking for information on making bids? Read our article on making a bid on an item You can choose whether your auction should run for 1, 3, 5, 7, or 10 days.

What happens when an auction ends on eBay?

When the auction ends, you sell to the highest bidder. When choosing an item on eBay, a buyer can adjust the search to see only auction-style listings. The preview of the listing will show the starting price, the number of bids, the shipping cost, and the time left to the end of the auction. You can choose an auction format and adjust details:

How do auction items work?

Auction items have a "Place Bid" button next to a box for entering bids and show a "current bid" price. Auction items are open to bids for a predetermined amount of time. When time is up, the item is declared "sold" to the highest bidder. A few items have both kinds of buttons and show two prices at once. Items like this are for sale both ways.