How to Watch Ebay Items You're Bidding On

When you are shopping on eBay, you'll want to keep an eye on your active bids. You may have the highest bid on an item for most of the auction and think you have a win in the bag. Then, hours (and sometimes minutes) before the auction closes, another user sweeps in from out of the blue and outbids you. Of course, eBay will notify you via email when this happens, but what if you are on eBay itself and not checking your email? The good news is that you can get up-to-the-second information on the status of your bids at eBay.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Computer
• Current eBay membership
• Active Internet connection

Watch the Items You're Bidding On

1. Log on to eBay (see Resources below).
2. Go to "My eBay."
3. Click on "Bidding."
4. Peruse the list of items you have active bids on. This list will show you what your bid is, what the highest bid is and the user ID of the person who made the highest bid. This way, you can immediately tell if you are still the high bidder or if you need to bid again keep your chance at winning the item.
5. Use an alternate method. eBay sends emails to your listed email account whenever someone outbids you on an auction. By frequently checking your email, you can keep current on your bid status. eBay will also email you to inform you whether you have won or lost an auction.
6. Create a watch list. If you are interested in an item but not yet ready to place a bid, you can add the item you your watch list by clicking on "Watch This Item" on the item description page. The next time you access your My eBay page, you can click on "Watching" to see a list of your watched items. This list will detail the highest bid on the item, who made the bid and when the auction is ending (so you can get your bid in if you still want to).

Tips & Warnings

• For more information on how to watch eBay items you're bidding on, go to eBay's Help page (see Resources below).
• Know that eBay takes your privacy very seriously and employs multiple measures to protect it. You can add a further layer of protection by keeping your eBay password private. Making changes to your password as often as possible also helps to keep your personal and bank account information safe on eBay.