# Trainz Auction site rant



## Maxum (Apr 10, 2017)

Does anyone here use Trainz Auction site? For those that aren't familiar with it, Trainz Auction site works like ebay except it's just for model trains. The Trainz site has a feature I've never seen in an online auction before. Trainz adds 5 minutes to the length of the auction whenever a bid is made within the last 5 minutes of the auction. That's great if you're the seller because it gives last minute bidders more time to come in and up the bid price. It's bad if you're a bidder as it will cost you more money. 

I bid on an auction the other day on Trainz when there was 20 seconds left to go on the auction. I was the high bidder at $74. Then the site suddenly added 5 minutes to the clock In the next 5 minutes another bidder came in and ran the price up an additional $35. Each time he bid, the clock added 5 minutes to the auction. On top of the increased bid price the item sold for, I had to pay a buyer's premium fee on the $109 ending price instead of the $74 which cost me another $6.30. So I wound up paying $41.30 more than if the auction had ended without the additional time. 

I purposely bid at the very end of online auctions to keep people from raising the bid on me. I was furious when I saw the clock resetting and bid price going up. Because of this, I won't bid on Trainz site anymore.

Thoughts?


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## Norton (Nov 5, 2015)

Its been like that since it was known as Dash. Bid with 10 or more minutes left and the time does not get extended.
It eliminates sniping. Its really no different than going to a real auction. Ebay is the outlier here.

Pete


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## DennyM (Jan 3, 2016)

It's done that to me too. I stopped using the bid listings and just deal with the 'Buy It Now' listings. If I ever use the bid listing I use the $0.99 listings and watch it to see how much gets bided. If I like the price I try to get it.


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## gpritch (Jun 20, 2015)

Maxum said:


> I bid on an auction the other day on Trainz when there was 20 seconds left to go on the auction... So I wound up paying $41.30 more than if the auction had ended without the additional time...I purposely bid at the very end of online auctions to keep people from raising the bid on me.


This time extension function is very much the norm, as stated, except for ebay. 

Your point about paying $41.30 more seems to be somewhat mute since you continued to bid and therefore accepted any additional premium. Hopefully the final costs were still below what you would have paid elsewhere. If so, you got a bargain, otherwise, you learned a tough lesson.


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## seayakbill (Jan 16, 2016)

When I bid on any auction site I have a set price that includes shipping and premium, once the bidding hits that price I am done. So it does not matter if the bidding is extended for me.

Bill


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## njrailer93 (Nov 28, 2011)

I gave up on dash because of technical errors. Nobody picks up a phone over there yet along an email to help me fix the problem.


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## BobS (Jun 18, 2015)

Sure, you had to pay more. But, as some have said, it's the way of auctions in lots of places. I have been at live auctions when the auctioneer will egg the audience on and on to bid higher. 

Anyway, the saving grace is that there is not as much participation at the Trainz auctions, and I am usually able to buy what I want with little or no competition. Have you tried Choochoo auctions? There is very little competition there. Not as much stuff to choose from, but if you find something you like, you are more apt to actually win. And their shipping charges are reasonable.


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## ogaugeguy (Feb 3, 2012)

:smilie_daumenneg: Uncertain why all the fuss about Trainz auctions. If you're looking for an auction that is an anomaly, it's Ebay - NOT Trainz.
Although it calls itself an auction, as Norton said, Ebay actually isn't an auction. Anyone who's ever attended a real auction knows that there's not an artificially set ending time for items auctioned. A "real" auction ends when the person who wants it has had an opportunity to counter the bid that came before him and if no one bids higher then that last highest bidder is the auction winner. You'll find no sniping allowed at "real" auctions.
I see the only valid complaint which can be made is that Ebay calls itself an auction when it's really a pseudo "fake" one.


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## BobS (Jun 18, 2015)

ogaugeguy said:


> :smilie_daumenneg:
> I see the only valid complaint which can be made is that Ebay calls itself an auction when it's really a pseudo "fake" one.


Having attended many "real" auctions, there are sometimes things that go on that can be determined as "fake" For instance, the auctioneer who takes bids from someone in the rear of the crowd who just happens to be a phantom. Then there is the quick point and acceptance of a bid from someone in the crowd that never really existed. 

At least eBay seems to attempt to keep the shills away. Early on in it's existence, shill bidding was commonplace, and only easy to determine once the auction had ended.


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## Yellowstone Special (Jun 23, 2015)

Norton said:


> Its been like that since it was known as Dash. Bid with 10 or more minutes left and the time does not get extended.
> It eliminates sniping. Its really no different than going to a real auction. Ebay is the outlier here.
> 
> Pete


But on eBay, I LIKE to snipe.


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## Spence (Oct 15, 2015)

This post got me thinking. It's probably been more than 2 years since I've bid on anything on Ebay. I usually just use Amazon.


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## Marklx200 (Jun 14, 2015)

BobS said:


> Sure, you had to pay more. But, as some have said, it's the way of auctions in lots of places. I have been at live auctions when the auctioneer will egg the audience on and on to bid higher.
> 
> Anyway, the saving grace is that there is not as much participation at the Trainz auctions, and I am usually able to buy what I want with little or no competition. Have you tried Choochoo auctions? There is very little competition there. Not as much stuff to choose from, but if you find something you like, you are more apt to actually win. And their shipping charges are reasonable.


I tried Choochoo auctions earlier this year. I registered and started looking. I found a locomotive I wanted and bid. The auction ended and I won and paid. After a couple of days I got an email that said the auction I had bid on had in fact ended some time before I ever bid. They did credit me back my payment but I haven't bid on anything since.


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## Stoshu (Jun 20, 2015)

DennyM said:


> It's done that to me too. I stopped using the bid listings and just deal with the 'Buy It Now' listings. If I ever use the bid listing I use the $0.99 listings and watch it to see how much gets bided. If I like the price I try to get it.


_
Yup, I'm with Denny. _


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## 86TA355SR (Feb 27, 2015)

Maxum said:


> Does anyone here use Trainz Auction site? For those that aren't familiar with it, Trainz Auction site works like ebay except it's just for model trains. The Trainz site has a feature I've never seen in an online auction before. Trainz adds 5 minutes to the length of the auction whenever a bid is made within the last 5 minutes of the auction. That's great if you're the seller because it gives last minute bidders more time to come in and up the bid price. It's bad if you're a bidder as it will cost you more money.
> 
> I bid on an auction the other day on Trainz when there was 20 seconds left to go on the auction. I was the high bidder at $74. Then the site suddenly added 5 minutes to the clock In the next 5 minutes another bidder came in and ran the price up an additional $35. Each time he bid, the clock added 5 minutes to the auction. On top of the increased bid price the item sold for, I had to pay a buyer's premium fee on the $109 ending price instead of the $74 which cost me another $6.30. So I wound up paying $41.30 more than if the auction had ended without the additional time.
> 
> ...


Worked as advertised. This is why I encourage folks to always know the auction rules prior to bidding . 

Personally, I don't use them and have my own reasons.



Marklx200 said:


> I tried Choochoo auctions earlier this year. I registered and started looking. I found a locomotive I wanted and bid. The auction ended and I won and paid. After a couple of days I got an email that said the auction I had bid on had in fact ended some time before I ever bid. They did credit me back my payment but I haven't bid on anything since.


That's very odd. I've bought a LOT of stuff from them and have never had one issue. Not saying I don't believe you, mistakes happen on all ends. I never worry about buying from CCA-items are always as described or better and shipping is reasonable (unlike Trainz).


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## trainmangene (Dec 14, 2017)

Yellowstone Special said:


> But on eBay, I LIKE to snipe.



Before E Bay started to hide the bidders ID's, I got a couple of nasty e mails from other bidders that I sniped. :sold:


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## Yellowstone Special (Jun 23, 2015)

trainmangene said:


> Before E Bay started to hide the bidders ID's, I got a couple of nasty e mails from other bidders that I sniped. :sold:


Wow. Then in that case, I'm glad eBay hides the IDs. 

By the way trainmangene, welcome to the forum.


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## Norton (Nov 5, 2015)

86TA355SR said:


> Worked as advertised. This is why I encourage folks to always know the auction rules prior to bidding .
> 
> Personally, I don't use them and have my own reasons.
> 
> ...


A couple of friends had similar experiences with Choo Choo. Thought they had bid with plenty of time and won then found out they didn't win??
My experiences with Choo Choo have all been positive. At least Charlie is very honest and will rectify most problems without much hassle.

Pete


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## Thephile (Oct 31, 2014)

What eBay has is not an auction, if eBay does not have a buy it now price I will not bid. 
Audiogon, a high end audio site has beed doing what Trains does for years now.


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## Jeff T (Dec 27, 2011)

Trainz is interesting. I've bid on a few things only to see the price rise to point I don't feel the need to pay. I watch, the item sells and the following week "the same or similar" item with the same pictures is listed.


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