How bidding works

Minimum next bid

Every auction has a minimum next-bid amount. You can always see it on the auction page above the “Place bid” button.

The minimum next bid is the current highest bid plus the bid increment for that price band. If there are no bids yet, the minimum next bid is the starting price.

Dynamic increments

The platform uses dynamic bid increments — the increment goes up as the price goes up, so $1 increases on a $50,000 item don't waste anyone's time.

Auto-bid (Maximum Bid)

Auto-bid — sometimes called Maximum Bid or Proxy Bidding — lets you set the highest amount you're willing to pay for an item and then step away with confidence. The site will bid for you only when it needs to, and never more than your chosen maximum.

How to set an Auto-bid

On any auction detail page, choose the Auto-bid (Max) tab in the bid box, enter your maximum amount, tick the terms box, and select Set maximum bid. Your first Auto-bid must be at least the current minimum next bid.

Your maximum stays completely private

Your maximum is never shown to other users. Not on the listing page, not on your public profile, not in the seller's dashboard, not in email or notifications, and not to admins outside of moderation tools. Only you can see it — under My Bids → Your active auto-bids and on the listing you set it on.

How the system bids on your behalf

When someone else bids against you, the system automatically places the smallest bid required to keep you in the lead — using the standard increments in the table above. It only bids as much as it needs, and it stops the moment your maximum is reached. If nobody bids against you, no automatic bidding happens at all.

Increasing your maximum

You can raise your maximum at any time before the auction ends by opening the Auto-bid tab again and entering a higher amount. You cannot reduce your maximum once set, because that would undermine bids you've already made in good faith.

Cancelling your Auto-bid

You can cancel your Auto-bid at any time — but only when you are not currently leading because of it. This is a fair-play rule that protects the seller and any bidders who are relying on your presence in the auction. If you're leading via Auto-bid you'll need to wait until someone outbids you before you can cancel.

Auto-bid vs Extended Bidding (anti-sniping)

These are two separate features that work together:

• Auto-bid — active throughout the auction. It bids on your behalf up to your private maximum, using the minimum increment needed to keep you in the lead. Great for setting-and-forgetting.
• Extended Bidding — only kicks in during the closing minutes. If a valid bid is placed in the final 2 minutes, the auction is automatically extended by another 2 minutes so everyone has a fair chance to respond. Extensions continue until no further valid bids are received during the final 2-minute window.

If you're still active with an Auto-bid when the auction enters its closing minutes, your Auto-bid keeps working normally — and any bid it places against a rival during those final 2 minutes will also trigger Extended Bidding.

Last-minute bids extend the auction

If a valid bid is placed during the final 2 minutes, the auction is automatically extended by 2 minutes to give all bidders a fair opportunity to respond before the auction closes. Extensions continue until no further valid bids are received during the final 2-minute period.

Selling FAQ — Unsold listings & Featured upgrade

• Every paid listing includes one free extension for the same number of days if it expires unsold — no re-listing fee.

• You can edit your listing (title, description, photos, price) before extending — so you can refine it based on the feedback you got.

• During the extend flow you can optionally upgrade to Featured for premium homepage placement and up to 20 photos — priced per duration (from NZ$8 for 7 days).

• If your listing is already Featured, the free extension stays Featured at no extra cost.