eBay is running tests of two new features in an effort to make bidding faster and "more fun." About 2 percent of users will see the features during testing. One feature enables bidders to re-bid with only one click during the last 15 minutes of an auction, without having to refresh the page in their browser. With this 1-click bidding feature, a small window will appear on the Item page displaying time left in the auction, the current high bid, and the bidder's status indicating whether they are the current high bidder. The information updates every 3 seconds during the last 2 minutes of the listing. Those who have already bid on the listing can place a new bid from this window with a single click.
eBay is also testing a new bidding box on the Item page. Instead of having to click the Place Bid button to get into the bidding process, eBay is adding a new field at the top of the page where users can type their bid amount directly and submit (just as users can currently do at the bottom of the page).
Last-minute (and last-second) bidding is popular on eBay and is called snipe bidding, or "sniping." eBay said the tests are expected to last about a month. (http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200708271649032.html)
In other news, eBay said sellers will now be able to specify whether they offer Local Pickup or Local Delivery. Previously, sellers could only select a single "Local Delivery/Pickup" option when specifying their shipping methods. (http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200708271057532.html)
