Originally Posted by
RoadGuy
Not always true. If the Current High Bid exceeds the latest bid from another party, but exceeds the new bid by less than the normal next bid increment, the Current High Bidder will still win the auction.
For example: Let's say the current High Bid is $10.00 (and the Current High Bidder has a Maximum Bid of $11.08). A new Buyer bids $11.00. The next bid increment would normally be $11.25, BUT SINCE THE OLD HIGH BIDDER HAD A PREVIOUSLY RECORDED MAXIMUM BID OF $11.08, the NEW High Bid becomes $11.08, and the Current High Bidder retains the High Bid at $11.08, unless someone else bids $11.33 or more.
If someone won the auction and the amount that he/she bested the next Highest Bid was less than the next normal bid increment, that means that the Old High Bidder exceed the top next higher/newer Bid.
We are saying the exact same thing. Whenever the bid increment is less than a full minimum bid increment, you know that the TRUE maximum bid of the winning bidder was exposed. If the final auction price is a full minimum bid increment above the second highest price, then one cannot know what the winning bidder had actually bid.