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>> It is their ballgame and their ball. If you don't want
>> to play by "their" rules. The choice is don't play!

Or you could always start your own auction site and make whatever rules you want!

This advice has been given before, but bears repeating: When you bid on eBay, bid only once and bid the maximum you are willing to pay. If you do, you will always win at a price you are willing to pay and will lose only if someone is willing to pay more than you are.

If you have to put in a "protection bid" to cover a marginally higher top bid, you should have made a higher bid to begin with. In other words, if you're willing to pay $12 for a chip, why bid only $10.05?

To paraphrase the bard, Much Whining About Nothing. ----- jim o\-S