Proxy Bidding
Proxy bidding only applies to Standard Auctions.

When you place a bid, enter the maximum amount you are willing to pay for that item. This amount will always be kept secret. Whenever someone else places a bid, our auction software will automatically enter the lowest possible bid for you, up to your maximum bid, until you are the winning bidder.

At the end of an auction, if you are the high bidder, you are the winner. As the winner of the auction, you only pay the lowest possible winning bid, not necessarily your maximum bid.

When Proxy Bidding is in effect, it can appear as if one bidder has beat another bidder with the same bid amount. This is normal and occurs when a bidder has a proxy bid in effect and a second bidder comes along and makes their bid at the exact same amount the current proxy bid is at. Since the proxy bid was placed earlier, that is the bid that will succeed. For the second bidder to succeed in placing a bid, they must bid higher than the proxy bid that is in effect.