How to do wireless auction rebidding on eBay.

It sounded like a fun concept, so I went and did some research and read up on the whole deal. Wireless Rebidding for eBay is a service that allows you to receive outbid notifications and rebid in real-time on your auction items directly from your wireless phone. You will also receive end of auction notifications and have the ability to browse your current auction items.

The service is available to anyone with a cell phone that is capable of sending and receiving messages. eBay has been sending wireless messages for a while in the form of several different programs. It was generally considered unsuccessful because bidders couldn't reply to the messages or make another bid. For $2.99 a month, now you can.

They have it set up pretty cool. Once you receive an outbid notification, you can place the minimum bid (or more) by simply replying to the message. You won't need to edit the address or subject line. They will also send you a text message confirming your new bid.

You can try it free for a month, but be aware, they will want you to sign up for a twelve-month service contract. Also, according to their FAQ's, "Users can expect to receive outbid notifications within a couple of minutes. However, depending on carrier network traffic and other factors outside of Wireless Rebidding control, you may not receive the notification until some time later."

Still, If you need to be away from your computer and want to monitor your auctions, this will be a useful tool. You could even use it to make sure your sniping software is working for you.

You know the best part? If you don't have a cell phone that works, they will send you one for free! Yes, a Free* Wireless Phone!

Really. Well, free after you send in for the rebate. These are top of the line phones too, not cheap imitations with bad batteries. I hate my wife's phone. It will only hold a charge for about a day at a time.

Now we all know nothing is really free. Yes, there is a catch. Did you see the asterisk * in the link? You also have to sign up for a wirless service plan. They search for your local carrier (with a zip code search) and find you the best deal. I tried it. The wireless plan they found for me included a free Nokia 3360 and service from AT&T for $40 a month. Seems fair to me.

They have a really nice website with lots of details and cool graphics. You can tell a lot about a company by the quality of their site, but more importantly, judge them by the speed in which they respond to your questions. Give them a try and decide for yourself if it is right for you.