There was a long-standing auction whereupon the 2nd, 3rd and 4th bidder removed their interest in sequence, after NameJet sent the domain to a second auction due to non-payment, a week later. Each bidder became
#1 in turn, when the previous one was removed! Apparently they contacted NameJet asking to be removed. The auction was in the thousands of dollars.
Again, total BS.
If bidder C does not pay, then the auction needs to TOTALLY forgo and erase all of bidder C's bids...all of them.
This will drop the final price by a bunch in some cases.
Bidder A starts at 500
Bidder B comes in at 600
Bidder C comes in at 700
Bidder D comes in at 800
Bidder C comes in at 900
Bidder A comes in at 1000
Bidder C comes in at 1100
Bidder A comes in at 1200
Bidder C comes in at 1300
Bidder C wins at $1300
Bidder C does not pay.
It is
NOT JUST THE FINAL BID THAT IS ERASED!
It is
ALL BIDS PLACED BY BIDDER C.
If bidder C does not make good on 1300, then none of bidder C's bids are valid.
This is the key - the second winner is not Bidder A at 1200.
It is Bidder A at 900!
Auctions and auctioneers don't want to do this, even though it is the fair way.
If you remove all of Bidders C's bids, then you go by WHO WON by default when Bidder C is totally removed.
Bidder A starts at 500
Bidder B comes in at 600
Bidder D comes in at 800
Bidder A comes in at 900
This may look complicated but it is not complicated at all.
Bidder A made a legitimate bid at 900.
It does not matter than Bidder A bid up to 1200 because he was bidding against a bogus bidder, hereby essentially bidding against himself.
You go back to the point the Bidder C entered the auction and go from that point.
That is the starting point for determining the next winner.
Bidder A just got this domain at 900.