In a no-reserve auction, what happens once a bid has been received?

In a no-reserve auction, once a bid has been received, the item is effectively committed to be sold regardless of the price offered. This means that there is no minimum price that has to be met for the item to be sold; once a bid is placed, the auctioneer is obligated to sell the item to the highest bidder, even if that bid is lower than what the seller might have wanted. The essence of a no-reserve auction is to attract bidders with the understanding that the item will go to the highest bidder without any reservations or conditions tied to a minimum sale price.

This encourages more participation, as bidders feel they have a fair chance to purchase the item without the fear of being outbid based on the seller’s undisclosed minimum. The other choices do not accurately reflect the nature of a no-reserve auction. For instance, the seller cannot withdraw the item once a bid has been made, nor can the auction be canceled without consequence. Also, there is no requirement for another bid to be placed for the item to sell once it has been bid on.