I've been trying to buy a house since february, the same house, no one else is bidding, no one else has made an offer, The agent is disasterous, we make an offer she puts it to the vendor and then doesn't come back to us for on average a week. I'm not prepared to pay the asking price because clearly if noone else is interested I would have a hell of a time trying to sell it on at the asking price, not to mention the stamp duty. I think I have finally established that the vendor wants to sell as opposed to just chancing her arm but either she won't give me her bottom line or the auctioneer is not asking her for it. I have sold two houses where there was only one bidder (leaner times) each time I went straight back to the bidder told them their offer (under asking price both times) wasn't enough, told them my bottom line and sold the house.
Sorry snowballs this is not much use to you but I understand your frustration, estate agents do themselves, and their clients no favours. In your situation the auctioneer would be taking a big risk by making up a bid and I haven't heard any vendor agreeing to an agent making up a bid, so unless the agent is a total shark there probably is another bidder, but it would be so much better if their were transparant rules and reserve prices
is an understatement