eBay says Auction Sniper is "illegal"
GRANDAM
Posts: 8,751 ✭✭✭✭✭
I had a snipe in on a 1/2 oz Platinum coin. My snipe was +$50 more than the coin sold for. When I checked auction sniper to make sure my numbers were correct it said "Blocked by eBay" So I call eBay and the guy tells me Auction Sniper is "illegal".
I politely told him he was WRONG. I use auction sniper every day and have won at least 10 auctions in the last 2 weeks with it.
Then he tells me that it is possible that the seller blocked "SNIPE" bids. I told him to show me how this is done. He couldn't do it.
I think "customer service" reps every where make up stuff to get rid of people on the phone.
Anyone else have this problem.
I also checked and there is plenty of money in my Auction Sniper account to cover the bid. I also asked the eBay rep if there were any problems with my account,,,,, he said no.
I am on hold with eBay right now trying to figure this out.
P.S. anyone have a 2008 1/2 oz $50 Platinum coin that they want to sell?
Comments
Bid sniping—including the use of software that places bids for you—is allowed on eBay
https://www.ebay.com/help/buying/bidding/bid-sniping?id=4224&st=12&pos=2&query=Bid sniping&intent=sniping&context=DEFAULT_SELLER&docId=HELP1298
Is it possible that the seller had you blocked?
No, I asked that also. He doesn't.
It is a seller that I have never bought from before. I have been on eBay for 23 years and have no limits that would cause this bid not not go thru. I have purchased other coins for much more than the bid on this coin so I know there is no limitations on my account that would cause this.
Up date,,,,,,, the eBay rep is "filing a ticket". I won't hold my breath.
He also told me I should sit in front of my computer and place my bids manually.
fwiw, usually the snipe services do not guarantee 100% success, for a few reasons and in their TOS, you can find some info on bidding/sniping problems that may occur.
if it is something important, it isn't a bad idea to use 2 services for a variety of reasons. sounds redundant but 2 is better than 1.
Is it possible the connection was faulty, like sometimes I can’t pages to load completely and I change from my 5G wireless connection to my backup non-5G and it loads correctly and vice versa. Could something similar happen with the connection that messed up your auto-sniper bid? If so, it could be a one-off occurrence. The rep you called probably isn’t a IT type person and was just guessing or something like that. Maybe?
Mr_Spud
I know,,,,,,, but I have been using auction sniper for 10+ years,,,,,,, since whenever it started,,, don't remember exactly when it was but I have never had it fail before. That was the last coin I needed to complete my 4 piece 2008 set ,,,,,, that is why I am so upset,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Wouldn't this scenario end up with the bidder competing against himself?
(No, it wouldn't. See below.
)
Not if he's bidding using the same ebay account.
Well, you can't close ticket without first opening it.
What does Auction Sniper have to say about eBay's customer service idiot?
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
"What does Auction Sniper have to say about eBay's customer service idiot?"
I haven't called them yet. I want to see what eBay comes up with on their "Ticket"
Perhaps upgrade to this type of sniper 😁
And a helpful operator 🙀
🎶 shout shout, let it all out 🎶
I just sniped an item last night without any issue.
I've had snipes not go through on expensive items due to ebay verifying the bid by asking you to call the "800" number. No verification - no bid.
A few times now I've had eBay throw a monkey wrench into my snipe bids. Instead of giving me the bid confirm pop up it gives me an additional ID verification needed pop up. It requires me to click a link which prompts eBay to send my cell phone a code via text. Once I get the code I have to go back to the eBay page, enter the code and then I'm authorized to bid. The whole process takes a few minutes so it essentially kills any chance at entering a winning last second snipe. I've had this happen 3 or 4 times in the past 6 months or so. It seems to do it on higher dollar items but other than that I can't gather any discernible pattern to when it happens. Now if it's an item I really want I'll enter an early bid at the next bid increment so I get past any potential additional ID verification process at that point and then I go ahead and enter my real bid as a last second snipe.
Perhaps if your bid was entered automatically by software that cannot understand a redirect to a ID verify page and cannot process a text and perform the process involved it would just show as a blocked bid by eBay. Essentially eBay would block the bid because the extra ID process wasn't followed. Just a thought.
I won two other coins the same day as this failed snipe.
I might have to upgrade to this type of "Sniping" program.
This.
Has happened to me numerous times, only on high value items. There is a certain unpublicized dollar amount that triggers it. I bid on higher value items so infrequently, I often forget about it. Then I smack myself upside the head when it happens again!
mbogoman
https://pcgs.com/setregistry/collectors-showcase/classic-issues-colonials-through-1964/zambezi-collection-trade-dollars/7345Asesabi Lutho
I’m also guessing this is what happened. The dollar amount seems to be around $500 where this is triggered by the eBay system (I thought it was $1k but it has happened to me on items in the 500-750 range recently).
I hate snipping on eBay, and will never bid there because of it. I’ve watched lots close twice when I was that higher bidder and then not get it with no recourse to bid again. “Such a bad experience, never again.” EBay is dead to me even when dealers a respect are on it.
hehe
even if that were the scenario, it would probably be best to pay a little more as oppose to losing an item sometimes. but agreed it does sound counter-intuitive on the surface to do such a thing. TBH, if i were buying really valuable coins or important for a collection and i just couldn't be present to bid and didn't want to bid high and be ran up and wasn't spending enough to pay or trust someone else to do it, i'd have 3-4 sniping services going after the same items.
on one hand it is kinda crazy, on the other it is about utilizing available options to get what cha want, ya know?
Never found a W quarter in the wild. A little silver once in a while at coin star.
eBay is a wonderful opportunity but as always Caveat Emptor 😁
🎶 shout shout, let it all out 🎶
I use Gixen - saves me a ton of money compared with other sniping services. They claim to be a "partner" with ebay as well. It is free for unlimited snipes and I buy the Mirror subscription for only $6 a year. I have never lost an auction due to a Gixen issue.
I have never used a snipe 'program'. Always did the snipe myself in the last five seconds. Have not been buying much in the last year or so, but have had no problems when I did snipe. Cheers, RickO
you haven't had issues with having the bid screen open too long right at the end? say 5-15 minutes or so.
it seems like when i do choose to sit and watch/bid right at the end manually, if i have the bid screen open too long in advance (trying to be thorough/responsible or whatever) if it is open for too long a period of time, idk officially how long, then try to bid, it will refresh and THEN i have to bid which makes me NOT open the bid window until right near the end which is a bit annoying.
@LanceNewmanOCC ... I have not encountered that issue. It may be the method I use... Two computers - One to monitor and one to bid. But I also just tune in the last few (no more than five) minutes before I snipe. Cheers, RickO
i like the redundancy and is kinda like the multi-snipe method i mentioned above BUT now you say that, i use 2 monitors on 1 computer so what i may try is like you, have 2 browsers open, one on each monitor, to watch and then to bid. ty sir
Do you have any unpaid item strikes on your account? Many sellers have auto blocks for buyers who do. Sometimes a buyer will email me, explain the circumstances, and I can bypass the block for them, but if they find out because they tried a snipe, it'll be too late for that item. These buyers aren't individually on my block list, but they're blocked.
No, if I win it I pay for it.
Sometimes I follow an item on E-Bay that I'm not truly keen on winning.
If the item appears too cheap, I will put in a non aggressive manual snipe bid .. hoping to:
1) Win the item at what I perceive to be a "bargain" or
2)forcing a bidder to pay a price that I wouldn't pay.
Ah.. the pleasures of life. LOL
I won something the other day via AS.
I do know of one popular seller where it’s really tough win - suspect they use shill bidding. I can’t seem win anything from them (at my best bid).
Consequently I don’t do nuclear bids on bay. I just bid what I pay (sometimes max like small ticket item - one would just price cost plus) and if somebody bids it up well good for them.
I had a last second bid fail due to the verification issue - bid was around $500. This was a bid done on the ebay app, not through a snipe app.
>
I see a few on eBay at $650 and an NGC MS70 at $689..
My Adolph A. Weinman signature
More than I want to pay,,,,,
I won this, a minutes ago, with a manual snipe. No special program just 70 year old arthritic fingers 😁
Got lucky and was able to stretch the budget a couple bucks higher than my $31 winner.
I’m extremely happy. What do you guys think ? 70’s in this set of 75,000 are kinda pricey and the regular proof is harder to find in 69 let alone $31- for a 70.
🎶 shout shout, let it all out 🎶
Been blocked by more than a few dealers who have long return privileges but if you return a coin they block you
as a returner. One young dealer I spent nye on $10K with over many coins, then i returned one 29 dollar coin and he accused me of being a habitual returner REALLY! Very poor business practice ,. I notice he is struggling to sell poorer and poorer inventory.
why would you screw a good customer. amateur. but its OK Not interested in his stuff anymore his quality has gone down.
Buying less and less on eBay. too much trouble.
PCGS says 153K registry sets,wow. At lets see 30 coins a set (a low Guess) thats $4.59 million high grade coins locked away.
Thats not counting NGC Registry sets or dealers inventories or collections not in Registry sets.
Not much nice material on eBay or bourse floors anymore. I've been skipping shows , and eBay pursuing.
The registry phenomenon may have caused a tipping point in availability., not well recognized yet.
If a strong recession hits and we have a coin price crash and you can afford them still -- it will be a time to accumulate.
I've been through two big ones of these.
As expected no response from eBay as of yet
Update:
16 days later and still no word from eBay. I was promised a response within 3 days,,,,,, it didn't happen. So I spend 45 minutes trying to get someone to talk to and after explaining it to him for 10 minutes he transfers me to someone else,,,,,,,, as ALL customer service reps do,,,,,,, (it is a game of Merry Go Round) they play utill you give up.
Anyway after another 15 minutes talking with this lady she says it is an Auction Sniper problem. Auction Sniper says it is an eBay problem.
I give up. And that is what they want,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
I had the same issue for the 1st time this week - Gixen.
Well, at least now they can close the ticket.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
I'm not sure there's anything for ebay to do. They aren't responsible for someone else's software
Blocked by eBay,,,,,, not auction sniper software problem.
Actually that doesn't mean it's not an auction sniper software issue. It is not ebay's responsibility to be compatible with 3rd party software. It's the 3rd party's problem. If any website gets a data stream it didn't recognize, it will block it.
At that price level, it's probably just ebay asking for verification. They occasionally do that with higher bids. Auction Sniper may not be capable of doing the confirmation. you have to enter your password again at the prompt.
That was the first thing that occurred to me.
I wouldn't stress over a lower tier ebay rep conversation.
Obviously sniping programs are still in play otherwise there would be a huge outcry.
As far as the ebay platform, yes auctions can be a mess for a lot of reasons , but there is still plenty of good BIN to peruse, judge the platform on the whole, not just auctions.
UPDATE,,,,,,once again I bid on the same type of coin,,,,,,,,,, blocked by eBay.
Any other good snipe programs out there? I contact Auction Sniper and they want me to pay $47 fee to an answer man company to answer my question.
How much are you paying Auction Sniper for their services now?
Whatever their fee is,,,,, not sure?
You're already paying them and they want to charge you to answer a question?
This box is on their page. I don't now think it is Auction Sniper but they have a link to them.
I haven't bid on any Plats for awhile, but at a glance, it does seem like the asking prices on graded Plats are relatively healthy with respect to the spot prices. You may have to either raise your bid or wait it out - and that could take awhile before a cheaper MS69 comes along. It's always been a thin market, and the bargains always happen when you aren't looking.
I knew it would happen.