Questions about eBay Auctions & Snipes
vintagefun
Posts: 1,974 ✭✭✭
Hey Gang -
I participated in a few auctions the other day and it led me to a couple questions.
To be clear, there are no complaints of mischief here...just a series of events that made me go hmmm....
Not at all relevant, but both auctions were same seller and closing 10 minutes apart, which is probably why I noticed.
I was watching both items, but knew I couldn't go after both. I focused on the first one ending.
I usually decide if I'm going to play with about 30 seconds remaining and I never bid until within the final 5 seconds. I don't use a sniping service, if I care enough, I set a calendar reminder.
So, all looks good...just 2 bidders, and I decide I'm gonna play. With 4 seconds left I submit my bid. It does it's little thinking thing and comes back with the message that I'm the high bidder, which is quickly replaced by the sorry you've been outbid message, and the auction is over. No complaints on losing here. I ended up being outbid by the guy who was the previous high bidder.
So my question on this one is, Did he likely have a back up snipe? If he had already set a bid higher than mine it would have just told me I was under...but the fact that I got the message that I was the high bidder, leads me to believe he had an insurance policy...or I went a little too soon and he had time to react.
OK..No biggie. I'll move on to the other one that's now in it's final minutes. Everything looks good, and I'm gonna play on this one too.
This time I wait until the timer is moving from 3 seconds to 2...and this is where it gets a little weird. In the space of a split-second I get the you're the high bidder message, followed again by the you've been outbid message, which was then immediately replaced with the Congratulations you've won this item message. I was thrilled...because I had bid over 600, when it told me I was outbid, but now it was telling me I won for 537.
That got me to thinking...did someone have a snipe set up on that one too that would have beat me, that spurred the you've been outbid message, before some sort of time stamp reversed it back to me winning?
I largely ask this because I only do final second snipes on auctions, and I would usually do them at the 4 second mark to make sure my phone has it's time to think, process and go through...but in this last case it seems like waiting that additional second may have paid off.
I may be reading too much into all this too.
Curious as to thoughts and appreciate the input.
Jim
I participated in a few auctions the other day and it led me to a couple questions.
To be clear, there are no complaints of mischief here...just a series of events that made me go hmmm....
Not at all relevant, but both auctions were same seller and closing 10 minutes apart, which is probably why I noticed.
I was watching both items, but knew I couldn't go after both. I focused on the first one ending.
I usually decide if I'm going to play with about 30 seconds remaining and I never bid until within the final 5 seconds. I don't use a sniping service, if I care enough, I set a calendar reminder.
So, all looks good...just 2 bidders, and I decide I'm gonna play. With 4 seconds left I submit my bid. It does it's little thinking thing and comes back with the message that I'm the high bidder, which is quickly replaced by the sorry you've been outbid message, and the auction is over. No complaints on losing here. I ended up being outbid by the guy who was the previous high bidder.
So my question on this one is, Did he likely have a back up snipe? If he had already set a bid higher than mine it would have just told me I was under...but the fact that I got the message that I was the high bidder, leads me to believe he had an insurance policy...or I went a little too soon and he had time to react.
OK..No biggie. I'll move on to the other one that's now in it's final minutes. Everything looks good, and I'm gonna play on this one too.
This time I wait until the timer is moving from 3 seconds to 2...and this is where it gets a little weird. In the space of a split-second I get the you're the high bidder message, followed again by the you've been outbid message, which was then immediately replaced with the Congratulations you've won this item message. I was thrilled...because I had bid over 600, when it told me I was outbid, but now it was telling me I won for 537.
That got me to thinking...did someone have a snipe set up on that one too that would have beat me, that spurred the you've been outbid message, before some sort of time stamp reversed it back to me winning?
I largely ask this because I only do final second snipes on auctions, and I would usually do them at the 4 second mark to make sure my phone has it's time to think, process and go through...but in this last case it seems like waiting that additional second may have paid off.
I may be reading too much into all this too.
Curious as to thoughts and appreciate the input.
Jim
52-90 All Sports, Mostly Topps, Mostly HOF, and some assorted wax.
0
Comments
Only an idiot would have a message board signature.
<< <i>Are you sniping manually or using snipe websites/software? >>
If I'm reading this right, he's not sniping at all. He's putting his bids in manually. right?
Collecting Unopened from '72-'83; mostly BBCE certified boxes/cases/racks.
Prefer to buy in bulk.
I suspect the first scenario similar to what jwilson suggested and not entirely uncommon.
On the second one I keep wondering if someone else is wondering how I got it for 537 when they bid or sniped at over 600.
Anyway,it was just one of those curious things with a Rollercoaster of messages in a short time period.
For me, immediately when auctions end on my phone, they almost always say something like "Sorry, you didn't win". Then, I refresh and it displays the proper outcome based on what actually occurred.
I have never had this occur when bidding on my laptop.
<< <i>he's manually sniping and I've had that second scenario happen as well. very curious to the answer.... >>
Please explain. I though sniping was setting a bid via a 3rd party software platform that inputs your bid via computer program. Nothing manual about this when the auction is nearing the end because the sniping service does everything, right?
If I put my bid on ebay manually, it's a manual bid, not sniping, right? what am I missing here?
Collecting Unopened from '72-'83; mostly BBCE certified boxes/cases/racks.
Prefer to buy in bulk.
It can be done manually, watching the auction on your computer, typing in the amount, and clicking "bid".
Or, it can be done in an automated fashion, where you program your bid into third party software that automatically bids on your behalf at the correct time.
Most people use the automated version, which is why you might think of it as synonymous with sniping.
i could be way off, but that's my take.
<< <i>I believe it is an issue with the eBay app.
For me, immediately when auctions end on my phone, they almost always say something like "Sorry, you didn't win". Then, I refresh and it displays the proper outcome based on what actually occurred.
I have never had this occur when bidding on my laptop. >>
casey is probably on to something here, as i was on my phone when this occurred to me. i usually use my laptop.
<< <i>A snipe is placing your first and maximum bid within 10 seconds of the auction close.
It can be done manually, watching the auction on your computer, typing in the amount, and clicking "bid".
Or, it can be done in an automated fashion, where you program your bid into third party software that automatically bids on your behalf at the correct time.
Most people use the automated version, which is why you might think of it as synonymous with sniping. >>
Well stated, thank you.
Collecting Unopened from '72-'83; mostly BBCE certified boxes/cases/racks.
Prefer to buy in bulk.
<< <i>For a company that should be gung-ho about encouraging mobile shopping, the eBay app is surprisingly bad in many aspects. >>
Agree 100%. My iPhone app. is terrible with the "notify me when new items match my search option is checked". Out of now where I get a notice and when I go check there are no listing that match.