eBay: a wretched hive of scum and villainy.

vintagegamer

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I bid on a part for one of my games, it was a 7-day auction, I put in my max and waited out the 7 days.. Was the high bidder all 7 days, was outbid last 6 seconds.

I'm THIS CLOSE (holding fingers together) to boycotting that site forever.

I understand others want things that you might on eBay, but to not touch it for SEVEN DAYS? That's why I vomit a little in my mouth every time I see something I really need, and it's a 7-day auction. :(
 
I admit to doing this all the time.

I totally understand would-be buyers being angry at snipers. But, then again, if your max bid *really* is the maximum you're willing to pay, a higher bid shouldn't make any difference, last second or not.
 
I bid on a part for one of my games, it was a 7-day auction, I put in my max and waited out the 7 days.. Was the high bidder all 7 days, was outbid last 6 seconds.

I'm THIS CLOSE (holding fingers together) to boycotting that site forever.

I understand others want things that you might on eBay, but to not touch it for SEVEN DAYS? That's why I vomit a little in my mouth every time I see something I really need, and it's a 7-day auction. :(

I hear ya' dude.

For this reason, that's why I don't bid on anything until the last few seconds, exactly why you're mad. That seems to be the only way to get something without paying through the nose for it.

I don't understand why they don't do like real auctions and just add a minute everytime someone bids at the last minute.
 
If you were out bid, it was more than you wanted to pay for it...(right?)

Or just wait to bid a little later yourself?!

On another note, Im with you, but ebay/paypal(s) not going anywhere anytime soon, even while they keep raising there fees in what seems like every other month....
 
I think the program is called "bid snipe" or "sniper" er something. Im not positive I dont use it, but im sure some here are probably familiar.
 
Its called sniping and there is nothing wrong with the practice. The snipers were willing to pay more than you. Next time increase your max to what you are actually willing to pay instead of hoping to pay, or snipe like them, or don't get your hopes up too high. We've all been sniped. Its frustrating, but we learn from it.
 
I think the program is called "bid snipe" or "sniper" er something. Im not positive I dont use it, but im sure some here are probably familiar.

Yeah I'm well-versed in what it is, and I don't think eBay should allow it. But knowing them, they probably bought it.
 
If you were out bid, it was more than you wanted to pay for it...(right?)

Yeah but when you go an entire week seeing no movement on the auction at all, and then you're castrated in the last 6 secs, it kind of sucks no matter what.
 
I think the program is called "bid snipe" or "sniper" er something. Im not positive I dont use it, but im sure some here are probably familiar.

I don't use a program. But I can manually time a late bid so that it hits within 2 seconds (I think that was my closest bid).

In fact, if it's an item I really want and I'm near a computer, that's the way I'll bid every time.
 
In fact, if it's an item I really want and I'm near a computer, that's the way I'll bid every time.

And you know what, that's how it should be IMO. But the other programs allow you to be out having drinks as your PC kicks someone like me square in the toolbag. It's f*ing ridiculous.
 
Even worse is when you get outbid, and then the high bidder retracts his bid a few minutes before the end. I know im being shilled or baited or something shady.
 
Yeah but when you go an entire week seeing no movement on the auction at all, and then you're castrated in the last 6 secs, it kind of sucks no matter what.

Unless someone is specifically searching for the item in question, it is not noticed until the last few minutes anyways. So if the price is low you can expect last minute or even last second bids.
 
Bid what you're willing to pay, and forget it until the auction is over. There are so many sniper programs out there it's not worth worrying about.

Sucks to lose something by a dollar, but life isn't fair. And there's no guarantee the other person wasn't willing to go a couple hundred higher anyway.
 
i always get out bid at the during the last few seconds buy a dollar. let say i bid on something and my max is $25 and in the last seconds i get outbid and someone wins it for $26. well in that case i would have paid the extra dollar. i think ebay should ban the sniper programs. if you want it that bad then babysit the auction untill it ends like the old days.
 
I got tired of being sniped! Bottom line, if you can't beat em join em! I never bid anymore through Ebay. I decide what I'm willing to pay and set up a snipe. I walk away and get notified via email if I won or lost. I lose quite often and don't worry about it.
 
i hate to say it but i'm a sniper as well. it's the really only way i can get stuff at decent prices. i pick up a lot of complete transformers that way on the cheap. but i never bid anymore before the auction closes, just cause that way you keep the price down. you never know if other people are sniping the auction as well.
 
Even worse is when you get outbid, and then the high bidder retracts his bid a few minutes before the end. I know im being shilled or baited or something shady.

That happened to me. There were only 2 of us bidding and the other A-hole bid it right up to $150 and then backed out with 10 minutes to go.
Man I was pissed off :mad:
His reason for backing out was 'entered the wrong amount' but it was only $10 higher than his previous bid. BS

Turned out it was legit and the other bidder was just an idiot.

The seller chucked in a bonus for me because it went so high so I was happy in the end.

That said, I'm a sniper every time now. It works nearly every time
 
That's it. All of you who have admitted to being snipers are now officially off of my Xmas fruitcake list. :D :D :D
 
i always get out bid at the during the last few seconds buy a dollar. let say i bid on something and my max is $25 and in the last seconds i get outbid and someone wins it for $26. well in that case i would have paid the extra dollar. i think ebay should ban the sniper programs. if you want it that bad then babysit the auction untill it ends like the old days.

The problem is that you WERE willing to pay more than $25, but you didn't bid that. If you were willing to pay $26, why didn't you bid that? What about $27?

The REAL problem is - you want to WIN. You can't go into an auction wanting to WIN, not if you're trying to buy stuff. That's like being one of those Christmas nutballs who trample their fellow shoppers to get the hot toy first - it's not about the toy at that point, it's about the win! But if you go in wanting to win, then getting outbid offends you (because you didn't WIN!).

If your objective is to actually purchase parts at reasonable prices, you have to figure out what those prices are to you (and you are the only one who can figure that out) and you have to bid that. Figure in shipping, too.

I never do bid sniping, and I bid my max when I decide I want to buy. And I make it my MAX - the maximum amount of money I am willing to pay. If I get outbid, then I get outbid - and the other guy has to pay the higher price. And you know what? I get outbid. And then I bid on the next one that comes up.

If I don't get one of some rare item for long enough, I up what I'm willing to pay. Or I keep not getting it. Either way, it's about the item, not about winning, so I don't have a problem with bid snipers. This worked wonders for me on several occasions - Rodger Sharp's book 'Pinball' ($31) and the Ken & Fran Rubin's 'Drop Coin Here' ($50). Both of which tend to go for much more at the time I bought them - I waited, I knew what I wanted to pay, I held out for my price, and I got it.

I too wish Ebay would extend the auction by a few minutes on any bid in the last 60 seconds, but that doesn't seem likely to happen (sensible folks like us have been proposing it since WAY back). So we have to live with the bid sniping.

The only sensible thing to do is to not play the same game that the bid snipers are playing!
 
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