Why do eBayers drive prices.

[twistedsymphony]

Originally Posted by asiak75

If two or more person want the item badly and you bid in the last moment. Its not an auction anymore in my eyes its a lottery game since it is time that is a factor.

eBay works mostly like Silent Auction... you have a time limit in which you can place your bid, it doesn't matter if you place it in the first 5 seconds or the last 5 seconds, the highest bid wins...

The only people who lose because of a last second bid at the end are those who don't fully understand how the eBay biding process works.

"If two or more people want an item badly", they should both punch in the maximum amount they're willing to pay for the item and the person who is willing to pay more will win the item.... it doesn't matter who entered their amount first, there's no "lottery" involved.

[lhurgoyf]

Originally Posted by Twistedsymphony

eBay works mostly like Silent Auction... you have a time limit in which you can place your bid, it doesn't matter if you place it in the first 5 seconds or the last 5 seconds, the highest bid wins...

Not entirely correct. eBay is a standard english auction type-- you can see if you have been outbid, you get immediate feedback on whether you are winning or not when you place a bid. A silent auction is silent. You place your bid anytime, at the end of the bidding period you see if you win.

The practice of sniping makes ebay almost like a silent auction. If 3 people are sniping, then neither has the opportunity to respond (even though they know if they did not win with their bid). eBay typically doesn't want this though.... with an english auction you know you didn't win and can re-evaulate you max bid = more $$ for seller and more fees for ebay.

[Mike1888]

Originally Posted by lhurgoyf

Not entirely correct. eBay is a standard english auction type-- you can see if you have been outbid, you get immediate feedback on whether you are winning or not when you place a bid. A silent auction is silent. You place your bid anytime, at the end of the bidding period you see if you win.

The practice of sniping makes ebay almost like a silent auction. If 3 people are sniping, then neither has the opportunity to respond (even though they know if they did not win with their bid). eBay typically doesn't want this though.... with an english auction you know you didn't win and can re-evaulate you max bid = more $$ for seller and more fees for ebay.

Just watched an MGS3 Subsistence LE get bid on a good 20 times by a guy in the last 10 seconds until he eventually bested my bid by a cent.

Is this guy using a sniper? If so, I hate them.

[lhurgoyf]

Originally Posted by Mike1888

Just watched an MGS3 Subsistence LE get bid on a good 20 times by a guy in the last 10 seconds until he eventually bested my bid by a cent.

Is this guy using a sniper? If so, I hate them.

If they end up making multiple bids then that sounds more like someone did it in person. I assume with a sniping service you provide a max bid and it will bid that at the last second... all or nothing approach. If your max bid is greater than the current max bid, then you only see 1 bid in the log. If your bid is lower than the current person's max bid, the log will show your bid + I believe the current max bidder's bid moved up to whatever you bid + increment (or they add a new bid for the max bidder, I don't remember which). Could still be someone using a sniping service, but having it attempt multiple bids instead of 1 max bid seems kind of odd.

[Mike1888]

Originally Posted by lhurgoyf

If they end up making multiple bids then that sounds more like someone did it in person. I assume with a sniping service you provide a max bid and it will bid that at the last second... all or nothing approach. If your max bid is greater than the current max bid, then you only see 1 bid in the log. If your bid is lower than the current person's max bid, the log will show your bid + I believe the current max bidder's bid moved up to whatever you bid + increment (or they add a new bid for the max bidder, I don't remember which). Could still be someone using a sniping service, but having it attempt multiple bids instead of 1 max bid seems kind of odd.

Thats what I figured, but it seemed SO automated going up $10 every half a second and it started with like 10 seconds left. Like I can understand reentering a max bid 3 or 4 times, but over 10? Anyways I lost the auction Time to move on!

[twistedsymphony]

Definitely not a sniper, nor ebay's automatic Max bid mechanism... that was done manually by the person bidding, and obviously someone who doesn't understand how eBay bidding works.

had YOU used a sniper, that wouldn't have happened