Bugger.

[unixronin]

...that these days, it's an exercise in complete futility trying to buy anything on eBay that anyone else wants, except via Buy It Now, unless you have a multi-megabit connection or an account with one of the automated robot-bid-sniping services.

And to think that when automated bid-sniping first started, eBay banned it because it was unfair.  I guess they musta decided that fairness could go fuck itself, 'cos they made more money off the last-90-seconds bid-sniping wars.

Comments

[meglimir.livejournal.com]

I thought eBay had a built in automated bidder ... you just set whatever you're willing to pay and it up-bids for you. I generally set it at "whatever I can get it for elsewhere minus s&h".

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

See my comment to ilcylic. The current system can leave you in a position where you know you've just been outbid, and you reconsider and decide you're willing to go another twenty bucks, but you just plain don't have time, because the counterbid came from a bidding robot sitting on an OC-12 that stuffed an automatic winning bid in with, in this case, 5 seconds to go.

[ilcylic.livejournal.com]

Well, I think that's a good thing. If I've already decided what something is worth to me, I don't want to make a split second descision that could cost me another $20. Bid in haste, repent at leisure...

I agree with what you say about the rolling auction close, though. It definitely defeats sniping. (Or at least, anything more than the most lazy, catapult accuracy sniping...)

-Ogre

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

If I've already decided what something is worth to me, I don't want to make a split second descision that could cost me another $20.

Well, see, that's my point. If you know you have a guaranteed five minutes to think about it, it doesn't have to be a split-second decision.

[skellington.livejournal.com]

But you do have all week to pick that maximum bid, consider what happens if someone bids $1 more than that, and if your maximum bid REALLY is $20 higher..

Cygne

[meglimir.livejournal.com]

Ah. That situation hasn't arisen for me ... I'm generally looking for a discount on something otherwise available, or I have a budget ceiling and if the bid goes over that it's just too bad and I won't go another $5 or whatever.