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

[otherbill.livejournal.com]

Perhaps I don't buy the same types of items that you're interested in, but I:

• turn off images, javascript, etc., everything that could possibly slow down the page refreshes (have you tried using lynx?)
• set my system time to match eBay time
• keep two windows open--one refreshes the item page to see the high bid, the other is where you actually submit the bid
• set up the second window to submit what you think would be a winning bid
• refresh the first window with about 30 seconds left (which gives you time to hit back and revise your bid in the second window if need be), and
• manually submit your bid with about 5 seconds left

Granted, it's not the easiest way, but I've never lost an auction this way, even across 28kbps dialup.

Works for me, at least.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

I'm nowhere near that industrious about eBay, since I so rarely try to buy anything on eBay (maybe twice a year).

[otherbill.livejournal.com]

Industrious? Heh. I first used eBay over five years ago, and my feedback rating is all of 7.

It only takes a few minutes to set up the scheme I outlined above, after all.