Ebay Time Issue

[markf31]

While you might not notice a lag in your network connection, even the fastest network, running at near prime conditions can and will experience lags. Depending on your computer and connection, there can be anywhere from zero to ten seconds of delay. On my desktop Mac connected via cable modem, I see between zero and two seconds delay, on my slower laptop over wireless, I have seen 4-5 seconds delays. It’s just a fact of the internet, even today with the connection speeds as high as they have become over the years. Ebay’s automatic timer, and your web browser do their best to remain in sync but the fact of the matter is they cannot remain in sync in real time perpetually.

Instead of relying on the timer imbedded in the webpage, which is susceptible to network lag, I rely on the actual time that the auction is listed to end. It’s located right next to the timer (Aug 22, 2012 05:40:49 PDT). At the bottom of every Ebay page is a link for the Official Ebay Time, it will show you a page with the current official Ebay time, a static time from when the page loaded, across all four time zones. I have a small digital clock next to my computer that I sync as best I can with Ebay Official Time about once every other week. If I had to guess, my digital clock is usually within 0.5 seconds of the Official Ebay Time. I ignore the timer on the webpage, and go strictly off the digital lock sitting on my desk.

Granted this is for the rare instances where I am bidding right at the end of an auction. 99.9% of the time I place the max bid I'm willing to pay on an auction a day or two before it’s set to end and let it go. Usually when I sit there and pay attention to an auction is when I over pay for something because I get caught up in the moment.