Slightly OT: Snipe issues on eBay

[dog*dirt]

I also had snipe problems. I couldn't believe how low the prices were on some items I was sniping, just glad I wasn't selling anything and feel bad for those that were.

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by dog*dirt

I also had snipe problems. I couldn't believe how low the prices were on some items I was sniping, just glad I wasn't selling anything and feel bad for those that were.

Yea...losing $330 is rough. And the poster above who slammed me is missing the point. When bidders arent allowed to get bids in, meaning they are blocked from bidding due to Ebays incompetence, well, that is just as bad as shill bidding. It is called bid rigging, and it is just as illegal as shill bidding. Should a seller be forced to make a sell when other bidders are blocked from participating?

Ebay never ceases to amaze me in its' incompetence. Just when I thought I had seen it all.....

[D. Bergin]

This is concerning to me. Has anybody figured out if it's any particular sniping tool, or is it all of them across the board?

[D. Bergin]

Wonder if Ebay has suddenly decided that auction sniping services pose a "security breach".

[Leon]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

This is concerning to me. Has anybody figured out if it's any particular sniping tool, or is it all of them across the board?

My gavelsnipe bids worked fine last night. I didn't win but was under bidder on at least a few. It seems the snipes worked properly.

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

It is called bid rigging, and it is just as illegal as shill bidding. Should a seller be forced to make a sell when other bidders are blocked from participating?

Bid rigging? That would mean that eBay or other bidders INTENTIONALLY defrauded you by restricting the price of your item. To my knowledge, eBay itself does not have any sniping software. It is likely against their Terms of Service to use such a service.
My guess is that the sniping services all have disclaimers that say STTE "we are not liable in the case that your bid does not go through at the appropriate time." So I would guess they're off the hook.

Full disclosure: I don't use bid sniping services. If I want an auction item, I am there when it ends.

[Econteachert205]

If I bid on a card for 800 dollars, paid, then had my winning bid cancelled because someone else's sniping software wasn't working, I would never ever buy another card from that seller. Ever.

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by Econteachert205

If I bid on a card for 800 dollars, paid, then had my winning bid cancelled because someone else's sniping software wasn't working, I would never ever buy another card from that seller. Ever.

If I won a card for $500 that was worth $1,000 because people couldn't bid, I too would be ecstatic! I realize I would have won the card from gaming the system though. Period.

[Econteachert205]

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

If I won a card for $500 that was worth $1,000 because people couldn't bid, I too would be ecstatic! I realize I would have won the card from gaming the system though. Period.

Ok so I'm bidding on a card and right before the end the power goes out in the town of the guy I'm bidding against... Cancel the auction. Another bidder has an internet outage or lag ... Cancel the auction.... Another bidder has to change his newborn and misses a bid, cancel the auction... Look go ahead and cancel the bid if you want realist the card ( maybe with a reserve this time). Do whatever you need to, but I would really like ethics teachers opinion on this one.

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by Econteachert205

Ok so I'm bidding on a card and right before the end the power goes out in the town of the guy I'm bidding against... Cancel the auction. Another bidder has an internet outage or lag ... Cancel the auction.... Another bidder has to change his newborn and misses a bid, cancel the auction... Look go ahead and cancel the bid if you want realist the card ( maybe with a reserve this time). Do whatever you need to, but I would really like ethics teachers opinion on this one.

I never said I wasn't shipping the card. I am. But if people aren't allowed to snipe because Ebay has blocked certain people from bidding on my items, then yes, I have a sour taste in my mouth! A very bad one! A $330 one! To the point that I don't ever want to do 99 cent auctions again.

You state you never want to bid on someone's items that won't honor "throttled" bids, "Pennies on the dollar" bids, or whatever you want to call them. I don't think you have to worry about that, because that seller will be gone anyway, because he doesn't want to sell his items for peanuts. He is moving on elsewhere. Thanks Ebay! (note the sarcasm here)

[D. Bergin]

I think Bobby's rightfully upset that a glitch in the system he was paying a generous fee to use, has dramatically affected the outcome of his auctions, costing him quite a bit of coin.

I don't see any signs he has actually pulled out of the transaction either. Let a guy vent.

I had a piece a couple weeks ago. If the final bidder had been blocked from sniping, if might have cost me over $1000 bucks on the item.

[bobbyw8469]

Ebay warns sellers against ending their items early. They state that most bidders bid within the final seconds (which is true), and that you run the risk of alienating them should you choose to do so. If it is true that EBay is then restricting the software of these companies that place bids within the final seconds so a bid is never placed, then that is a problem. No seller likes to see their items sell for less than what it is worth. For the card in question that I had, it had a known commodity with a value that most people look at as the gospel (VCP). That value was $1,250 (as of last night - I am sure it is lower now thanks to my throttled auction). If the card sold low due to a fact that Ebay is restricting these sniping programs from placing bids, well that affects me as a seller. I no longer wish to run 99 cents auctions. I also feel I shouldnt be held responsible to negligence on Ebay's part. Ebay makes it so I can't do anything really about non-paying bidders. How about some seller protection for seller's who don't wish to give an item away?

If the auction were a "true" auction that had no issues, then of course I would have no problem shipping the card off at a $330 loss. However, when I hear from multiple people that EBay is not allowing their bids to go through, well, that is a problem. A big one.

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

If it is true that EBay is then restricting the software of these companies that place bids within the final seconds so a bid is never placed, then that is a problem.

You seem to be saying it's intentional, but have no proof. Based on the link I just posted, it could be the buyer's own faults that their bids didn't go through (either weak passwords or getting hit by a random captcha). If eBay approved the use of snipe bidding, they wouldn't be putting captchas into their system. eBay has every incentive for items to end at the highest value they can attain.
You're inventing a conspiracy theory which doesn't make sense. Next time list your items with higher starting bids. Then you'll never get snake-bit if it happens again.

Originally Posted by swarmee

You seem to be saying it's intentional, but have no proof. Based on the link I just posted, it could be the buyer's own faults that their bids didn't go through (either weak passwords or getting hit by a random captcha). If eBay approved the use of snipe bidding, they wouldn't be putting captchas into their system. eBay has every incentive for items to end at the highest value they can attain.
You're inventing a conspiracy theory which doesn't make sense. Next time list your items with higher starting bids. Then you'll never get snake-bit if it happens again.

Totally agree John, if the problem wasn't on eBay's end then the rigged auction theory flies out the window. I think it sucks these sniping programs even exist (no offense to anyone), nothing like staying up late to bid on an auction only to be outbid by a pre-arranged snipe bid scheduled two days earlier. Guess I'm old-school that way.

[vthobby]

I use esnipe at least once per week and just won an item using their service. NEVER had an issue.

I swear by it.

peace, mike

[swarmee]

http://www.gavelsnipe.com/faq.php?anchor=2#2

Quote: "My snipe failed to execute. What happened?

GavelSnipe may encounter problems on an auction site that can cause a snipe to fail to execute. Network delays and server timeouts can cause the sign in page or bidding page to not respond. GavelSnipe is designed to continue attempts to sign in and bid during the user-defined snipe buffer until a bid is placed or the auction ends.

eBay has security measures in place to detect weak passwords. This security measure can cause your snipe to fail because the eBay log in process is interrupted by the weak password notification. Click here for tips on creating a secure eBay password.

eBay randomly uses captcha verification codes. These codes require human intervention to proceed with the sign-in/bidding process. Captcha verification codes will cause a snipe to fail because GavelSnipe is unable to sign in and bid."

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by swarmee

Bid rigging? That would mean that eBay or other bidders INTENTIONALLY defrauded you by restricting the price of your item. To my knowledge, eBay itself does not have any sniping software. It is likely against their Terms of Service to use such a service.
My guess is that the sniping services all have disclaimers that say STTE "we are not liable in the case that your bid does not go through at the appropriate time." So I would guess they're off the hook.

Full disclosure: I don't use bid sniping services. If I want an auction item, I am there when it ends.

Ebay has to give permission, and a key to their back door for 3rd party developers like sniping services to even exist. Therefore they giving some sort of tacit approval for the service being offered.

The question is if the problem is on the sniping service end, or if Ebay is unnecessarily blocking some of these services due to yet another glitch or "enhancement" in their system.

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

Ebay has to give permission, and a key to their back door for 3rd party developers like sniping services to even exist. Therefore they giving some sort of tacit approval for the service being offered.

I did some searches on ebay for "sniping services", "terms of service", and "sniping bids" in their Customer Service section, and got no true hits (some "community" questions popped up, but none were answered by official eBay personnel). Odd that eBay's help site has zero official word.