Amiga.org

Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Marketplace => Topic started by: Cyberus on September 22, 2004, 06:19:06 PM

Title: Henceforth, I shall use a sniping service
Post by: Cyberus on September 22, 2004, 06:19:06 PM
Otherwise people with broadband will keep on shafting me in ebay auctions.... :pissed:  :pissed:

Lots an auction by 0.01 Euro just now
I thought the next bid has to be much higher?
Title: Re: Henceforth, I shall use a sniping service
Post by: mjg59 on September 22, 2004, 06:21:44 PM
If you weren't willing to spend that much, then what's the problem?

If you were willing to spend that much, then why not bid the amount you were willing to spend?
Title: Re: Henceforth, I shall use a sniping service
Post by: x56h34 on September 22, 2004, 06:23:48 PM
It's possible that his modem was too slow, even for that. :-)
Title: Re: Henceforth, I shall use a sniping service
Post by: Cyberus on September 22, 2004, 06:24:19 PM
Because of course I would stump up another 1 Eurocent!!
Title: Re: Henceforth, I shall use a sniping service
Post by: Cyberus on September 22, 2004, 06:26:55 PM
On dialup, entering a new amount and then going to the submit page, and clicking on submit can take between 30 secs and 1 minute, in my experience

I don't mind losing an auction (:-P) but when its because I can't bid as quick as other people I feel peeved!
Title: Re: Henceforth, I shall use a sniping service
Post by: TheMagicM on September 22, 2004, 07:00:59 PM
I love sniping.  I've done it with < 5 seconds left.
Title: Re: Henceforth, I shall use a sniping service
Post by: Cyberus on September 22, 2004, 07:07:19 PM
Its great when you're the sniper!

BTW, got all that stuff from Maxxdoo in the end
Thanks ever so much for your help
Now I've just got to reclaim some tax from HM Customs and Excise, cos he didn't put a value on the parcel, and they charged me the full insured value  :pissed:
Title: Re: Henceforth, I shall use a sniping service
Post by: Failure on September 22, 2004, 07:24:25 PM
I freely admit to using auctionsniper.com on eBay.  It works really well and keeps prices down for me.

There is no love between bidders on eBay ;-)
Title: Re: Henceforth, I shall use a sniping service
Post by: TheMagicM on September 22, 2004, 07:33:37 PM
Cyberus: no problem! Glad you got your stuff.

Title: Re: Henceforth, I shall use a sniping service
Post by: agima on September 22, 2004, 07:45:25 PM
Quote
Otherwise people with broadband will keep on shafting me in ebay auctions....

[sarcasm]

I'm a firm believer that the government should step in and take everybodies bandwidth over and then dole it out in equal amounts to everyone.  For some people to have high bandwidth when some unfortunate person only has dial up is unjust.

[/sarcasm]
Title: Re: Henceforth, I shall use a sniping service
Post by: TjLaZer on September 22, 2004, 08:05:41 PM
I also snipe if need be.  I won my 3000T this way !  Woot !  
Title: Re: Henceforth, I shall use a sniping service
Post by: JonoPike on September 22, 2004, 10:01:12 PM
I'm a sniper too.
(Was one in the past)
 :ak47:

  ;-)
Title: Re: Henceforth, I shall use a sniping service
Post by: adolescent on September 22, 2004, 10:56:23 PM
Like it was said, sniping is not needed if you just put how much you are willing to pay.  If I get outbid by 1 cent, then it's because it's 1 cent over what I'm willing to pay.  

Also, sniping is no guarantee that you'll get the item.  If you wait until <5 seconds to place a bid and it's not high enough then you're an instant loser.  

I did however like Yahoo auctions system that if a bid was put in at the last moment the time would be extended.  But, I never bought anything off that service.  
Title: Re: Henceforth, I shall use a sniping service
Post by: TjLaZer on September 22, 2004, 11:10:49 PM
In my experience early bidding can drive up a final price!  I guess the reason is people do not like to lose so they will over bid.  I have seen items that are new and easily bought sell for more that you can get them at the store.  I have over paid for items by doing it the right way and bidding early.  Never again.
Title: Re: Henceforth, I shall use a sniping service
Post by: Failure on September 22, 2004, 11:17:03 PM
@adolescent

Sort of.  The problem is very few people bid in your "correct" fashion.  A lot of people bid the minimum bid only.

An example.  Several(!) years ago I bought a VR headset off eBay; I bid "correctly" because I didn't know any better.  About 15 minutes before auction close, some guy starts bidding.  I refresh and the bid keeps going up and up and up -- same guy.  If he had just "won" his bid and stopped, and I came in during the last 5 seconds and outbid him, I would have gotten a price a good $60 less than I wound up with.

I snipe using my maximum value that I am willing to pay.  You would have to be an idiot to not realize that placing a bid with 5 seconds left, it's going to be your *only* bid.  If everyone snipes there is still only one winner.  The auction still works no matter when you bid.
Title: Re: Henceforth, I shall use a sniping service
Post by: adolescent on September 22, 2004, 11:23:46 PM
@Failure

But that's just it.  Just because you could have gotten it cheaper, doesn't mean you would have.  You put your maximum you would pay.  The other guy simply didn't know how proxy bidding worked.  There's no saying someone wouldn't put the same bid in as a proxy with 15 seconds to go.  Unless you have access to a time machine you'll never know. :-D
Title: Re: Henceforth, I shall use a sniping service
Post by: Failure on September 22, 2004, 11:32:59 PM
@adolescent

I do not know why I am making an effort to defend sniping...frankly, the more people that bid incorrectly the better for me :-D

Very true, sniping doesn't always result in a cheaper price if you are dealing with a bidder who has bid what they really truly want to pay for an item.  But like TjLaZer said, bidders seem to get this "I've gotta win!" attitude when they are outbid.  Suddenly the item is worth more to them, and the price goes up.  Sniping gets around that, too.

So yes it doesn't work all the time, but on balance I would say it is mostly beneficial for me personally :-)
Title: Re: Henceforth, I shall use a sniping service
Post by: amigamad on September 23, 2004, 01:53:30 AM
I know how you feel i hate waiting nine 9 days only to lose an auction .the best way is to have broadband a decent browser  ie mozzila get some plugins like refresh every , i use password remember feature of this browser so it fills usename and password in automaticly when i type first letter of username always go to my ebay and sighn in and tick keep logged in. even more trouble typing them in in time i try to have browser on refresh every 10 secs in the  last 2 minutes i stop that at about 1 minute 10 and then bid a much higher price if i want to win. In the last minute wait about 5 seconds before submitting bid then refresh the item every 10 seconds and laugh at the people that waited ages only to not be able to get another higher bid in before the auction ends.

For dialup put your bid in 2 minutes from the end / :-D

I would never trust another site with my ebay password and username .
part of the fun is bidding . If i want something badly i either win or ask how much to end the auction . :-)
Title: Re: Henceforth, I shall use a sniping service
Post by: melott on September 23, 2004, 04:41:27 AM
I guess I'm a sniper too.
But you don't need BroadBand to do with.
I'm on dial-up with a 33k modem.
I also have an Atomic Clock setting on my desk,
accurate to the second.
I watch an item I'm interested in and if the bidding
stays under what I'm willing to pay then I submit my
bid in the last few seconds (about 30 seconds). By the
time my bid goes thru there is maybe 5 seconds left.
I have lost a few times but the other bidder was willing
to spend more than me.
So 'Sniping' can be done even on a dial-up w/33k modem.
Title: Re: Henceforth, I shall use a sniping service
Post by: Cyberus on September 23, 2004, 11:00:26 AM
Quote

melott wrote:
I guess I'm a sniper too.
But you don't need BroadBand to do with.
I'm on dial-up with a 33k modem.
I also have an Atomic Clock setting on my desk,
accurate to the second.
I watch an item I'm interested in and if the bidding
stays under what I'm willing to pay then I submit my
bid in the last few seconds (about 30 seconds). By the
time my bid goes thru there is maybe 5 seconds left.
I have lost a few times but the other bidder was willing
to spend more than me.
So 'Sniping' can be done even on a dial-up w/33k modem.


Oh true, but I submitted the bid on this auction just over a minute before end. By the time all the cogs had finished turning, I'd been outbid by less than a British penny, and didn't have time for all the cogs to turn again...