I am new the auction sniper family, but I am wondering if I am not using the service correctly. The last couple of auctions that I have tried to snipe I have lost. Some of the auction numbers are 3289002312 and 3289081842. I have my snipes set at 3 seconds lead time, but it appears to me that the bid is actually being placed in some cases at 10 seconds before the end of the auction, so I am loosing the auctions. I don't know if I am doing something incorrectly, or if I do not fully understand how this works...any help will be greatly appreciated. By the way..I am HUGS449 on ebay.

Thanks!

I'm sure you know this, but it may help to actually read it... 'It's not the last bid that wins, it's the highest.'

It's very unlikely your bid was seen and responded to in 10 seconds or less. (Possible, but not likely) Much more likely that other bids were planed and would have been placed whether you had bid or not.

AS monitors trafic and response times between AS and eBay. Your bid was placed earlier to insure it reached eBay and was recorded before auction end. In AS's estimation, your bid was sent early enough to have your bid recorded at your requested lead time. They missed by 7 seconds. Your bid was probably sent 15 to 20 seconds before auction end.

Not great news, but better early than no bid at all. Hope that helps explain things.

WELCOME to the forum.

Hi There,
Your lead time of 3 seconds is cutting it pretty fine, so AS (Auction Sniper) is adjusting your lead time to ensure your bids get placed. While the majority of your bids will get through with 3 second lead times, if AS detects ebay's response time is lagging - it will adjust your lead time accordingly.

Item 3289002312 - although you were beaten by another sniper (manual or using software), it looks like they may have beaten you even if your bid had gone it at 3 seconds as planned. Their winning amount of $21.56 was higher than your maximum and I doubt that bid was retialitory to your snipe.

Item 3289081842 - the winner of that auction, may very well have retaliated to your snipe.

My advice for using AS is this.....ALWAYS decide what the MAX you are willing to pay for an item and place a snipe for that amount (Make it an odd amount like $20.56 not $20). You need to find the magic amount, so that when you lose you say "Oh well, I wouldnt pay anymore than that" and if you win you dont say "ARGH!!!! Why did I pay that much??".

I personally use a 5-8 second lead time, unless the item ends on the hour, quarter hour or half hour (then I use 15 seconds) or if the item ends prime time Sunday nite, then I would use 23 seconds.

Hope that Helps

Ack - I hate it when I start typing a reply then get sidetracked and come back and its a double up.

to our forum!!
My personal choice is to use 8 seconds during normal times! On Sunday, during primetime, PST, PM between 5 and 8:30, I add 15 seconds. On the hour, half, and quarter hour, I add 10 seconds. These are very busy traffic times for Ebay. It works for me! Remember to bid your max as the highest bid wins! Happy Sniping!!

This is the biggest problem with AS....it bids too early!!!!you should be able to toggle early bidding off.....sometimes it has been nearly 20 secs off!!

Can't say as I have ever lost a snipe this way! Whenever AS has bid early, it has been right! Only bids I have lost have been because I bid too low, not because the bid was placed too soon.

And,