Okay, this has now happened to me 5 times. I put in a snipe, lose, go check on the snipe, and see that the winning snipe was put in after mine, but the time shows earlier. Has someone else come up with a better sniping program that tricks ebay into thinking the winning bid was put in earlier, even though it wasn't? Here is a display example of what I'm talking about:
Date of Bid Bid Amount User ID
Aug-01-04 10:01:19 PDT US $3.11 michel-west( 1526Feedback score is 1,000 to 4,999)
Aug-01-04 14:17:49 PDT US $3.10 jen731( 5 )

How is this happening?

Thanks.

Please post an auction # and someone will explain!

And, to our forum!

I think you are mistaken. It's confusing because the price shown on ebay is usually NOT that persons max bid, it's only enough to stay in the lead.

Michel placed their bid before you did, but it only took 2.50 (one increment above myfrott's 2.25 bid) of their max to stay in the lead. Until your bid came in that is. Your bid was $3.10, but their max was $3.11.

There are no programs that trick eBay into recording the wrong time. What would be the point, if they were going to win anyway with a higher bid?

>Click Here< to learn about proxy bidding at eBay.

Here is another look at the auction.

The following table has been reorganized and sorted into date order.  First
bid placed is line #1.  That should make it easier to follow the auction.
Two additional columns have been calculated and added.  They are the current 
bid and high bidder, as displayed on eBay after each bid is placed.        v2.1.08
* = Winning bid. 
 
                    Max                      Current Winning
  #    Bidder       Bid      Day & Time       Bid  &  Bidder
                  (US $)
  1   michel-west   1.99   27-Jul  09:13:02   1.99   michel-west  
  2   myfrott       2.25   28-Jul  17:36:16   2.24   myfrott      
  3   michel-west  *3.11   01-Aug  09:59:44   2.50   michel-west  
  4   your bid      3.10   01-Aug  14:15:31   3.11   michel-west  
        End                01-Aug  14:15:36            

... and WELCOME !

Sorry, I'm still not understanding. What I don't get is how Michael's bid was supposedly entered at 9:59, but mine was entered at 14:15. If that was true, then my bid wouldn't have even been entered because it was already too low. That's why I think there must be some way to trick the time he entered his bid? This was in reference to ebay # 4027037181 that Puppy Raiser entered.

Thanks for any additional help.

The price displayed on eBay durring an auction is usually NOT that persons max entered. eBay only uses as much of your bid as it takes to stay in the lead. Pay particular attention to the last 2 columns as this is the amounts displayed at eBay after each bid.

In line 3, (above) Michel's max bid was 3.11, but only 2.50 was needed to take the lead. If you had not bid, Michel would have won the auction for 2.50.

Since the displayed price on eBay was only 2.50 just before your bid, a 3.10 bid was valid and accepted.

Another way to look at it... Lets suppose the max you entered was $5.00. You would have won for 3.36. Now suppose someone was able to bid after you and entered a bid of 4.00 (that's also a valid bid since the current price is 3.36) You still win even though your bid was not the last one entered. You win for 4.25. If that had happened, this is what the auction would have looked like. Notice line 4, (below) you are in the lead with a price of 3.36 which makes the $4 bid valid and accepted.

* = Winning bid. (may be less than actual maximum entered.)
 
                    Max                      Current Winning
  #    Bidder       Bid      Day & Time       Bid  &  Bidder
                  (US $)
  1   michel-west   1.99   27-Jul  09:13:02   1.99   michel-west  
  2   myfrott       2.25   28-Jul  17:36:16   2.24   myfrott      
  3   michel-west   3.11   01-Aug  09:59:44   2.50   michel-west  
  4   jen731       *4.25   01-Aug  14:15:31   3.36   jen731       
  5   added-bidder  4.00   01-Aug  14:15:33   4.25   jen731       
        End                01-Aug  14:15:36            

Remember... It's the highest bid that wins, not the last.

Get it?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Puppy Raiser,

Explanation looks good, Puppy! Hope it makes sense to the OP. The proxy bidding thingy can be so confusing until one gets the hang of it! What's probably REALLY aggravating is to lose the auction by a measily penny!!!

I guess I understand now... maybe... sort of. Thanks for your explanations.

Jennifer

Out of curiosity, maybe someone can explain to me what happened in this auction: are these people just morons bidding against themselves or am I missing something?

Bidding history (Highest bids first)
If you and another bidder placed the same bid amount, the earlier bid takes priority
Date of Bid Bid Amount User ID
Aug-01-04 15:21:05 PDT US $8.50 specks79( 91Feedback score is 50 to 99)
Aug-01-04 22:37:13 PDT US $8.00 mully4235( 39Feedback score is 10 to 49)
Aug-01-04 22:35:20 PDT US $7.00 mully4235( 39Feedback score is 10 to 49)
Aug-01-04 22:35:02 PDT US $6.00 mully4235( 39Feedback score is 10 to 49)
Aug-01-04 21:48:28 PDT US $5.00 amberkayanderson( 32Feedback score is 10 to 49)
Aug-01-04 21:48:15 PDT US $4.11 amberkayanderson( 32Feedback score is 10 to 49)
Aug-01-04 21:48:04 PDT US $3.59 amberkayanderson( 32Feedback score is 10 to 49)
Jul-30-04 17:53:42 PDT US $3.00 mully4235( 39Feedback score is 10 to 49)

quote:

---

maybe... sort of.

---

Lets try this another way.

The winning price or bid is not the highest max. The winning price is (usually) one bid increment above the next to highest max.

An auction has a starting price of $1.00

• Bidder A places a max bid at eBay for $10. eBay shows Bidder A in the lead, price is $1 (opening bid amount)
• Bidder B comes along and sees the current price is $1 and places a bid for $5. eBay now shows Bidder A still in the lead, current price is $5.50 (one bid increment above B's max)
• Bidder C joins in and places a max bid of $12. eBay now shows bidder C taking the lead, price $10.50 (one bid increment above A's max)

So you (hopefully) see that the current price displayed on eBay can be, but often isn't the real max of the current top bidder.

The proxy concept can be confusing until suddenly you 'get it' and the light is turned on. Go back to the link about proxy bidding I gave and check it out again. Near the top left corner of the page there is a link to a test auction where you can play with bidding to see how it REALLY works. Make several bids and/or start over a few times.

Let me see if I can find that last auction...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Puppy Raiser,

found it...

The following table has been reorganized and sorted into date order.  First
bid placed is line #1.  That should make it easier to follow the auction.
Two additional columns have been calculated and added.  They are the current 
bid and high bidder, as displayed on eBay after each bid is placed.        v2.1.08
* = Winning bid. (may be less than actual maximum entered.)
 
                    Max                      Current Winning
  #    Bidder       Bid      Day & Time       Bid  &  Bidder
                  (US $)
  1   mully4235     3.00   30-Jul  17:53:42   2.99   mully4235    
  2   specks79     *8.50   01-Aug  15:21:05   3.25   specks79     
  3   amberkayande  3.59   01-Aug  21:48:04   3.84   specks79     
  4   amberkayande  4.11   01-Aug  21:48:15   4.36   specks79     
  5   amberkayande  5.00   01-Aug  21:48:28   5.50   specks79     
  6   mully4235     6.00   01-Aug  22:35:02   6.50   specks79     
  7   mully4235     7.00   01-Aug  22:35:20   7.50   specks79     
  8   mully4235     8.00   01-Aug  22:37:13   8.50   specks79     
        End                01-Aug  22:37:36            

amber and mully kept bidding trying to beat specks early bid. Both were unwilling or unable to beat specks max bid of $8.50 or more.

At the end of the auction, you see everyone's maxmimum bid, EXCEPT the winner. In his case, you only see one bid increment above the second place bidder. A bids $10; B bids $7; C bids $5. At the end of the auction, you see B and C's bids, but A is listed as $7.25, because that was the second place bidder's max plus one increment (which is 25 cents for auctions in that price range). You have no idea what A REALLY bid, just what it took for him to win.

What makes it confusing is that eBay lists bids by amount, rather than in the order in which they were received.

We snipe to avoid the scenario Jen mentioned, whereby, a bidder keeps rebidding at higher prices. Our way, the bidder does not keep rebidding, because he is already on top.