Today I have been outbid on Ebay by a proxy bid. I had set the lead time for AS on 3 seconds. Two questions on this:
Is there a way to avoid being outbid by a proxy bid (beside placing higher bid maximum)?. How many seconds before the auction ends will the proxy bid be placed. In other words: if I set an even lower lead time for AS can I fool the proxy bid?
And related to this: is a lower lead time then 3 seconds adiviseable or not?
Is there a way to avoid being outbid by a proxy bid (beside placing higher bid maximum)?
No.
quote:
How many seconds before the auction ends will the proxy bid be placed.
When someone bids against a proxy bid, the proxy bid only increases. It doesn’t place a new bid. The proxy bid increases concurrent with someone bidding against it.
quote:
In other words: if I set an even lower lead time for AS can I fool the proxy bid?
No.
quote:
And related to this: is a lower lead time then 3 seconds adiviseable or not?
Do not obsess over getting the last bid in at 3 seconds vs. 8 seconds. Anyone who bids that late in the auction was planning to do so. Once you get under 15-20 seconds, snipes are usually planned, so focus on placing your one maximum bid.
you say 3 seconds is the lowest possible lead time. But I can fill in 1 or 2 seconds as lead time (?). I thought if you had say 2 seconds lead time the proxy bid might be too late to increase. That is why I asked at what second the last increase of the proxy takes places. But from your anwer I conclude that this is not going to happen and the proxy bid can not be 'fooled' (?).
And if you set a higher lead time (say 8 seconds) will there be a chance that you get sniped by another sniper (who has a lower lead time then you)?. That is the reason why I ask about the lowest possible or adviseable lead time.
Your bid is placed only once, just as if you were manually bidding on eBay. eBay's proxy bidding system takes care of the rest. It is not a series of back and forth bidding at the last second; it's your max versus someone else's.
That is why obsessing over two seconds versus three seconds versus eight seconds will not matter. If someone is sniping that late in the auction (we are talking single digit seconds here), he PLANNED to do so. It really will not matter if yours went in at 2, 3, 5, or 8; it will simply Sniper A's max vs. Sniper B's max. That is why I counsel you to set your max bid, leave the time feature alone, and walk away. Highest bid will win.
That said, you should know that AS will sometimes send your snipe earlier than you indicated, when it senses that eBay traffic is heavy and that your 2, 3, 5, or 8-second snipe may not have enough time to get through. So in that case, even though you said 3 seconds, your snipe may go it at 13 seconds, to be sure it makes it. People often complain about that, but then again, they also complain when they lose because the bid did not get processed by eBay in time before the auction ended. Either way they come into the forums screaming how much "THIS SUCKS" or similar. AS is damned if they do, damned if they don't. Naturally they prefer to err on the side of caution.
Originally posted by john snipes: But I can fill in 1 or 2 seconds as lead time (?).
Fill away – it won’t stay.
quote:
Originally posted by john snipes: And if you set a higher lead time (say 8 seconds) will there be a chance that you get sniped by another sniper (who has a lower lead time then you)?.
The lead time is ONLY important as it pertains to how long it would take a typical “manual” sniper to see your snipe and RESPOND to it. How long would it take you? If the sniper is using a sniping service, or sniping software on their own computer, then they are going to snipe whether your snipe goes in 1 second before the auction ends, or 1 hour. The only other situation where lead-time is important is when there are two snipes of equal amounts and then the earlier snipe takes priority.
quote:
Originally posted by Chatter: AS is damned if they do, damned if they don't.
It’s much better to be damned for doing. Those damned for NOT doing lack courage, and are indecisive boobs.
