Evening all,

I've been a sporadic user of AS for some years now
When I first started I was extremely happy with it
Of late I've been less so purely on account of the early bid issue

I have lost a few auctions where I've told the system to bid at 2 seconds
However, it has bid at eg 22 seconds, leaving time for a rival bidder to jump in

I understand this is due to AS padding the bid to take account of delay times on eBay servers, this I can understand and an not whinging about

HOWEVER, I have a suggestion
Could there be a tick box to disable this (with suitable warning/ disclaimer) thereby allowing the majority of users to continue using it in the normal way as well as a minority bidding on popular last minute items to have one less thing tomoan about :-)


Cheers
Ben

Been asked for multiple times, and has been rejected about the same number.

If someone bid that late in the auction, do you not believe that the person was also a sniper, someone who planned a last-minute snipe, regardless of whether or not you bid?

quote:

Originally posted by Chatter:
the person was also a sniper, someone who planned a last-minute snipe

Almost certainly!

And why 2 seconds when 8 is the forum-recommended lead time?

R2

Boys, boys! It’s obvious that someone that bids towards the end of the auction is a sniper, and it’s also obvious that they “plan” to snipe. It’s not like they decide 5 seconds before the end, “Gee, I think I’ll snipe.” The issue is that with a premature (the two of you are familiar with that word) snipe the other sniper has a chance to place (react) a second or third snipe, thus causing the prematurer to perhaps lose the auction, or experience an end-of-auction bidding war, thus causing the price to increase (what one tries to avoid by sniping).

Also, last I heard, 3 seconds was the minimum.

Is "forum-recommended lead time" suppose to sound "official"?

22 seconds is more than enough time for a normal user sitting at their PC with 2 ebay screens open to react
Even 8 seconds is within the realms of possibility

However, 2 seconds is 'not a cat in hells chance' territory and it is why I asked AS to bid for me at that point (also, if the other person is using the default 3sec or recommended 8sec time I will win )
I am quite prepared to miss an item coz the bid was fractionally too late but missing it because it was way too early is extremely annoying.
Whats the point in using AS at all, I can quite easily manage to place a bit that far in advance myself?

This is why I asked for that extra functionality
Otherwise, why bother with the lead time box at all if its just gonna be ignored

i was just outsniped due to padding by AS - EXTREMELY ANNOYING! I would like the tick box option to opt out of padding at my own risk. I am using sniping to avoid stupidity of premature bids...duh.

I recently had a bid placed 53 seconds prior to the end although I had is programmed for 10 seconds. I was given a similar reason for the padding. Since another bidder entered 3 different bids during that 53 seconds, I think it is reasonable to assume that he was a live sniper and not using snipeware. Anyway, he ran the price up about $300 during that 53 seconds. Auctionsniper won't even credit may account for the $4+ they charged when they cost me a lot more than that so I requested a cancellation of my account and they are giving me a hastle about that. I just opened an account with a snipeware company that doesn't pad their time. It has been recommended to me by about half a dozen people.

quote:

Originally posted by golly:
imho!

quote:

Originally posted by golly:
imho

"Humble"? Where did you hide it?

quote:

Originally posted by golly:
yada yada yada

Feel better?

quote:

Originally posted by golly:
no but apparently you do posting pointless replies to serious posts?

"Serious"? I don't tink so. "Vendictive"? Yes.


Almost as much fun as honking your car horn at other drivers?

quote:

Originally posted by golly:
do you work for AS

Now be honest – are you planning on selling that to the National Enquirer? (predictable)


I sense a whiff of frustration on your part. Would this have been easier on you had I included an “imho”?


P.S. What makes you think I only "work" for AS. I could be the owner.

a box to tick sounds like a good idea to me, or maybe use a service that has no padding. I`ve had this happen a few times now and it`s not what i pay for. I used to do the sniping myself. 2 screens on ebay one set with the bid and a stopwatch. I never lost an item (unless i was out bid) and no one had time to react to what i had bid (ecept other snipers). At least I knew I had bid what i wanted at the last possible point. So please give us the box. Or maybe it`s time to be off.

quote:

Originally posted by jim123 (in another thread just a few minutes earlier):
OK rant over

That was a short "over".

quote:

Originally posted by StorminBen:
...snip...(also, if the other person is using the default 3sec or recommended 8sec time I will win ) ...snip...

No, you will just have a later bid.

I have used AS for a year now and until quite recently have been very happy with the service. I understand all the risks associated with using the service. Also, heavy traffic days, server update times, etc. etc. I rejoice when I win and take my lumps when I lose. I have only once not had a bid placed and that was when the servers were being moved this summer. What I'm not understanding, is why the "lag" times have increased so much recently. My bids are being placed CONSISTENTLY 10-11 seconds before my set time preference. I have changed my settings, and the timing is still 10-11 seconds before my set time of 5 seconds (previously 7 seconds). I have been dealing with support and have received the usual answers that someone who is new to the service would get. But no one has addressed what is happening in recent weeks with the timing of bids being placed. I was recommended to the service by a friend and have throughly loved the convenience it has offered me but....I can place snipes manually from my home computer in the appropriate time frame when I'm home. I did lose an auction yesterday that I feel I could have won had I done it manually myself. I was doing some things at home and used AS for convenience. This is not life or death to me, but it is very annoying. What has changed recently as AS????

quote:

What has changed recently as AS????

Good question, but one that can only be answered by support, which you've given a try. AS is aware of this, as is stated in the following post by Sniper Steve:
http://community.auctionsniper.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3...261005103#9261005103

Hello Community,

While we are working hard to eliminate all lead times associated with snipes, this weekend we ran into an isolated problem.

After our servers made the time switch for daylight savings, they all synced to be 10 seconds fast. We have diagnosed the problem and are currently correcting it.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused, and are taking steps to ensure this does not happen again.

Thanks and happy sniping!

Steve
Auction Sniper Product Manager

Steve, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. You have given me the answer that no one at support could give me. Will you be posting an update when the problem is fixed? I do appreciate you taking the time to address this and will not flee to another service, as you seem to have identified the problem and answered my query. When notified it is fixed, I will continue to place snipes, business as usual! Again, Thank You.

quote:

Originally posted by Sniper Steve:
Hello Community,

While we are working hard to eliminate all lead times associated with snipes, this weekend we ran into an isolated problem.

After our servers made the time switch for daylight savings, they all synced to be 10 seconds fast. We have diagnosed the problem and are currently correcting it.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused, and are taking steps to ensure this does not happen again.

Thanks and happy sniping!

Steve
Auction Sniper Product Manager

Just to let you know -- yesterday (Nov. 30) my snipe was sent 10 seconds too early. Your clocks seem to be rather stubborn, eh? Please update us on this issue. Thanks in advance.