Well I can't say I'm surprised this is still an issue at AS. It was a problem 18 months ago and it still is now. I will make the same recommendation I made then:
AS should update their FAQ and other literature on the service and state that they may pad bid times to ensure a bid is placed. Either that, or bite the bullet and place bids when the customer chooses and start letting people LOOSE their auctions because their lead times were insufficient.
I’d rather see the forums with responses like, “Look at when the auction ends and adjust your lead time accordingly,” rather than speculations as to why AS places bids early on high-ticket items. It only makes the operation look shady to new users when it happens to them.
After all, AS already has warnings that small lead times will result in loses, but no warnings for time padding. (Well, unless you read the forum)
If you want to know more just search my old username: pallbearer. (I was muzzled for making these suggestions in the past.)
Summary: Snipe time pads: old known problem; learn to deal.