I have also just lost out on 2 important items that I was bidding for, having received the message "EBAY REQUIRES ACCOUNT VERIFICATION". After reading the various comments about this in Auction Sniper's Community, this problem is obviously very widespread, although this is the first time that it has happened to me after many years of using Auction Sniper.
This problem with both Ebay and Auction Sniper passing the buck will almost certainly frighten their customers away. Sniping has a very useful purpose in providing the facility for buyers to bid during times when they might otherwise be unavailable to check up on bidding progress and to avoid much of the 'leapfrogging'. My recent maximum bids that Auction Sniper was prevented from placing for 2 items was about 4 times higher than the amount that they finally sold for. If the actual winning bidder's maximum bid was anything near to mine, then the seller only achieved a quarter of the amount that he would otherwise have received (for both items).
The reply that I received from Auction Sniper to my complaint was virtually identical to those that others appear to have received, so they are just using a standard template with no intention of getting to the root of the problem.
I may well dispense with Auction Sniper's services if my current bids fail for the same reason. I'll certainly look for an alternative sniping provider or won't even bother spending my money at Ebay.
My reaction to those that have suggested using two sniping services for the same item in order to safeguard their bids, is that they may well leapfrog themselves so that they end up paying their maximum bid instead of a potentially much lower amount if a competing bidder's maximum was much lower. There's no point in competing against yourself!!
It's such a shame that this problem has reared its ugly head, when Ebay and Auction Sniper seemed to have co-existed for so long, satisfactorily. As it stands, the sellers will definitely be the ones to lose out.
Brian