In fairness it would be good if AS gave you an error message when you tried to change your snipe (may be it did - did it?).quote:Help > FAQ > Snipes FAQ
Snipes
When can I modify snipes that I’ve entered?
How come when I click on "Snipe It Now!" nothing happens?
What is a "Max Bid"?
Why isn't the price on My Snipes current?
Why was my snipe 30 minutes early (Friday AM maintenance)?
How long do I have to use my free snipes?
Snipes
When can I modify snipes that I’ve entered?
You cannot add, modify, or cancel a snipe if there is less than 5 minutes left until the auction ends. When the auction is about to end, you may notice that a lock will replace the Cancel and Modify links. In the event that you have not refreshed the page, and the Cancel and Modify links still exist for a snipe that is ending in less than 5 minutes, any changes made will not adhere. For reliability and performance, our bidding system prepares your snipes in advance, so you must make your changes before this time.
Let's take a step back. You are angry with AS because it is "unreliable". Your idea of unreliable is that you failed to bid your maximum and decided to up your snipe very near to the close. As AS had already set up its servers to place your snipe it was too late to make the change. You also failed to place a manual bid and the item was lost.
So, it would appear that AS could be improved by warning you that it cannot take modifications with only two minutes to go. However, I really don't think that this makes it unreliable. I suggest you contact Support via the Help tab and ask them about the missing message.
Then, do some research so that your snipes are set to a more realistic level - if you're monitoring the auction so close to the end then you might as well bid manualy and save the AS fees. Remember that AS just prevents bidding wars and allows you to bid near the end when you're away from your PC - it doesn't guarantee a win.
R2