You don't say whether the winning bidder was also the high bidder of record when the bid amount was $12. Further, what was the high bid 3 days earlier at the time you say he put in his bid? At some point he had to put in a bid for an amount greater than *or equal to* your $22 bid. If his high bid was also $22 and he entered it prior to your snipe, then it's "first-come-first-served," that is, the first $22 bid wins under eBay rules.