The number of posts in the forums are over whelming and to be honest, I don't have the time to research my theory by reading all the posts.
What I really was looking for is confirmation to my theory and to squelch any misconceptions that AS will beat any bidder at the last moment of an auction.
Certainly when I signed up for an account on AS, I thought using the service would win me an auction against someone who was willing to pay more for an item than I. I wouldn't be surprised many others had the same thought.
I agree that there are other benefits to using the service and I plan to continue using AS.
Thanks for your reply,
PapaMiller