Anybody have a chance to use the new bid enhancement feature? I'm not quite sure I understand how it works. Any thoughts or opinions about it?
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Eh? What/where are they?
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R2
Hey Region!
Bid enhancement is an additional selection you can make when setting up a snipe. I have a snipe set to fire later today with bid enhancement engaged. Hopefully then I'll have a better understanding what it does! ;-)
Bid enhancement is an additional selection you can make when setting up a snipe. I have a snipe set to fire later today with bid enhancement engaged. Hopefully then I'll have a better understanding what it does! ;-)
Bid Enhancement is an optional tool that can help protect you from losing an auction by just a few dollars. To use Bid Enhancement, after you set your max bid, specify how many additional bid increments above your max bid you would like Auction Sniper to protect. In the event that you are outbid, we will bid again using your Max Bid + the amount you specified for Bid Enhancement (if that number is still competitive).
Important note: Bid Enhancement is free to use but you may end up paying more for the snipe depending on how many additional bid increments you win by.
Important note: Bid Enhancement is free to use but you may end up paying more for the snipe depending on how many additional bid increments you win by.
Update: I had 2 snipes scheduled to fire several hours ago. Of course, being the cheapskate that I am, the bidding went beyond my max snipe, even including the extra bid increments! 
The more I think about it, it seems this feature would only appeal to those users who just cannot decide what their true MAX bid is. I found myself working backwards -- I decide what my max is, then subtract the number of bid increments I set in the bid enhancement feature, and then set my "max bid" for that amount! I don't understand why 1 bid increment is not an option in the bid enhancement. I'm MUCH more likely to use the feature to try to avoid losing an auction by ONE bid increment rather than several.
The more I think about it, it seems this feature would only appeal to those users who just cannot decide what their true MAX bid is. I found myself working backwards -- I decide what my max is, then subtract the number of bid increments I set in the bid enhancement feature, and then set my "max bid" for that amount! I don't understand why 1 bid increment is not an option in the bid enhancement. I'm MUCH more likely to use the feature to try to avoid losing an auction by ONE bid increment rather than several.
I tried it on a cheapy - sadly I won without triggering the new system...
R2
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AUCTIONNIBBLER
Nibble at the last second ... automatically!
Nibble at the last second ... automatically!
quote:AUCTIONNIBBLER
Nibble at the last second ... automatically!
LOL! My thoughts exactly! I think I'm unlikely to use the new feature UNLESS they add ONE bid increment to the selection.
Been trying to come up with some logical for not supporting one bid increment, but haven't had any luck.
Generally speaking, the way we thought about it is that just one bid increment over would be what the other person is beating you by. To be able to beat that, you have to use Bid Enhancement for at least two bid increments.
However, would it make it easier to understand if we just called that starting point "1 bid increment" even though it is technically two from your max bid?
However, would it make it easier to understand if we just called that starting point "1 bid increment" even though it is technically two from your max bid?
Hi Cara!
Thanks for jumping into this discussion! If I understand how this feature works, AS will re-snipe if the first snipe is 2, 3, etc. bid increments (depending on selected setting) lower than the winning bid? i.e. 2 snipes? Or does AS check to see if current winning bid is greater than the max snipe price AND less than the max plus the bid increment setting, and then on the fly adjusts the ONE snipe up to that revised snipe max?
For example: I set my snipe max at $25.25 and bid enhancement at 2 bid increments. Current bid is at $20 at t-6 secs. What does AS do? Does it submit my max at $25.25? Does AS then snipe AGAIN if I'm proxy outbid at $26.25? Or does the bid enhancement feature only come into play to adjust my one and ONLY snipe price upward if (in this case) the current winning bid at t-6 seconds is between $24.26 and $27.25?
Personally, I would like a 1 bid increment adjustment, which to me means my max snipe price would be adjusted upward by one increment ONLY if the current winning bid at snipe time is $24.26 up to my max ($25.25).
If you were to provide some "what-if" example scenarios, and how the bid enhancement feature would work, it would be very helpful.
Thanks for jumping into this discussion! If I understand how this feature works, AS will re-snipe if the first snipe is 2, 3, etc. bid increments (depending on selected setting) lower than the winning bid? i.e. 2 snipes? Or does AS check to see if current winning bid is greater than the max snipe price AND less than the max plus the bid increment setting, and then on the fly adjusts the ONE snipe up to that revised snipe max?
For example: I set my snipe max at $25.25 and bid enhancement at 2 bid increments. Current bid is at $20 at t-6 secs. What does AS do? Does it submit my max at $25.25? Does AS then snipe AGAIN if I'm proxy outbid at $26.25? Or does the bid enhancement feature only come into play to adjust my one and ONLY snipe price upward if (in this case) the current winning bid at t-6 seconds is between $24.26 and $27.25?
Personally, I would like a 1 bid increment adjustment, which to me means my max snipe price would be adjusted upward by one increment ONLY if the current winning bid at snipe time is $24.26 up to my max ($25.25).
If you were to provide some "what-if" example scenarios, and how the bid enhancement feature would work, it would be very helpful.
Hi Jabbergah -
Bid Enhancement places a second bid if your first bid was too low. The number of bid increments is based on your maximum bid, not on the current high bid. We did this for a reason. Look at the following example:
Case 1:
Starting bid: $20
You add your snipe for $30 with a Bid Enhancement of 3 bid increments.
There is a bidding war on your item and the current price is driven up to $80.
If we base the Bid Enhancement bid 3 bid increments above the "current price", your initial snipe of $30 would fail but we would place your second bid (the one controlled by Bid Enhancement) at $83.
Instead we base the Bid Enhancement on your max bid.
Given eBay's bid increment system, if your maximum snipe is too low to make you the high bidder, then one more bid increment will, in most cases, not be enough to place a winning bid. Here are the examples:
Case A:
Your maximum snipe: $25
Current high bid before your snipe: $25.25
This means the minimum bid for this auction will be $26.25
1 bid increment above your maximum snipe would be $26 which is not enough to win.
Case B:
Your maximum snipe: $25
Your snipe is proxy outbid, making the current high bid: $26
The minimum bid for this auction would then be $27
Again, 1 bid increment above your maximum snipe would be $26 which is not enough to win.
Here is the only case where 1 bid increment would be enough to win:
Your maximum snipe: $25
Current high bid before your snipe is also exactly: $25
The minimum bid for this auction will be $26. This is the only situation where 1 bid increment would be enough to place a 2nd bid.
That case is not the norm so we decided in order to give our users the best chance of winning with the least amount of confusion, we do not offer a 1 bid increment option.
This is a little lengthy - but I hope it helps
Thanks!
Cara
Bid Enhancement places a second bid if your first bid was too low. The number of bid increments is based on your maximum bid, not on the current high bid. We did this for a reason. Look at the following example:
Case 1:
Starting bid: $20
You add your snipe for $30 with a Bid Enhancement of 3 bid increments.
There is a bidding war on your item and the current price is driven up to $80.
If we base the Bid Enhancement bid 3 bid increments above the "current price", your initial snipe of $30 would fail but we would place your second bid (the one controlled by Bid Enhancement) at $83.
Instead we base the Bid Enhancement on your max bid.
Given eBay's bid increment system, if your maximum snipe is too low to make you the high bidder, then one more bid increment will, in most cases, not be enough to place a winning bid. Here are the examples:
Case A:
Your maximum snipe: $25
Current high bid before your snipe: $25.25
This means the minimum bid for this auction will be $26.25
1 bid increment above your maximum snipe would be $26 which is not enough to win.
Case B:
Your maximum snipe: $25
Your snipe is proxy outbid, making the current high bid: $26
The minimum bid for this auction would then be $27
Again, 1 bid increment above your maximum snipe would be $26 which is not enough to win.
Here is the only case where 1 bid increment would be enough to win:
Your maximum snipe: $25
Current high bid before your snipe is also exactly: $25
The minimum bid for this auction will be $26. This is the only situation where 1 bid increment would be enough to place a 2nd bid.
That case is not the norm so we decided in order to give our users the best chance of winning with the least amount of confusion, we do not offer a 1 bid increment option.
This is a little lengthy - but I hope it helps
Thanks!
Cara
I still don't get it. If I understand correctly, Bid Enhancement means that your maximum bid isn't really your maximum bid; your real maximum bid is your "maximum bid" plue certain increments. What's the point? Why not just bid your maximum bid plus the increments to begin with?
Hi Cara!
Thanks for attempting to explain this new AuctionSniper feature that, frankly, I think has quite a few of us confused!
I must admit I'm with FearlessCrusader. If I set a "max" bid that I would like AS to adjust upward by several bid increments, then that "max" wasn't my "TRUE max" at all!
(Before I go any further, I must apologize for the example I presented in my last post. I set my snipe in my hypothetical situation in the vicinty of a bid increment change (from $0.50 to $1.00 at a $25 bid). That was unintentional and only serves to add to the confusion! SORRY!)
OK, I think you may be mistaken in explaining how the bid increment feature works in your hypothetical case 1. With a max snipe bid set at $30 and bid increment set at 3, I would think AS would place my adjusted snipe at $33. Yet you're suggesting that AS would place a snipe at $83?!?
That would be a full 53 bid increments above my snipe price!?! If that's indeed the case, I KNOW I won't be using the feature!! Now I don't think that's the way it works because I've already tried the feature in two auctions. In both auctions, by the end of the auction the winning bid had moved well beyond my max snipe price plus my set added bid increments, and AS did NOT place a bid (which is what I would expect it to do).
Now you went to great lengths to explain why 1 bid increment just doesn't make any sense in the new bid enhancement feature. Yet, I'm not convinced. Actually, I'm even more resolved that ONE bid increment is the ONLY setting that makes any sense, and is the one I'd be likely to use REGULARLY! Let me explain.
I, like all veteran snipers, have learned to carefully determine what our TRUE MAXIMUM bid is to load into the sniper software. This is the price at which I'd be happy to win. If the winning bid exceeds my max, I'll be disappointed I lost the auction, but NOT disappointed that I didn't bid higher amount. If it turns out I AM disappointed that I didn't bid a higher amount, then I didn't really set my TRUE MAX in the first place! If I'm setting my MAX BID correctly, and the bidding goes beyond my MAX, then I DON'T WANT TO WIN! -- NOT at THAT PRICE!
Now here is where the 1 bid increment makes sense. I have on occasion LOST an auction to a bidder for LESS than my set snipe MAX price. My snipe doesn't fire because of the bid increment constraints. Here's an example: I set a snipe at $50. The winning bid when it is time for the snipe to fire stands at $49.01. My snipe won't fire in this case because the next legal bid due to bid increments is $50.01, which exceeds my max snipe amount. In fact, I will lose to ALL the lower bids from $49.01 up to and including my snipe amount of $50.00. IN THIS CASE, I think I'm willing most of the time to exceed my MAX snipe by JUST ONE BID INCREMENT to avoid missing out bidding against that $49.01, $49.24, $49.59 bid and all those other bids less than 1 bid increment lower than my set snipe max.
Actually, now that I think about it and work thru this hypothetical case, I think I can make a strong case for a 1/2 bid increment setting!! I may be willing to give it a go against bids of $49.01 thru $49.50, but I REALLY don't want to bid more than $50.50, which would represent a half a bid increment over my predetermined MAX! Thereby, I would be willing to concede victory to bids $49.51 thru $50. To my way of thinking, bid enhancement settings of 1/2, 1, 1.5 make a whole lot more sense to me than the current 2, 3, 4, etc. Personally, I probably would only ever use either the 1/2 or 1 bid increment settings because in most cases I'm pretty firm on what my predetermined MAXIMUM BID is.
I hope this makes sense and adds to the discussion.
Now I'm still a little unclear about how the current system is setup to work? In the above case with a $50 snipe, if the bid enhancement is set to 2 bid increments what actually happens?
If the pre snipe winning bid is $49.01, what bid does AS place? $50.01? $51.01? $52?
If the pre snipe winning bid is $49.95, what bid does AS place? $50.95? $51.95? $52?
If the pre snipe winning bid is $50.08, what bid does AS place? $51.08? $52?
In all cases, I'm thinking the sniped bid would be $52. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
If the pre snipe winning bid is $48.50, what bid does AS place? $50? $52? or $50 THEN $52 if necessary?
It doesn't make sense to me for AS to be placing more than one snipe -- it feels like nibbling instead of sniping! It also doesn't make sense to me for the feature to even come into play unless the current bid exceeds the preset snipe max bid OR AS is constrained from bidding because of bid increment issues (as described above).
Thanks for attempting to explain this new AuctionSniper feature that, frankly, I think has quite a few of us confused!
I must admit I'm with FearlessCrusader. If I set a "max" bid that I would like AS to adjust upward by several bid increments, then that "max" wasn't my "TRUE max" at all!
(Before I go any further, I must apologize for the example I presented in my last post. I set my snipe in my hypothetical situation in the vicinty of a bid increment change (from $0.50 to $1.00 at a $25 bid). That was unintentional and only serves to add to the confusion!
SORRY!)OK, I think you may be mistaken in explaining how the bid increment feature works in your hypothetical case 1. With a max snipe bid set at $30 and bid increment set at 3, I would think AS would place my adjusted snipe at $33. Yet you're suggesting that AS would place a snipe at $83?!?
That would be a full 53 bid increments above my snipe price!?! If that's indeed the case, I KNOW I won't be using the feature!! Now I don't think that's the way it works because I've already tried the feature in two auctions. In both auctions, by the end of the auction the winning bid had moved well beyond my max snipe price plus my set added bid increments, and AS did NOT place a bid (which is what I would expect it to do).Now you went to great lengths to explain why 1 bid increment just doesn't make any sense in the new bid enhancement feature. Yet, I'm not convinced. Actually, I'm even more resolved that ONE bid increment is the ONLY setting that makes any sense, and is the one I'd be likely to use REGULARLY! Let me explain.
I, like all veteran snipers, have learned to carefully determine what our TRUE MAXIMUM bid is to load into the sniper software. This is the price at which I'd be happy to win. If the winning bid exceeds my max, I'll be disappointed I lost the auction, but NOT disappointed that I didn't bid higher amount. If it turns out I AM disappointed that I didn't bid a higher amount, then I didn't really set my TRUE MAX in the first place! If I'm setting my MAX BID correctly, and the bidding goes beyond my MAX, then I DON'T WANT TO WIN! -- NOT at THAT PRICE!
Now here is where the 1 bid increment makes sense. I have on occasion LOST an auction to a bidder for LESS than my set snipe MAX price. My snipe doesn't fire because of the bid increment constraints. Here's an example: I set a snipe at $50. The winning bid when it is time for the snipe to fire stands at $49.01. My snipe won't fire in this case because the next legal bid due to bid increments is $50.01, which exceeds my max snipe amount. In fact, I will lose to ALL the lower bids from $49.01 up to and including my snipe amount of $50.00. IN THIS CASE, I think I'm willing most of the time to exceed my MAX snipe by JUST ONE BID INCREMENT to avoid missing out bidding against that $49.01, $49.24, $49.59 bid and all those other bids less than 1 bid increment lower than my set snipe max.
Actually, now that I think about it and work thru this hypothetical case, I think I can make a strong case for a 1/2 bid increment setting!! I may be willing to give it a go against bids of $49.01 thru $49.50, but I REALLY don't want to bid more than $50.50, which would represent a half a bid increment over my predetermined MAX! Thereby, I would be willing to concede victory to bids $49.51 thru $50. To my way of thinking, bid enhancement settings of 1/2, 1, 1.5 make a whole lot more sense to me than the current 2, 3, 4, etc. Personally, I probably would only ever use either the 1/2 or 1 bid increment settings because in most cases I'm pretty firm on what my predetermined MAXIMUM BID is.
I hope this makes sense and adds to the discussion.
Now I'm still a little unclear about how the current system is setup to work? In the above case with a $50 snipe, if the bid enhancement is set to 2 bid increments what actually happens?
If the pre snipe winning bid is $49.01, what bid does AS place? $50.01? $51.01? $52?
If the pre snipe winning bid is $49.95, what bid does AS place? $50.95? $51.95? $52?
If the pre snipe winning bid is $50.08, what bid does AS place? $51.08? $52?
In all cases, I'm thinking the sniped bid would be $52. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
If the pre snipe winning bid is $48.50, what bid does AS place? $50? $52? or $50 THEN $52 if necessary?
It doesn't make sense to me for AS to be placing more than one snipe -- it feels like nibbling instead of sniping! It also doesn't make sense to me for the feature to even come into play unless the current bid exceeds the preset snipe max bid OR AS is constrained from bidding because of bid increment issues (as described above).
Hear Hear!quote:Originally posted by FearlessCrusader:
I still don't get it. If I understand correctly, Bid Enhancement means that your maximum bid isn't really your maximum bid; your real maximum bid is your "maximum bid" plue certain increments. What's the point? Why not just bid your maximum bid plus the increments to begin with?
Why do nibblers like to nibble? Why are there bidding wars? Why do so many bidders place multiple bids?quote:Why not just bid your maximum bid plus the increments to begin with?
Perhaps this feature is an attempt to wean wannabe snipers off the nibble-bottle?
One of the, if not THE, most FAQ that's not in the FAQs (always thought it was strange that it was never in the FAQs) is if AS places incremental snipes. This feature could (but as always, one should use this link for reliable information) be a response to market pressures.
In reality, people don't always think of things in the same way. Some may be comfortable and satisfied with their max bid being outbid because they truly wouldn't have paid one dollar more for that item. For others, losing by that dollar would be extremely disappointing even if they thought they had set their bid at their absolute maximum.
We never expected that this feature would suit everyone nor be applicable in every snipe, but we have heard from those who have used it and they liked the result of winning an item they would have lost otherwise.
Whether they "should have" bid in a way that others would have found more suitable is not really important. What is important to us is to make it easy for people to win the items they want.
Thanks!
Cara
We never expected that this feature would suit everyone nor be applicable in every snipe, but we have heard from those who have used it and they liked the result of winning an item they would have lost otherwise.
Whether they "should have" bid in a way that others would have found more suitable is not really important. What is important to us is to make it easy for people to win the items they want.
Thanks!
Cara
quote:Whether they "should have" bid in a way that others would have found more suitable is not really important. What is important to us is to make it easy for people to win the items they want.
Hear Hear!
Nibblers get a bad rap because they can’t decide what they are willing to pay for an item. They react to what other bidders think the item is worth, instead of deciding on a price that THEY think the item is worth.
Closet-nibbler test:
1) Have you ever increased your AS maximum bid based on the level of bidding?
2) Do you hold off adding your snipe until you see what other bidders are doing?
3) Do you check the ending price on similar auctions to decide on how much you’ll bid?
If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, you’re a nibbler. You allow others to influence how much you are willing to pay for an item, and then you adjust your snipe accordingly.
And, how many of you end up spending more for something (house, car, boat, clothes, Las Vegas, date, wedding, party, etc.) than you originally planned? Yep, you’re also a nibbler.
Closet-nibbler test:
1) Have you ever increased your AS maximum bid based on the level of bidding?
2) Do you hold off adding your snipe until you see what other bidders are doing?
3) Do you check the ending price on similar auctions to decide on how much you’ll bid?
If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, you’re a nibbler. You allow others to influence how much you are willing to pay for an item, and then you adjust your snipe accordingly.
And, how many of you end up spending more for something (house, car, boat, clothes, Las Vegas, date, wedding, party, etc.) than you originally planned? Yep, you’re also a nibbler.
quote:Whether they "should have" bid in a way that others would have found more suitable is not really important. What is important to us is to make it easy for people to win the items they want.
Thanks!
Cara
Hmmm...no questions about specific BE performance that I posed in my last LONG post addressed? I guess this discussion is over, huh?!
I am coming into this discussion late, but as one of the old-timers around here (even if I do not visit quite as frequently as I once did), this feature struck me as odd, because I do consider it a nibbling tool. And, yes, I do find it wenie-like to be unable to decide what one's true max is. 
That said, I was also wondering about Jabbergah's question. I was SHOCKED to see that a $30 "max" would be upped to the $83 to win! Like him, I had understood three increments to mean three bid increments above my max. But apparently three increments REALLY means three increments above the current high bidder's max, going into the last few seconds? Wow! With that in mind, then there would seem to be no limit to what one might be obligated to spend, in case of a win. This is especially true when there is a nuclear bidder involved in the auction.
That said, I was also wondering about Jabbergah's question. I was SHOCKED
to see that a $30 "max" would be upped to the $83 to win! Like him, I had understood three increments to mean three bid increments above my max. But apparently three increments REALLY means three increments above the current high bidder's max, going into the last few seconds? Wow! With that in mind, then there would seem to be no limit to what one might be obligated to spend, in case of a win. This is especially true when there is a nuclear bidder involved in the auction.Chatter, you need to read Cara’s post more carefully.quote:Originally posted by Chatter:
I was SHOCKED
I summarized it for you Chatter incase you’re too busy.quote:Originally posted by Auction Sniper Cara:
Bid Enhancement places a second bid if your first bid was too low. The number of bid increments is based on your maximum bid, not on the current high bid.
. . .
Instead we base the Bid Enhancement on your max bid.
quote:Chatter, you need to read Cara’s post more carefully.
Yes, I had to reread Cara's post several times. I found it quite confusing that in answer to a question about how the feature works, a detailed example of how it DOESN'T was given!
Yes - just to reiterate - the $83 example was there to explain why we didn't base the additional Bid Enhancement increments on current price.
Bid Enhancement places the second bid with your max bid + the number of bid increments you choose.
Bid Enhancement places the second bid with your max bid + the number of bid increments you choose.
I must be smarter than the average poster.quote:Yes, I had to reread Cara's post several times.
Hi Cara!
Sorry I misinterpreted your $83 example. Could you say what the BE feature would do in the following scenarios with a max snipe bid set at $50?
Now I'm still a little unclear about how the current system is setup to work? In the above case with a $50 snipe, if the bid enhancement is set to 2 bid increments what actually happens?
If the pre snipe winning bid is $49.01, what bid does AS place? $50.01? $51.01? $52?
If the pre snipe winning bid is $49.95, what bid does AS place? $50.95? $51.95? $52?
If the pre snipe winning bid is $50.08, what bid does AS place? $51.08? $52?
In all cases, I'm thinking there would one $52 bid placed. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
If the pre snipe winning bid is $48.50, what bid does AS place? $50? $52? or $50 THEN $52 if necessary?
And now for extra credit! LOL! Snipe max set to $24.45 and BE set to 3 bid increments. There is an ebay bid increment change at $25 from $0.50 to $1. Here is your extra credit question: What bid increment amount does the bid enhancement feature use? a) 3 x $0.50?, b)3 x $1?, c) 1 x $0.50 PLUS 2 x $1, d) 2 x $0.50 PLUS 1 x $1, e) Something else. (Consulting the program developers is OK)
Thanks!
Sorry I misinterpreted your $83 example. Could you say what the BE feature would do in the following scenarios with a max snipe bid set at $50?
Now I'm still a little unclear about how the current system is setup to work? In the above case with a $50 snipe, if the bid enhancement is set to 2 bid increments what actually happens?
If the pre snipe winning bid is $49.01, what bid does AS place? $50.01? $51.01? $52?
If the pre snipe winning bid is $49.95, what bid does AS place? $50.95? $51.95? $52?
If the pre snipe winning bid is $50.08, what bid does AS place? $51.08? $52?
In all cases, I'm thinking there would one $52 bid placed. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
If the pre snipe winning bid is $48.50, what bid does AS place? $50? $52? or $50 THEN $52 if necessary?
And now for extra credit! LOL! Snipe max set to $24.45 and BE set to 3 bid increments. There is an ebay bid increment change at $25 from $0.50 to $1. Here is your extra credit question: What bid increment amount does the bid enhancement feature use? a) 3 x $0.50?, b)3 x $1?, c) 1 x $0.50 PLUS 2 x $1, d) 2 x $0.50 PLUS 1 x $1, e) Something else. (Consulting the program developers is OK)
Thanks!
quote:I must be smarter than the average poster.
Smarter?...questionable.
Ruder?.....not!
I was wondering if that was going to go unchallenged.quote:Smarter?...questionable.
Hi Jabbergah -
The only formula you need to remember when it comes to BE is the following:
Second snipe: Max bid + BE bid increments
You may win by less than this amount depending on what the current bid is when the second snipe fires. Or, you could lose if that amount is still not enough to beat the current bid.
If you end up using the feature, let us know how it goes.
Thanks!
Cara
The only formula you need to remember when it comes to BE is the following:
Second snipe: Max bid + BE bid increments
You may win by less than this amount depending on what the current bid is when the second snipe fires. Or, you could lose if that amount is still not enough to beat the current bid.
If you end up using the feature, let us know how it goes.
Thanks!
Cara
I'm still confused on how this works, just noticed the availability of the feature today, although I am a longtime user of auction sniper.
If I understand correctly this should protect against those instances where one is outbid by small amounts often of a dollar or two because of ebay's bid increments.
It should alleviate the "oh, I lost by 50 cents" feeling we've all had.
The increments go by bid increments, not max bids and should therefore be in the $1 to $2.50 dollar range, correct?
Thank you.
If I understand correctly this should protect against those instances where one is outbid by small amounts often of a dollar or two because of ebay's bid increments.
It should alleviate the "oh, I lost by 50 cents" feeling we've all had.
The increments go by bid increments, not max bids and should therefore be in the $1 to $2.50 dollar range, correct?
Thank you.
Hi mommom -
Yes - when you add Bid Enhancement you are choosing to add from 2-6 extra bid increments to your max bid.
Let us know if you try it.
Thanks!
Cara
Yes - when you add Bid Enhancement you are choosing to add from 2-6 extra bid increments to your max bid.
Let us know if you try it.
Thanks!
Cara
quote:I'm still confused on how this works, just noticed the availability of the feature today, although I am a longtime user of auction sniper.
If I understand correctly this should protect against those instances where one is outbid by small amounts often of a dollar or two because of ebay's bid increments..
Mommom,
Tough to get any performance specifics or examples around here, but I'll tell you how I THINK it works.
Before Bid Enhancement (BE) feature, AuctionSniper (AS) was a one-shot deal. You set your max bid and AS attempted to execute that bid within the last several seconds of an auction.
The bid enhancement feature apparently turns AS into a 2-shot tool! If the first snipe fails, a second try is attempted based on user specified bid increments (2 - 6)over the max bid. Sort of like a main parachute plus a reserve chute.
For example:
You set a snipe for $50 with BE set to 3 bid increments. Ebay's bid increment at the $50 bid level is $1.
1) If current bid at snipe time is $49 or less, AS will place your $50 snipe. At that point, if you are proxy outbid, AS will attempt to place ANOTHER bid for $53 (3 bid increments above your max bid of $50).
2) If current bid at snipe time is $49.01 - $52, AS will place one bid of $53.
3) If current bid at snipe time is $52.01 or higher, NO bid will be executed.
4) If AS executes your max bid, you momentarily are winning the auction, then ANOTHER sniper exceeds your bid before the auction close, does AS monitor the auction between placing your bid and the end of the auction to try a second BE bid if necessary? WHO KNOWS? LOL!
quote:
The increments go by bid increments, not max bids and should therefore be in the $1 to $2.50 dollar range, correct?
You select the number of bid increments (2 - 6) by which you wish to exceed your max bid if a SECOND bid is necessary.
The bid increments are established by ebay and vary according to the bid amount as follows (as of 8-3-2011):
for bids $0.01 to $0.99, bid increment = $0.05, BE (2 to 6) = $0.10 to $0.30,
for bids $1.00 to $4.99, bid increment = $0.25, BE (2 to 6) = $0.50 to $1.50,
for bids $5.00 to $24.99, bid increment = $0.50, BE (2 to 6) = $1 to $3,
for bids $25 to $99.99, bid increment = $1, BE (2 to 6) = $2 to $6,
for bids $100 to $249.99, bid increment = $2.50, BE (2 to 6) = $5 to $15,
for bids $250 to $499.99, bid increment = $5, BE (2 to 6) = $10 to $30,
for bids $500 to $999.99, bid increment = $10, BE (2 to 6) = $20 to $60,
for bids $1000 to $2499.99, bid increment = $25, BE (2 to 6) = $50 to $150,
for bids $2500 to $4999.99, bid increment = $50, BE (2 to 6) = $100 to $300,
for bids $5000 and up, bid increment = $100, BE (2 to 6) = $200 to $600.
I have no info what bid increment AS uses for snipes near bid increment transitions. For example, at a max snipe set to $24.75 the bid increment changes at $25 from $0.50 to $1. What does AS use for a bid increment? $0.50? $1? Some combination thereof? WHO KNOWS?!
If I had to guess, it would be the LOWER increment -- easier to program!This is my understanding of how the feature is supposed to work. If I'm mistaken, somebody else may correct me, but don't count on it!
"Any"? I think Cara has been very helpful explaining this feature. AND, she's taken a good deal of time and patience doing it.quote:Tough to get any performance specifics or examples around here
I tried it today and I think it worked properly. The final bidding frenzy zoomed way past my incremental bid though. so it was still a loss.
Yep mommom -
We are working on a "never lose" feature too - of course it goes without saying that your max bid would have no limit in that case
Sorry you didn't win that one!
We are working on a "never lose" feature too - of course it goes without saying that your max bid would have no limit in that case
Sorry you didn't win that one!
Jabbergah -
You got it - with one caveat: BE may help you win by less than a bid increment depending on how the bidding plays out.
You got it - with one caveat: BE may help you win by less than a bid increment depending on how the bidding plays out.
I have decided to try this feature; when I selected 3 for the enhancement, the following text appeared below the selection box:
"Attempt 2nd bid if your snipe is within US $ 3.00 of winning."
As my max bid is 25, the "enhanced" bid should top out at 28. We will see, the auction ends in less than two hours.
Oh, a big NO on the ""never lose" feature"!
"Attempt 2nd bid if your snipe is within US $ 3.00 of winning."
As my max bid is 25, the "enhanced" bid should top out at 28. We will see, the auction ends in less than two hours.
Oh, a big NO on the ""never lose" feature"!
Long two hours.quote:auction ends in less than two hours.
I think this should have been a win and wasn't my max bid was $17.89 with 2 increment enhancement (wanted to try out the feature). The winning bid was $18.50. And it says Bid increment too low,
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISA...em&item=300591446302
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISA...em&item=300591446302
I tried BE. Another bidder sniped after AS placed my bid and won by 1 increment, even though I set BE to 3 increments. Apparently BE does not respond to bids placed by others after the AS snipes. I set AS to 8 seconds. I'm NOT impressed with BE.