Bid Group Timing

Larry,

From AS' faq:

Can I add two or more bids with the same auction ending time to a bid group?

Sorry, no. It is impossible for us to detect to see if you have won a snipe, and then cancel the rest, if they end at the same time. You should allow at least 30 seconds between bid group items to give us enough time to determine if you've won the first item.


Also, you might try placing a regular snipe on say the 5th or 6th auction. The 1st few and the last few may have greater demand?

I have a similar question. The two items I want to bid on (from the same seller) have a 21 second gap between auction end.

I realise that the FAQ says to leave 30 seconds but how strict is that?

Auction end time is 20:12 BST, which I think is 12:12 in AuctionSniperLand, so not really a peak time for AS.

If I decide to play it safe and just set a snipe on one of the two items, do ya reckon I should hit the first or the second of the two, to get the lowest price?

in the "tinkering with the forums" episode, my first go at asking this appears to have been thrown away so I'll ask again ...

Similar problem to above. I have two same-seller items, I want either one of the two, but in my case the two auctions end 21 seconds apart.

So I was wondering how strict the 30 second minimum is for a bidgroup to determine whether Bid-1 won or not? Will I get away with a 21 second difference or is it too risky?

The auctions end at approx 20:12 BST, which would be 12:12 in AuctionSniperLand I think, so not really a busy time for the servers.

If it is deemed too risky, so that I should just snipe on one of the two, which do the experienced eBayers reckon will likely go for less, the first item or the second item (remember they are both identical)?

I have to move fast on this one, 'cos in about 26 hours time I'll be on a plane to Greece!

in the "tinkering with the forums" episode, my first go at asking this appears to have been thrown away so I'll ask again ...

Similar problem to above. I have two same-seller items, I want either one of the two, but in my case the two auctions end 21 seconds apart.

So I was wondering how strict the 30 second minimum is for a bidgroup to determine whether Bid-1 won or not? Will I get away with a 21 second difference or is it too risky?

The auctions end at approx 20:12 BST, which would be 12:12 in AuctionSniperLand I think, so not really a busy time for the servers.

If it is deemed too risky, so that I should just snipe on one of the two, which do the experienced eBayers reckon will likely go for less, the first item or the second item (remember they are both identical)?

I have to move fast on this one, 'cos in about 26 hours time I'll be on a plane to Greece!

Answering the second part of your enquiry, I'd say it depends on which, if either, of the items has a bid on it already. If one item has a bid on it and the other doesn't, go for the one that doesn't. If both items have bids on them, go for the one with the lower amount. If both items have bids in the same amount on them, or if neither item has been bid on, then I'd say it's a tossup. You could set up manual snipes on both of them and work it that way, since you have plenty of time to transition from one to the other. If you're going to be airborne at the time the auctions close and can only leave one AS bid queued up, set it up for the second one. Good luck!

Ian;

This was posted by Sniper Sara B. (AS support) on 4/2/03 at 4:44 PM regarding close ending times in bid groups:

As long as they end about 10 seconds apart it should work.


The # of seconds are different then the faq, but Sara is very reliable.

If you're going to only snipe one item and if the auctions have counters, you might consider sniping the one with the lowest count.

P.S. The forum was being temperamental yesterday.

[This message was edited by Rick on May 24, 2003 at 04:21 AM.]

Rick writes, "If you're going to only snipe one item and if the auctions have counters, you might consider sniping the one with the lowest count."

Ooooooo, good point, Rick! You always seem to come up with a contingency that I overlooked.

"You always seem to come up with a contingency that I overlooked."

Actually, it happens to me as well. It's just that you are a faster poster and a better writer.

What, is there no honor among group bidders?

Shouldn't we call them "groupies"?

Thanks for the suggestions ... in the end, the seller pulled both auctions minutes from the end, so I never got to find out what would have happened! Big THUMBS DOWN to that seller!