I think action sniper is very inaccurate

quote:

Originally posted by FredMM:
If this would have droped in in time, the other would not have had outbid me.

Fred,

I don’t see how you can say that. Based on what you provided, even had your bid been the last one, the results would have been the same. Perhaps you can supply a link to the bid history?

Rick,

of course you are right -or not. I was outbid of course. But this is also not the issue.

Issue is that my bid went in the wrong time and not like I set it up. Thats twice the chance to loose a bid.

I can only repeat what rick said in essence..it is not the last bid but the highest one that wins. If the other person sniped you, then the snipe was already setup and it would not have mattered if your snipe fired on time or not.

quote:

Issue is that my bid went in the wrong time and not like I set it up.

When you’re paying for a service, you should only pay for the service that you are expecting, or been lead to expect. If your primary goal is to have the snipe placed, exactly when you requested, or even within a second or two, then AS will sometimes, and maybe even often, disappoint you. AS will place the snipe earlier than requested if it thinks it needs more time to hit your "target" lead-time, and it isn’t always accurate. On Sunday evenings and auctions that end on the exact quarter hour (ebay prime time) that can sometimes be 45 or 60 seconds early. You’re the buyer, so it’s always the buyer’s call.

quote:

Thats twice the chance to loose a bid.

Fred, I’ll have to take issue with you on that one. I think, as I said above, that you’re justified in your purchasing requirements, but I have a hard time believing that the difference between a 9 second snipe and a 5 second snipe doubles the possibility that someone could place a retaliatory snipe (respond to your snipe). I suppose it’s possible.



The main thing which I don’t think you’ll get any disagreement on (at least on this forum) – sniping is usually the best way to bid on ebay.

quote:

Originally posted by FredMM:
Used AS today on ebay.

It only works on eBay!

quote:

So AS is quite useless I think.

It works for 99.9% of people so that makes it quite USEFUL!

quote:

THIS WAS MY SNIPE - BUT WAY TO EARLY - 9 seconds instead of 5!!!

4 Seconds? What can anyone do in 4 seconds? Nothing! You were outbid/outsniped. Simple as that!

quote:

If this would have droped in in time, the other would not have had outbid me.

Incorrect!

quote:

I wont use AS anymore

Nor will you bother reading the FAQs or previous posts in the forum which cover this topic in great detail. Tschüs!

R2

Well folks,

here another example. This time I won the auction but I set my bid 3 seconds (just in case) before the auction should end.

The auction ended 5.13.11 pm
My bid was placed: 5.13.04pm

Thats 7 SECONDS before it did end and not 3 seconds as I requested AS to bid. That´s inaccurate!

If another snipe with a higher bid would have droped in 5 seconds before the ending I would have lost the bid for sure.

Fred,

You seem to be misunderstanding the whole eBay auction concept.

For clarity lets look at a Proxy Bidder first:
This is where Ebay "saves" the bulk of your bid and only increments (raises) it when another bidder tops the existing bid.

The item stands at $1. So six days before the auction ends you place a bid with eBay for $100 Now until the last second the eBay auction ends, nobody is going to top your bid however early or late they bid, as long as they don't go higher than that $100!

For example if another person places an $80 bid in the closing milliseconds via Auction Sniper, the eBay system will simply overide his maximum because it holds a sum that is $20 higher than for you. It will simply raise the price to $81 and you have won the auction! Remember you placed a $100 bid, but not all of it was "used" for that last minute bidder only placed an $80 bid. eBay only needed to "top" him by $1 for you and raise your bid to $81.

This is all done automatically by eBay. Auction Sniper has no control over anything. eBay simply holds your money and raises the amount placed for you until either you win the good, or somebody tops your bid. Time of placing the bid has nothing to do with it, this is a simple automated system based on the money eBay holds for you.

I think you understand that concept, for those are the rules of the auction. The last second sniper did not win because eBay held a higher bid - simple as that!

Think about it logically - do you agree with that?

Well then AS works in the same way. Imagine AS rushing in and placing a bid for you in the last minute. If the highest existing bid is $80, then your $100 bid tops it and raises the sum to $81. So whatever I bid after you will never win the auction unless I bid more than you - not the $81 that is currently showing, but the $100 eBay is holding for you.

So AS bidding 7 seconds early for you is not relevant unless the other bidder sees your bid of $81 and says I can beat that! Well, little does he know that eBay is holding $19 in reserve, so if I bid $90, I'll still not win! I must be $101 or more.

Most last minute snipers make up their minds days in advance - I normally say to myself - what do I want to bid on that? I then place that amount with AS and forget about it. Your placing a bid 7 seconds before the end of the auction has no relevence - simply what have I decided. If its $90 I lose to you, if its $110 then I win. My nipe may come in after you or before yours, thats the luck of the game. What matters is have I outbid you or not.

That then deals with competition from other automated snipers. What about manual? Well if they are very fast, they may beat you having seen your bid, but if they get it wrong - they lose! Not many can put in two bids in 7 secs - I know I can't!

Paul

quote:

If another snipe with a higher bid would have droped in 5 seconds before the ending I would have lost the bid for sure.

Fred,

There’s a lot of “ifs” that could be discussed, and your conclusion isn’t a “sure”. If 4 extra seconds gave someone enough time to see and respond to your snipe, then it’s “probable” that it would only result in your paying more, but that's a big IF if they could respond.

There are all kinds of examples on this forum where AS has placed a snipe a few seconds early. Not sure how much more information anyone on this forum can provide you with, that hasn’t been provided in this thread.

quote:

I wont use AS anymore

I guess this was an idle threat then Fred?!

R2

“Please accept my resignation. I don’t care to belong to any club that will have me as a member.” - Groucho Marx

Personally I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.
- Sir Winston Churchill

R2

So nice to have R2 back around

quote:

“Please accept my resignation. I don’t care to belong to any club that will have me as a member.” - Groucho Marx

I thought this was a Woody Allen-ism , or was he quoting Groucho?

Not sure, Jab. It came up on a Groucho quote for me. But I’m fairly confident that Groucho wasn’t quoting Woody Allen.

quote:

Originally posted by Bartelby:
So nice to have R2 back around

Lexie, is that a quote from anyone famous?

Is it true that until 1990, sausages were still legal tender in East Germany?

--Frank in Frankfurt

Dear Frank:

Not only is it true, but an entire system of currency rose up around this humble comestible, since the East German mark had the disadvantage of being not only worthless but inedible. Butcher stores rapidly became commercial banking centers, posting the day's exchange rates for the knockwurst against the dollar, franc and yen. Butchers themselves became the richest people in most communities, often referred to as the head cheese out of respect. It affected all levels of society: beggars in the streets would ask for spare wieners, and children, of course, used bratwurst as play money.

For smaller purchases this was quite convenient, although the vending machine trade was obviously doomed. Larger purchases required another system, since even the largest denomination of sausage ("die DirkDigglerwurst") required far too many units to be practical. Kolkutz Kredit AG therefore issued cards with links to a person's account at a local butcher shop, and people in stores were often asked if they were paying for their purchase with "pâté or plastic."

After the reunification of Germany the sausage economy died out, although in remote towns you will still see signs in stores claiming to give you the best for your wurst.

------------------------
Reference: "From Baden to Wurst: East German Monetary Policy, 1946-1990" by O. Meyer and J. Dean (London & Bombay, 1994)

R2

quote:

Originally posted by Rick:
Lexie, is that a quote from anyone famous?

Weeeelllll, she's very popular in her own lunchbox...I think *famous* is a bit of a stretch though....I am happy to go with infamous ?