Lead Time Inaccurate/Misleading

Ho

As you are so much better than AS, why don't you set up your own service at www.hosnipe.com ? If you can guarantee to snipe within 1 or 2 seconds every time then I'd use you. How much do you charge?

Or you could just read the forum and notice that AS alters the lead time depending on eBay's servers load/response time. Hence the increased lead time on your auction. I guess it was on a Sunday evening - eBay's busiest time so those Servers would have been panting like a fat man running for a bus.

I hope you feel better for your rant - if you ever read this then please take the time to read the forum (maybe search for lead time) and AS's FAQs then you might realise what really happened.

[Note for AS, why not send an email out to snipers whose bid was placed significantly 'early' explaining what happened and why their bid was placed early, thus calming down those who aren't aware of the reasons for lead-time adjustment?]

R2

Well, I was expecting a more educated response to my topic. Perhaps a logical rebuttal to my so called "rant" but instead I got the oldest comeback in the book - the 'let's see you do any better' remark. R2, notice the slogan of auctionsniper.com? "Bid at the last second, automatically." Aren't they already making a claim that even you know is untrue?

And just so you know, I did read the most recent updates on lead time adjustments in the forum. But the only impression I got was that AS Recommends I should increase my lead time to adjust to busy nights/times on ebay. I did not read anything about how AS would alter my lead time for me automatically.

The whole idea of AS automactically altering lead times is asinine in itself. Why did I, or any other member, bother typing anything in the lead time box if they're just gonna make adjustments for me whenever they please? What right is it of AS to alter my lead time? Why bother offering suggestions to users to adjust lead time during busy times if they themselves are just going to do it for us anyway? It makes no sense.
I have also read in the forums with tips on how people should increase their lead time during peak days/hours because with minimum lead time AS may place a late bid after the auction has ended. Late bid? If AS does alter lead times automatically for us accordingly there shouldn't be any late bids at all? But there are.

And in my case, the adjustment they made on my bid was blatantly absurd. First off, yes it was Sunday but the end time was 1am, hardly busy hour. So why was my bid placed a whole minute over my initial lead time? Why did AS make such a drastic alteration to my lead time? I typed 10 sec and they add a minute?

R2, if it is true that AS alters lead time depending on ebay's busy server then even you would have to agree that my topic title is true - "Lead time is misleading." And if that is the case, then it only confirms my belief of manual sniping over AS. Perhaps from now on you should warn new members that whatever lead time they type in is redundant for in the end AS ultimately chooses the time for them. In fact, just get rid of the whole lead time option since AS decides for us anyway what lead times are best for us.

Ho, Ho, Ho - I don't work for AS - I just lurk on the forums from time to time when not studying for my second degree!

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I did not read anything about how AS would alter my lead time for me automatically.

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- as my Mother would say - you missed a bit!

Nb. by adjusting the time, AS tries to ensure that your snipe goes in before the bell. If it's slow for AS then it'll be slow for A.Manual-Sniper too. And remember, the only way you'll lose a snipe is:
1. Beaten by existing higher proxy
2. Beaten by higher bid arriving anytime
3. Beaten by equal proxy bid arriving just before yours
4. Beaten by manual snipper who manages to react to your snipe and get a bid in before the end.

[4] is a bit unlikely and I guess that is what you're concerned about. My educated guess is that it is almost impossible to react that quickly, especially when the servers are running uphill in treacle...

R2

[asinine a. fatuous, foolish, inane, mindless, vacuous]

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Originally posted by Ho:
Well, I was expecting a more educated response to my topic. Perhaps a logical rebuttal to my so called "rant" but instead I got the oldest comeback in the book - the 'let's see you do any better' remark.

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Gee, do you think that might have anything to do with the fact that you came in here and started whining right off the bat,obviously without having read much of the forum, or showing even an ounce of pleasantry? Where I come from, when you go into someone's place for the first time, you do not start off by telling the host how wrongly he does things. How "educated" is that?

Let's consider the facts.
1. AS is just a variant of a number of sniping programmes. You can, if you wish download software that will place a snipe precisely for you under your supreme command (if being a control freak is important!)

2. Under your control, you will discover that all software, just follows instructions (AI is not really available in this field yet!). If it follows instructions to bid in the last 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 seconds, you will lose auctions in peak periods of demand on ebay's servers for the reasons given.

3. Solution - increase bidding time to compensate. Now this will be difficult, for experience teaches us that a sample is only accurate out of a large population. I respectfully suggest that AS is in a far better position to take this sample than you are as it places thousands of bids during the course of a Sunday evening rather than the few you will be able to (again no auto sampling software is available to you!)

4. This brings all users of AS to the conclusion that AS markets a reliable and well priced product that works. It also auto adjusts to ebay fluctuations (perhaps not as accurately as you or I would wish, but certainly better than any system that you could cobble up on your home PC!)

5 So its a straight choice then - your precise manual sniping or AS.

It has been proposed that hosnipe.com under the banner of individually placed snipes would be a winner. I think not. In the first place do you really you want your life to be governed by the finishing times of auctions in far flung corners of the world ? (eg where Lexie resides is not just far flung its topsy turvy to us as well in terms of time zones!)

Furthermore your accuracy is only your perceived accuracy when you concentrate! Most of the time, like the rest of us, the boss will come in and drag you off to do something important, the wife will shout Dinner and worse still you might actually be out enjoying yourself! Next time you place a bid with AS and then promptly fall asleep in front of the telly, just thank your stars that AS is automatically adjusting your lead times to cope with the sudden upsurge in bids!

Sitting in front of the computer waiting to place your bid precisely is no way to spend your life!

Finally a word of advice - If you come into a Forum doing a word perfect imitation of the Reverend Ian Paisley, you are bound to get some "verbal" Best follow the 60s mantra (without the hash I hasten to add!) "be cool man - peace & goodwill to all" will get you answered politely without R2's acidity.

Final happy thought - if you don't get it this time, it was because you didn't bid your max!Another will be along soon!

Happy Sniping!

Amen, Camera!! Well said!

Well now I'm almost glad that there are fools like you out there who naively worship this unreliable service.

The next time I beat you guys in an auction with my manual sniping while you're out "sleeping in front of the telly" or "eating dinner with your wife." Just remember that you can only blame yourself when AS loses the auction for you.

Well... AS does what I ask, usually within a few seconds of when I ask. When it bids early, better that than not at all. Go ahead and outbid my rare early snipe. I'll wait for the next one to come along and get it at *my* price.

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Well now I'm almost glad that there are fools like you out there who naively worship this unreliable service.

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Ahh well I am no Fool and I dont worship AS, as it has let me down twice now...BUT...it has saved me alot of time and $$.

I have to say this Ho, so I'll say it in terms that even a three year old can understand

GET A LIFE !

I've read this thread with a lot of curiosity.

It never ceases to amaze me that when AS makes a judgement call in the best interest of their customers, that there is always some 'turkey' that has to come along and "whines" ro calls "foul play," and then say that they can do it better himself/herself.

Now this may seem like a silly question, but if they can do better himself/herself, then why sign up for a sniping service? Why waste time and money?

Lexie & Puppy - I figure that AS has saved me a little over $1800 since I started using it. When I miss something, doesn't really bother me because I know that it will show up again. (That's only because what I buy is VERY common.)

Camera - I think you said it best - HO (man, that has some serious connotations where I live) definitely needs to get a life.

What kind of modem does this Ho have, I'd sure like to get myself something that could bid with only 1 second left. He must have the fastest computer and connection in the world...

AS has saved me TONS of cash! I love it - yes it has let me down a time or two but it sure beats staying up until 1 a.m. to watch it and bid manually!

Good job Cameracollector - Don't think Ho will be back anytime soon.

Honestly now, I have never thought Ho exists - he is the figment of someone's imagination, so don't get too carried away all of you. I accused my main suspect before I posted the first time, but he denied it, so I thought "what the hell" I'll just rise to the bait and make a fool of mayself - I always do anyway and I don't really care!

However the HOs of the world do exist and therein lies the danger - most ebayers are suspicious of AS for two reasons:
1. Security - we give AS carte blanche to do as they will with our ebay password

2. Most cannot see the advantage of sniping, because they don't understand that, as somebody said in this forum, ebay wasn't an auction at all, but a series of sealed bids!

Now what is all this to do with us? Do we care? We know the correct answer and the rest of the world does not, so keep it our little secret and we can continue to enjoy success on ebay.

Great, except there is a dark cloud on our horizon - AS want more income - they have just surveyed us in the hope we will pay more for "extras". If your response was the same as mine, it won't be a very successful ploy!

So what do we do to help AS improve their market place? Answer, help them recruit more people. How? Think of means to answer these doubters, so Sniping has a better image and more important, all can see the utility of the concept.

If I were advising them (and I'm not) I would call it "freedom" - buy what you want, when you want without sitting hunched over a computer. Over to you folks...........

Cheers Cam - I thought I answered the Merchant Banker in the manner his original posting demanded.

R2

YUP !

D2

Wonder if he knows what a Merchanter Banker is?