CONTINGENCY BIDDING would mean, very simply, that if there are 2 (or more) different items you are interested in, you could set Auctionsniper (AS) to bid on the later-ending item(s) ONLY IF you win the earlier-ending item(s). AS does not currently offer contingency bidding.
Some people think contingency bidding could be useful when, for example, you want to combine shipping on several items from the same seller. So, for example, you would want to bid on a second, and/or third item etc., from a seller only if you won the first item.
Example: Say you are looking at an iPod someone is selling (which you would like very much to win), and also an old music CD the same guy is selling that ends a few minutes later (which you want but not that much). You don't want to pay the seller's shipping rate of $7.50 just for the CD--but you're happy to pay $7.50 or even more for the combined shipping if you win the iPod too. (And yes, the seller says he's willing to combine shipping.)
So you set an AS snipe on the iPod, and you also set an AS snipe on the CD--but the snipe on the CD one only goes ahead IF you win the iPod. Just a possible example of the uses of contingency bidding.
NOTE: This is NOT an official AS poll or anything. I'm just a regular user like everyone else.
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