WHAT THE !!!!?

And now, it says "Did Not Win" in the status field - a message for which there is NO EXPLANATION in the Snipe Status Messages page. STILL NOTHING in the "Confirmation" page.

This is horrifying.

Same exact thing just happened to me. My bid was never placed and no reason given. I used auction sniper successfully twice before this but won't trust it again for anything important. I know how you feel, I really wanted this item.

DID NOT WIN is used when AS didnt get a response from the ebay servers.

It sucks, but it does happen occasionally.

Small consolation is that you can usually claim a couple of free snipes via the support tab.

I have had this happen twice and it really sucks, but it beats the alternative.

Which also means that is was NOT a fault of AS, rather Ebay!!

SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME ON MY CHRISTMAS PRESENT!!!! I am so disappointed. Why did this happen? I even set the time to 10 seconds instead of 5. What is going on?? How do I prevent this from happening again?? I am so irritated, I have used AS 2x before and won both times, now I lose. What's up with that??? Do I need to bid myself next time??

quote:

---

Originally posted by Serenity:
Which also means that is was NOT a fault of AS, rather Ebay!!

---

Serenity,

I don't share this assumption. I consider it anomalous that none of the bids I place personally (at several seconds less than the time I give auctionsniper) fail in this way, yet auctionsniper's do. Something else is happening here.

"This is horrifying" - not really - war is horrifying, murder is horrifying. You just had a problem with some software. I suggest you log a support call va the HELP tab and put it down to experience - occasionally things don't work 100%.

R2

quote:

---

Originally posted by region2:
"This is horrifying" - not really - war is horrifying, murder is horrifying. You just had a problem with some software. I suggest you log a support call va the HELP tab and put it down to experience - occasionally things don't work 100%.

R2

---

This is not a helpful response.

I had more than a problem with software, I missed a unique opportunity to get a special present for a valued friend, who is going through a difficult time just now. I'd been waiting with great anticipation for this one.

The very least I can say about your response is that picking apart my expression of dismay was mean. Please do me a favor and just ignore anything I might say in the future, and I'll do the same for you.

Whatever. Feel free to ignore me if that takes away the pain of losing such a 'unique' item. The good thing about eBay is that what comes around, comes around again.
When you're brand new it's galling to lose something for whatever reason but you have to remember that it is an Auction and you might not win. To rely on winning in order to help your unfortunate friend was, perhaps, a little short-sighted. Still, it's the thought that counts.

[anomalous: deviating from the general or common order or type; "advanced forms of life may be anomalous in the universe" cf. strange or confusing]

R2 (only 6 billion more to go before the whole world is ignoring me!)

Did someone say the “I” word?


You’re nobody till somebody ignores you.

FountainScribe, what I am trying to tell you is that just perhaps it was a problem with something in Ebay's softwear that caused this! Not that it was not a real problem for you. At any rate, as this is only a forum, if I were you, I would address it at http://support.auctionsniper.com/ and see what they have to say.

Thanks, Serenity,

I already did ask them, and am being told my lag time was not enough, yet I had it set to auctionsniper's suggested 7 seconds. And there wasn't that much traffic on eBay, I was all over that site for several hours before and after the incident in question. I can tell when eBay is slowing down due to traffic, it's obvious, and it wasn't that bad tonight.

Here's the thing. Everyone keeps talking about problems with eBay's servers, yet the only time I've failed to get a bid in is with this service, and I've bid on hundreds of items myself.

People seem to be happy with some vague explanation about eBay's servers, yet why would a bid from this site's service be any different from a bid I place myself, as the service actually logs into eBay to place the bid?

For those who think one shouldn't place so much importance on winning an auction, well, it's not about that. For one thing, my bid would have won, it was well above the winning bid and high for the item because I really wanted it. But the real issue is that this service should find out why all these errors are happening, since they aren't happening when I place bids myself.

It's very odd.

FountainScribe

I joined AS about a year ago, and have sniped maybe 50 times. All snipes went in successfully; the only "problem" was one that fired at 40+ seconds, and it didn't matter since my max bid was lower than a proxy bid anyway.

That said, I bid on one "must have" item since joining AS, and I didn't snipe it, I bid manually. I was less concerned with saving money by avoiding a bidding war than ensuring my bid was placed.

AS is fine for 99.99% of the items you will bid on. But for that ultra-rare-must-have item, you must bid manually for peace-of-mind.

I don't see anything odd at all. EBay can and does often run slowly. On occasion I have attempted to place manual snipes, only to find an extra unexpected screen asking for my password, or just generally slow conditions once I enter the bid. Often one person will run into slowness in one area, while a person in another area will not. But most of us have experienced slowness at one point or other. I think it is like the claim that people behave more strangely under a full moon; folks recall that odd behavior, but never seem to recall odd behavior when there was NOT a full moon.

I have been with AS for three years. In that time, only a couple of times did my bid not reach in time (and we are talking about over a thousand snipes here). However, I always add 10-15 extra seconds on Sunday nights, a fact that is routinely recommended in these forums.

If I am at a computer when an auction ends, sometimes I will also snipe manually, as a back up. But 99% AS comes through just fine, as it seems to for most folks here.

The item will come around again--they always do.

How do you know that you could have manually sniped this auction and it would have been placed? I missed one once at 45 seconds!

quote:

---

I already did ask them, and am being told my lag time was not enough, yet I had it set to auctionsniper's suggested 7 seconds.

---

7 seconds on an item that ends on a Sunday Evening at an exact 1/4 hour is often not enough. Sadly AS's FAQs don't mention that - perhaps you could vent your spleen (use words like 'horrifying' to help make your point) to suggestions@auctionsnipper.com?!

quote:

---

Here's the thing. Everyone keeps talking about problems with eBay's servers, yet the only time I've failed to get a bid in is with this service, and I've bid on hundreds of items myself.

---

Makes one wonder why you needed AS at all? I suggest you calm down, do a search on this forum for the word 'Sunday' and then realise what might have gone wrong with your snipe.

R2

quote:

---

Originally posted by FountainScribe:
For those who think one shouldn't place so much importance on winning an auction, well, it's not about that.

---

"Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser."

I would imagine that eBay is causing this problem... it appears that they are changing the signup page while they change the greeting. I am sure when Auctionsniper tries to authenticate, these changes on eBay's side are messing things up.

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/marketing.shtml

Set AS to place a max bid of $161.50 with 11 seconds remaining on this item: #5146162751. Bid was never placed even though my AS bid page said "Bid Placed." This is not the first time this has happened. AS is like the shitty car I drove when I was 19. Most days it worked OK. Some days it wouldn't make it out of the driveway. You folks at AS can do better than a '50 Chevy, can't you?

Hi Stacy! Welcome to our forum!

quote:

---

Set AS to place a max bid of $161.50 with 11 seconds remaining on this item:

---

Kawika,

Just to clarify, did you set the snipe up with 11 seconds remaining on the auction? Or did you give it a lag time of 11 seconds?

Cheers,

FountainScribe

A little off the subject, but I can't get my new topic to enter.

So you all will know:

quote:

---

***Special Maintenance Period***
Date: 12/11/04 Time: 12:25:54 PM PST



We will be doing maintenance on parts of the eBay system on Tuesday, December 14th, from about Midnight to 02:00 PT. During this period some members may not be able to access certain features within their accounts, such as the ability to change registration information or view Account Status. People may not be able to register new accounts during this period as well.

Please note that this will not affect the ability to list or bid on items.

Regards,
eBay

---

It's unfortunate that anyone's very first bid using AS should go awry, and I can understand the frustration, but please don't judge the service by one bad experience. I don't think that's happened to me but then, I never analyse losses - I simply delete all references, forget them and move on, especially if the item was one that I desperately wanted to win.

Perhaps I've been lucky in winning every snipe in which I've bid a sufficient amount, but I prefer to think it's because of a good programme that generally works very well.

GG

"The Gods made Heavy Metal"

quote:

---

You folks at AS can do better than a '50 Chevy, can't you?

---

Remember, you are talking to the forum and not to AS - only Sara works there...

R2

Another one- or two-post wonder, no doubt.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chatter:
... or two-post wonder, no doubt.

---

Hedging your bets, I see.

To those who answered my post seriously and with some understanding, thanks. Perhaps this was an eBay thing, perhaps there is a glitch in AS's system - whatever the cause, I will have to attempt not to rely upon this system when the stakes are high. I'll just hope that nothing I really want ends when I can't be at my computer, and if it does I'll set the time a bit higher.

To those who have used my dilemma as an opportunity to make mean comments about myself or others, well, you seem to be taking the concept of "sniping" beyond the realm of last-minute bidding. Consider finding a better way to increase your own self-esteem than by attempting to minimize or marginalize others. Making cruel comments lowers yourself, not your target, but when you lift others up you will lift yourself up as well. It's a good feeling that will last.

FountainScribe

quote:

---

Originally posted by FountainScribe:
I will have to attempt not to rely upon this system when the stakes are high.

---

On must have items, the safest bet is a proxy bid. AS is reliable (that’s a subjective word), but “things” can happen. If it’s more a question of getting than saving, go with a proxy bid. I’d probably place it within the last 15 minutes, because ebay does have meltdowns from time to time. I might even do a 30-minute proxy bid. Not to be condescending (I mean that), the item has a good chance of coming up again, especially after one of them has been auctioned. It might have something to do with the fact that other sellers see what the item went for and decide to sell there’s.

I also agree with your last paragraph. Like they say, “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”

quote:

---

Originally posted by FountainScribe:
To those who have used my dilemma as an opportunity to make mean comments about myself or others, well, you seem to be taking the concept of "sniping" beyond the realm of last-minute bidding. Consider finding a better way to increase your own self-esteem than by attempting to minimize or marginalize others. Making cruel comments lowers yourself, not your target, but when you lift others up you will lift yourself up as well. It's a good feeling that will _last_.

FountainScribe

---

Not sure to whom you are referring here, but did you ever consider that the hysterical and enraged manner in which you made you first appearance in this thread ("This is horrifying," "I am angry," "I am extremely upset" and "WHAT THE !!!?") might have had a little something to do with the responses that followed?

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chatter:
... might have had a little something to do with the responses that followed?

---

Why not take the "high ground" as was recommended
>> here <<?

***Special Maintenance Period***
Date: 12/11/04 Time: 12:25:54 PM PST



We will be doing maintenance on parts of the eBay system on Tuesday, December 14th, from about Midnight to 02:00 PT. During this period some members may not be able to access certain features within their accounts, such as the ability to change registration information or view Account Status. People may not be able to register new accounts during this period as well.

Please note that this will not affect the ability to list or bid on items.

Regards,
eBay

- isn't that where my link took ya'll?

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stacy:
- isn't that where my link took ya'll?

---

Not directly. This one does:
http://www2.ebay.com/aw/announce.shtml

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chatter:
Not sure to whom you are referring here, but did you ever consider that the hysterical and enraged manner in which you made you first appearance in this thread ("This is horrifying," "I am angry," "I am extremely upset" and "WHAT THE !!!?") might have had a little something to do with the responses that followed?

---

Too right - I keep getting the image of a top-hatted Merchant banker every time I read anything by FountainScribe. S/he needed a rant so chose the forum as a medium - unfortunately this stirred up the natives and the results are above for all to see. Perhaps s/he might be a bit more circumspect next time they dip their toe here...

[Shame FountainScribe is ignoring me as I sometimes have interesting stuff to say - still, who's the loser now...]

R2

quote:

---

R2 (only 6 billion more to go before the whole world is ignoring me!)

---

6,000,000,000 - Sara = 5,999,999,999

It was not meant to be. Why can't people accept it? Sh*t happens. Life isn't fair. Go cry to your mother.