Why such a long lead

Please post link to auction.

Well, I just tried your service for the first (and last) time. See this auction: 170132611178

I had specified 5 second lead time. Silly me, I thought it actually meant that. My snipe was 13 seconds before auction end, and got picked off by another sniper. I realize I might have lost anyway; but it really hacks me off that your service did worse than I could do myself.

Define "picked off".

Define '5 seconds'. I acknowledged that I might have lost this auction anyway. But 13 seconds is certainly long enough for a reaction to my bid to outbid me. I've done so myself in less time than that. That is what I mean by 'picked off'.

Other discussions on this forum defend the longer lead times by asking whether you would rather risk getting in a bid altogether in high traffic times. My answer is that I would like to have a choice of which risk I want to take.

To verify that you were “picked off”, you COULD research the winning bidder to see if they’ve placed multiple snipes on another auction. Grant it, isn’t completely accurate, but if they have a history of only placing one snipe (and losing), then they are PROBABLY using a sniping service/program, which means, even if the snipe was place one second, OR one minute, before the end it wouldn’t have made any difference.

And (not that this is much of an argument) an earlier snipe wins a later tying snipe.

quote:

I would like to have a choice of which risk I want to take.

In full agreement. It’s also fairly accept among users that AS should do a better job of disclosing that snipes (mainly Sunday nights) “may” (rare) be placed up to a minute early.

170132611178 finished at 29-Jul-07 20:30:00 BST so I guess that AS had to adjust the lead time to ensure it was placed.

And the winner appears to be a snipper - his bids are always in the last 10 secs (eg. 110138153265) so you were probably out-sniped rather than reacted to.

So, rather than give up on AS, understand how it works and work within those constraints. If you can snipe manually then do so and save money - if not then let AS do the work and make sure you bid high enough to win!

R2

quote:

out-sniped

Out-bidded.

out-sniped = out-bidded by a sniper!!!

R2

out-bidded = out-bidded!!!!

I think all of the replies miss the point that if sniping is useful in general (and we agree that it is), then the nearer the end of the auction that the snipe occurs, the more effective it is as a tool. Whether or not it works out in a particular case because of a particular circumstance is not relevant to that point.

quote:

Originally posted by Rick:
To verify that you were “picked off”, you COULD research the winning bidder to see if they’ve placed multiple snipes on another auction. Grant it, isn’t completely accurate, but if they have a history of only placing one snipe (and losing), then they are PROBABLY using a sniping service/program, which means, even if the snipe was place one second, OR one minute, before the end it wouldn’t have made any difference.

quote:

I think all of the replies miss the point

You’re the one that introduced the phrase “picked off”, which appears to be inaccurate.

quote:

the nearer the end of the auction that the snipe occurs, the more effective it is as a tool.

No argument, other then as one gets closer to the end of the auction the probability increases that the snipe will be too late.

Here’s the options:
1. Don’t use AS because there is a possibility that instead of placing a five-second snipe it places a thirteen-second one. This assumes that the user would rather have an “on-time” snipe at the risk of a “not-in-time” one.
2. Use AS because there is a possibility that ebay could be running slow and five-seconds won’t allow enough time for the snipe to be placed. This assumes that the user would rather have an “in-time” snipe than risking a “not-in-time” snipe.
3. Use AS with the expectation that all snipes will be both “on-time” and “in-time”, and occasionally you’ll wonder why the snipe was placed 8 seconds early.

This is the link you asked to see: 150143035077.
You can see that I did not exaggerate when I said my snipe was 30 seconds early.
Mind you, I would have lost anyway and by a good margin, but the point I'm making here is another one: sniping is actually FUN! and it's a part of the experience. If I see my bid coming up after another one I'm happy, even if I get out-bidded in the end.
In addition, IF sniping is useful it must be "late" not "early", right?...you would agree that you can comfortably place a bid "by hand" 30 secs before the deadline.
Thanks