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new ebay strategy?

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SilentUnicorn

SilentUnicorn

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I just bid on an item with 0 bids and was instantaneously out bid by another bidder.... How do they do that? Snipe Program? this item had zero bids....how do they proxy bid without having a bid in...


mark
 
That would make me wonder a bit about the possibility of a shill being used to prop up the bids. Sometimes you just never know.
 
If it was at the end of the auction, it could have been one of the sniping services that are out there (not part of eBay). If it was earlier, I would assume it was just a coincidence.
 
I`v always wondered about that very thing. What would prevent an Ebay seller from using one of the sniping programs to run any bid up until it reached his asking price? That is why I always wait until the last few minutes of bidding to submit my bid. { usualy I`ll click the submit button in the last few seconds of the auction end } If the item is still within the range I am willing to pay. { I do not use a sniper to bid. } I AM the sniper!
:lol:
I learned my lesson early on, thinking I was in a FAIR bidding contest But ....... NO MORE!
If the Item i`m interested in goes too high I just wait for another day. I NEVER bid until the very end of the auction!
 
Could be sniping (automatic), could be a shill... but it also could be someone that just put a bid in just before the end of the auction. I do that myself, it prevents being outbid by someone with auction fever.
 
I had the same thing happen, way before the close of the auction. The item was a laygear of unknown origin (smooth-case or rib-case) and was listed at 99cents. It sat there for a few days with no bids. I decided, what the heck, since I have both types of trannies, having a spare laygear couldn't hurt! I placed a bid for $1.01 and was immediately outbid (this was with 0 bids showing!!). I raised my bid three times up to $9 and change and the same thing happened with each bid. Needless to say, I did not continue!!
 
AweMan said:
I`v always wondered about that very thing. What would prevent an Ebay seller from using one of the sniping programs to run any bid up until it reached his asking price?
Click to expand...

I've heard that, but isn't just setting a reserve price easier?
 
Oops... I misunderstood, I thought we were talking about being outbid at the end of the auction. Being outbid instantly on an item with zero bids? That's a different situation!
 
aerog said:
Oops... I misunderstood, I thought we were talking about being outbid at the end of the auction. Being outbid instantly on an item with zero bids? That's a different situation!
Click to expand...


that is what happened... now i know the web is a rather large place, and coincidence does happen, but... sure seems strange to me

mark
 
Mark - when you say "instantaneously", do you mean that as soon as you pushed "Confirm your bid" after entering the amount, you immediately saw "You've been outbid" and a second bid "magically appeared"?

Or that you were outbid a few minutes later.

We may be on to something here ....

T.
 
no it was instantaneously, not a couple of minutes after the bid. It was almost as if I was out bid by a proxy bid. But how can some one have a proxy bid on something that has no bids??


mark
 
Mark - PM on the way.

Tom
 
I don't see how a sniping program/service can get on it that quick either. They have to constantly refresh the content of the sale page just like we do - and there's not much point to them doing it immediately after the first bid.

If you'd looked at the auction page before you bid, there's a chance that you're looking at cached content and someone else had actually bid on the item before you did - you just didn't see it.
 
Many times when I see an item I am interested in, I establish a willing price and then put that bid in. What happens when you establish your high bid is that the other person or persons may also have done that and consequently you will see what looks like in instant bidding war but in fact is just that there was a maximum bid placed by someone else.

If I really, really want an item I wait until the very last minute of the auction and put in my maximum bid and then just hope for the best.
 
What you say is how I also understood it Judow, but in my instance and, as I understand it, Marks as well, there were "0" bidders indicated and as soon as we placed our bid it was instantaneously over-bid and I got the request to bid again! As I said, I did this three times with the same result, at which time I said to heck with this item someone wants it more than I do OR I am being sniped!
 
Judow: The problem is they were seeing NO bidders on their items, but when they entered a bid there was suddenly another bidder online. I suspect it may be a cache issue, or coincidence. Even snipers don't monitor every item constantly, particularly if the item isn't within the last minute or so of closing.

Mike: You <span style="font-style: italic">will</span> get outbid instantly on items if you're still underbidding someone else's maximum bid. That still doesn't explain Mark's situation though.
 
Interesting followup. I've just asked about this type of problem on one of ebay's discussion forums.

Despite a *lot* of obnoxious drivel and worthless replies, one reply actually said the same thing had happened to him. Auction shows 0 bids, nowhere near the auction end, post your bid, and immediately "you've been outbid" flashes up, with the bidding list now showing 2 bidders. Like an invisible constant snipe.

I'm still diggin' ....

T.
 
All very interesting. I think I overlooked the fact of no bidders and then instant outbid. I would be curious to know why other than it might have been a coincidence of two bidders at the same time.

Perhaps E-bay needs to be questioned. Also check the sellers feedback/reputation.

Just a thought.
 
I tried to go back and find the item I had been bidding on, but either it had been pulled or the auction had ended. I was a bit suspicious about the biddee, since he professed to know nothing about anything re the part, yet had a fairly extensive list of Spridget and other parts!!
 
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