RE: [Harp-L] E-Bay and sniper programs

["M. Erickson" <erickm001@xxxxxxx>]

No. You got a bunch of suckers in the "bid history", and then you have a
bunch of phantom bidders (using automated sniper programs, which place
their bids in the last milliseconds of an auction). It'd be OK if every
bid was kept secret and counted 1 second before the auction closed and
then the highest bid wins.

Instead a phantom can place a secret bid, unbeknownst to the suckers in
bid history, and then swoop in and pick up a special deal. The only reason
these sniper programs work is because there's a bunch of suckers who don't
know about them. If you had no "bid history" and no clueless fools
bidding, what goods a snipe program? Besides, E-bay makes no mention of
sniper programs. E-bay implies that all bidders are mentioned in the "bid
history". Snipe programs allows a 2nd secret auction to take place.

Now I know about them, and anyone who bids on e-bay should know about
them.

But maybe I complain too much. It is still possible to get a great deal on
e-bay (vocal mic's can be a steal, using "Buy Now") And today I picked up
a Bassman re-issue at a very fine price, and I wasn't sniped. Yeah, I
guess I do complain too much. Once you know about snipe programs, you can
take steps to deal with them.



> -----Original Message-----
> From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jp Pagán
> Sent: Saturday, May 07, 2005 10:28 PM
> To: harp-l harp-l
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] E-Bay and sniper programs
>
>
> maybe i'm naive, but i don't get it. if you bid what
> you would be willing to pay, you'll only be outbid by
> people willing to pay more than you. that's how
> auctions work, no?
>
>    --Jp
>
> --- In harp-l-archives@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "M. Erickson"
> <erickm001@xxxx> wrote:
> > I loath e-bay. I see a good deal, with an apparent
> lack of interest by the
> > rest of e-bay community; I make my bid, only to be
> outbid in the last few
> > seconds of the auction. I get out bid by "sniper
> programs". Basically any
> > auction on e-bay can have a multitude of hidden
> bidders. Their sniper
> > programs will active in the last few seconds of an
> auction to place their
> > bids.
> >
>
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