RE: Subject: RE: Subject: [Harp-L] Sniping on Ebay

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

I'm cool with e-bay now. I blew off a little steam earlier because I lost
the bid on very cool amp, and over the past several months watching items
bid out from under me. I didn't know about snipe software and was startled
to find out it existed. Now I can take steps to defend against it. I think
e-bay should make mentioned of 3rd party bidding software running on their
system.

You set your proxy bid a little higher. No big deal. Someone wants it
more, they get it, either by using evil software robots or by fast
fingers. Highest bid still wins.

I don't live on e-bay. If I need a piece of gear I check them out.
Previously I wasted time trying to bid against snipe programs. I won't do
that now. This weekend I managed to pick up a re-issue bassman at a very
good price on e-bay. I'm happy. No snipe robots interfered.

Just be aware of the software and what it does, and that there could be
potentially more bidders for an item than there is listed in "History".

And yeah, I feel like Chicken Little out here. I try to warn everybody
about a program called "Auction Stealer" and other devious software run
amok on e-bay an no one listens (I have gotten some offline post, though.)
But once you know about them, it's not that big of a deal.



 -----Original Message-----
From: EGS1217@xxxxxxx [mailto:EGS1217@xxxxxxx]
Sent: Monday, May 09, 2005 6:30 PM
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Cc: erickm001@xxxxxxx
Subject: Subject: RE: Subject: [Harp-L] Sniping on Ebay




MErickson writes:  "Please note, there is a difference between "sniping"
(placing a bid in the last few seconds of an auction), and a "sniping
program" (an automated
software program that places bids in the last few milliseconds of an
auction). E-bay's help mentions "sniping", but say nothing about 3rd party
sniping programs."

...It's actually becoming a bit tedious (not to mention a tad silly) for
those of us who've done well with EBay auctions to feel somehow obligated
to defend E-Bay  here on the Harp-L list, when you're seemingly ignoring
all the advice/experience of those of us who have had perfectly reasonable
interactions thereon.  Would you stop to consider for a moment that
perhaps it is your very discovery of these automated sniping programs
(frankly I paid no attention to their existence before your post) that is
fueling your anger?  My interactions on EBay have been 95% positive.  Like
Bobbi, I do my research but have on occasion forgotten to get back online
(so having an online calendar becomes useless <g>).  Also, like Bobbi - I
have never and will never give "negative" feedback.  I find that entire
process demeaning.  Failing to get back online on time caused me to lose
out on some items, a few of which I had placed an early low bid on, others
I was simply "watching".  My reaction, after an initial "Rats!" was an "oh
well - guess I wasn't meant to have them".  You have to accept the
realities of "auctions", be they online or in an auction house.  You can't
and won't ever win them all.  The bargains I've gotten so far in re
harmonicas and other harmonica-related accoutrements, has made my EBay
playtime well worth it.  I'd suggest that for your own peace of mind -
forget all about the possibility of a "sniping", bid on another item that
might interest you and just relax and have fun with it.  I'd think it
would also be obvious that one cannot possibly hold EBay responsible for
what others might do illegally to subvert their rules and regulations in
this world of computer hackers and viruses, some of which were discussed
in the last couple of days on this very list.

My last ,02 cents:  out of all the EBay posts, yours so far is the only
really negative one.  Doesn't that indicate the possibility that you might
be overreacting just a wee bit?

Elizabeth