Stupid Ebay question?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

I've looked for the answer on the Ebay site, but couldn't find it...so
here goes:

How does a winning bid suddenly show up with a date 5 days before the
close of the auction? If this person bid the winning amount 5 days
early, wouldn't they show up as the current high bid, with the bid
increasing as others tried to outbid them during the course of the
auction? Am I imagining things, or do some early bids seem to show up
out of nowhere? Some kind of snipe anomoly?

Or maybe I'm just confused....

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

It may have been ended early, it will usually say. If you post a link
to the auction here, would be able to tell for sure.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

For some reason, I can't seem to paste a link. See item # 6210632618.
Note the winning bid on 9/19. This bidder did not show up until the
very end of the auction, unless I missed something. I was watching
this early, becuae I was interested. Ultimately didn't bid, becuase it
quickly went over what I'd be willing to pay for a game with a
repainted cab.

 

[Sandro]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

rwkeown@yahoo.com wrote:
>See item # 6210632618.
> Note the winning bid on 9/19.

That's just how e-bay lists proxy bids. What this means is that the
winning bidder placed a maximum bid of at least $242.50 (probably
higher) on 9/19 @ 16:54:36 pdt.

It looks like he should have been listed as the high bidder for the
entire time since he bid. When you place a proxy bid (a bid larger
than the current minimum bid) ebay automatically enters the minimum bid
for you, and will increment your bid as people compete with you up to
the amount of your proxy bid. As long as your maximum bid is higher
than everyone elses you will always be the high bidder.

The time shown on the ebay bid page always reflects the time the proxy
bid was made. This is important since in the event of tie bids
(rare?), the item goes to the person that bid that amount first.

-Sandro

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Understand that, but, to my knowledge, this bidder did not show up on
bid history until the end of the auction. is that how it works, or am
I just mistaken?

thanks!!

 

[Sandro]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

rwkeown@yahoo.com wrote:
> Understand that, but, to my knowledge, this bidder did not show up on
> bid history until the end of the auction. is that how it works, or am
> I just mistaken?


Well, the bidder should have shown up in the bid history immediately
after his first bid. If he didn't I would assume that is an error in
the system (or someone knows a cool exploit).

-Sandro

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

My guess would be that the bidder used a "snipe" service. This is a
software program that uses external servers which can place a bid the
very last second of the auction, much faster than a manual bid could be
placed. They can be programed with your max bid amount (proxy) but not
entered to eBay until that very last second. That would explain why
you did not see it until the end. The auction was not ended early as
it looks like it ran the full 10 days.
Mark

 

[Sandro]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

immark wrote:
> My guess would be that the bidder used a "snipe" service. This is a
> software program that uses external servers which can place a bid the
> very last second of the auction, much faster than a manual bid could be
> placed. They can be programed with your max bid amount (proxy) but not
> entered to eBay until that very last second. That would explain why
> you did not see it until the end.

But that wouldn't explain the date on ebay being 5 days before the
auction ended.


-Sandro

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

immark wrote:
> My guess would be that the bidder used a "snipe" service.

No, since the bid history clearly shows their bid registered with eBay
(not with a snipe service) nine days before the auction ended.

Here's another possibility: that yellow background that eBay uses on
the bid history page to highlight the leader has caused many people to
miss that line in the history, because it looks like it doesn't belong
with the bids. People look at the history and never see the leader,
because he's been "hidden" by eBay's lame attempt to highlight that
bid. Whoever made the decision to separate the leading bid from the
rest of the list in this way should have his web design privileges
taken away.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

rwkeown@yahoo.com wrote:

> Note the winning bid on 9/19. This bidder did not show up until the
> very end of the auction, unless I missed something.

I think you missed something. The first bidder won the auction with a
proxy bid of who knows what, and he would have been shown in first
place throughout the auction. There is no Romulan bid-cloaking device
currently available that could have kept the winner's bid shielded from
view from the 19th to the 28th. If he'd sniped the auction, the date
of his bid would have shown up as the 28th, not the 19th. I agree with
the poster who said that eBay's practice of highlighting the top bid in
yellow is dumb. That may have been why you missed it.

http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&item=6210632618

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Your right I did miss the bid date of the 19th, but even if the viewer
missed seeing the actual leader, how would there ever be another high
bidder listed? I mean if the winning "proxy" bid was placed the 19th
say with a bid of $300, on the 23rd when bidder y2k8 placed $235, and
shows as high bidder, wouldn't it just show proxy bid of $236 and still
show him as high bidder? I don't know for sure, just asking? Also I
think there is a Romulan bid-cloaking device, but it only available for
Mac's : )
Mark

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

I wonder if you raise your original bid it will still show the original
date?

 

[Sandro]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

seymour-shabow@excite.com wrote:
> I wonder if you raise your original bid it will still show the original
> date?

Actually, it shows a second bid with the new date. I think technically
both your bids stay active at the same (lower) amounts until the first
is superseded, but I might be wrong about this one. I know that both
bids show up, because I've seen someone end up as top two bidders on
the same item (I think with the same dollar value).

-Sandro

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

seymour-shabow@excite.com wrote:
> I wonder if you raise your original bid it will still show the original
> date?

Every time you (or your snipe service) enter a bid, it shows up as a
separate entry in the bid history. Increases made for you by eBay using
your proxy are not shown in the history, only the current level of that
bid.