Hey Andrew, I don't call that sniping. You decide what you are willing to pay and the machine makes the bids. You have no control—especially if you are asleep.
Another version of the same story.
I was watching an eBay auction for an ABN FP 40 that looked to be in really good condition. I worked out what I was willing to pay and, as the auction was ending at a time that was inconvenient for me, I went to the site in the final 24 hours to post my max bid. The engine wasn't there. I emailed the vendor to ask what happened.
The engine had been described as a 'gas' engine so eBay pulled it—incorrect description.
Several months later, I'm cleaning out my email address book and this vendor's email address turned up. I contacted him and he replied that only that week, he was looking at the engine on his shelf and thinking that he should do something with it.
I made an offer—off eBay and lower than I was willing to bid earlier—that was accepted. I felt safe because I had the man's work email address, an Australian federal government department. It's probably the best FP 40 of the few that I have purchased used from eBay.
It's a tough game, Peter, but winners are grinners.
Good luck in the future. If Herb is selling you one of his, you are now a winner.
Oh I would have to disagree. It is sniping, plain and simple. Non sniping is putting in your max bid from the beginning. I did this in plenty of time before auction end. Others can do the same and outbid me I have no trouble with that, but at least give me the opportunity to consider upping the bid. This did not happen, literally in the last 2 seconds someone put in a higher bid, I have no way of telling if it was one dollar or 100. I also hate bidding wars, I equate it to gambling, as it becomes all about winning the auction at any cost, often driving up the cost so much you could have bought the item brand new in the store for less.
However that is a matter of self control and I can deal with that. I can write a book on how to snipe, I only resorted to that on items that were no longer commercially available, could not be found anywhere else, and I absolutely NEEDED the item, not just wanted it. Even then it is was a action of last resort. Then in situations like that I used to just put in a absurdly high bid, unitl I ended up the victim of Shilling (Shill- Bidding up the price under a different user name, and almost impossible to prove). More often these days I look under buy it now, only, on ebay, If I think the price is fair I buy straight out right away, no surprises.
Actuall I prefer this meathod and have gotten som pretty good deal on high end professional video products, many tiimes people get items in that arena, which they have no Idea what it's worth. So they put it up on BUY it Now for what may seem to them a ton of money. When I need an item now a days I just search several time a day for that item under buy it now. I try to be in the position to jump on the item as soon as it hits, before the community at large (resellers primarily) research it and vulturize it. Unfortunately these days, most of the time you can Buy It Now, for far less in a brick and mortar store or on Amazon.Com than on Ebay.
Of course the policy changes at Ebay have Enabled such activity, now that the bidder names are hidden, you can not tell who the offenders are, and why detecting Shills are next to impossible. Sorry
Topic: OS 46 VF snatched away (Read 8423 times)