Ebay Fever
05-14-2006, 08:28 AM
#26
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RE: Ebay Fever
ORIGINAL: flyinrog
Sorry eroc, its been over a year for me, all occasions ( I know it happened twice, and I think maybe a third time) ocurred when either I would have been asleep or gone..one was a kit I was winning at about $35 that went to my $50 max bid with no other bids and the other was an engine I was winning at about $50 the went to $70 that was the last time I bid when I couldnt watch...I fully understand your urban legend theory, and I'm glad bsindel showed up , but I'm sure there are others besides us who have experienced this......Rog
ORIGINAL: eroc144
I view this as an urban legend so let's call in "Mythbusters" and do a quick test. flyinrog or bsindel - can either of you post the item number of ebay auction where this has happened. This will let those "doubting Thomases" among us view the auction and the bid history. Should make for an interesting couple of posts.
FYI - The auction has to have closed within the past 30 - 60 days as ebay removes older auctions as a matter of IT policy.
EG
I view this as an urban legend so let's call in "Mythbusters" and do a quick test. flyinrog or bsindel - can either of you post the item number of ebay auction where this has happened. This will let those "doubting Thomases" among us view the auction and the bid history. Should make for an interesting couple of posts.
FYI - The auction has to have closed within the past 30 - 60 days as ebay removes older auctions as a matter of IT policy.
EG
It cannot be done.
You are not even understanding the IMPLICATIONS of what you are saying.
05-14-2006, 08:44 AM
#27
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RE: Ebay Fever
ORIGINAL: EASYTIGER
I'm sorry. Don't take this the wrong way, but you are wrong. No ifs, ands, or buts, the software you are talking about DOES NOT EXIST. You are just not understanding the bidding system.
It cannot be done.
You are not even understanding the IMPLICATIONS of what you are saying.
ORIGINAL: flyinrog
Sorry eroc, its been over a year for me, all occasions ( I know it happened twice, and I think maybe a third time) ocurred when either I would have been asleep or gone..one was a kit I was winning at about $35 that went to my $50 max bid with no other bids and the other was an engine I was winning at about $50 the went to $70 that was the last time I bid when I couldnt watch...I fully understand your urban legend theory, and I'm glad bsindel showed up , but I'm sure there are others besides us who have experienced this......Rog
ORIGINAL: eroc144
I view this as an urban legend so let's call in "Mythbusters" and do a quick test. flyinrog or bsindel - can either of you post the item number of ebay auction where this has happened. This will let those "doubting Thomases" among us view the auction and the bid history. Should make for an interesting couple of posts.
FYI - The auction has to have closed within the past 30 - 60 days as ebay removes older auctions as a matter of IT policy.
EG
I view this as an urban legend so let's call in "Mythbusters" and do a quick test. flyinrog or bsindel - can either of you post the item number of ebay auction where this has happened. This will let those "doubting Thomases" among us view the auction and the bid history. Should make for an interesting couple of posts.
FYI - The auction has to have closed within the past 30 - 60 days as ebay removes older auctions as a matter of IT policy.
EG
It cannot be done.
You are not even understanding the IMPLICATIONS of what you are saying.
05-14-2006, 08:54 AM
#28
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RE: Ebay Fever
The item numbers will still exist, you gave or got feedback for both of the items, no? I doubt you forgot who the sellers were. I"m sure you remember these two items. Post the numbers, and I will call Rob Chesnut, ebay's Vice President of Trust and Safety, and he will get to the bottom of it right away.
How about this? I will offer a $25,000 reward for a copy of such a program or glitch. I would make my money back in a day.
How about this? I will offer a $25,000 reward for a copy of such a program or glitch. I would make my money back in a day.
05-14-2006, 09:02 AM
#29
RE: Ebay Fever
I wonder if the mysterious ending bid jump for non-reserve auctions is some artifact of sniping software? I thought the bid history would still show if a sniper sniped but was outbid by the proxy though, so that's not it- yikes!
The thought of the proxy max being accessable to outside eyes is scary!
I wonder if this is being discussed in the ebay safe harbor forum? Is should be!
The thought of the proxy max being accessable to outside eyes is scary!
I wonder if this is being discussed in the ebay safe harbor forum? Is should be!
05-14-2006, 09:06 AM
#30
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RE: Ebay Fever
ORIGINAL: EASYTIGER
The item numbers will still exist, you gave or got feedback for both of the items, no? I doubt you forgot who the sellers were. I"m sure you remember these two items. Post the numbers, and I will call Rob Chesnut, ebay's Vice President of Trust and Safety, and he will get to the bottom of it right away.
How about this? I will offer a $25,000 reward for a copy of such a program or glitch. I would make my money back in a day.
The item numbers will still exist, you gave or got feedback for both of the items, no? I doubt you forgot who the sellers were. I"m sure you remember these two items. Post the numbers, and I will call Rob Chesnut, ebay's Vice President of Trust and Safety, and he will get to the bottom of it right away.
How about this? I will offer a $25,000 reward for a copy of such a program or glitch. I would make my money back in a day.
05-14-2006, 09:08 AM
#31
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RE: Ebay Fever
ORIGINAL: mclintock
I wonder if the mysterious ending bid jump for non-reserve auctions is some artifact of sniping software? I thought the bid history would still show if a sniper sniped but was outbid by the proxy though, so that's not it- yikes!
The thought of the proxy max being accessable to outside eyes is scary!
I wonder if this is being discussed in the ebay safe harbor forum? Is should be!
I wonder if the mysterious ending bid jump for non-reserve auctions is some artifact of sniping software? I thought the bid history would still show if a sniper sniped but was outbid by the proxy though, so that's not it- yikes!
The thought of the proxy max being accessable to outside eyes is scary!
I wonder if this is being discussed in the ebay safe harbor forum? Is should be!
Amazing that someone could THINK something happened to them...twice...maybe three times...with no EVIDENCE of anything actually happeneing...and then have a friend say they THINK this happened to them too, and then suddenly they are saying it's real.
05-14-2006, 09:10 AM
#32
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RE: Ebay Fever
ORIGINAL: flyinrog
you keep a log of item numbers and sellers that you bought from successfully for a year?
ORIGINAL: EASYTIGER
The item numbers will still exist, you gave or got feedback for both of the items, no? I doubt you forgot who the sellers were. I"m sure you remember these two items. Post the numbers, and I will call Rob Chesnut, ebay's Vice President of Trust and Safety, and he will get to the bottom of it right away.
How about this? I will offer a $25,000 reward for a copy of such a program or glitch. I would make my money back in a day.
The item numbers will still exist, you gave or got feedback for both of the items, no? I doubt you forgot who the sellers were. I"m sure you remember these two items. Post the numbers, and I will call Rob Chesnut, ebay's Vice President of Trust and Safety, and he will get to the bottom of it right away.
How about this? I will offer a $25,000 reward for a copy of such a program or glitch. I would make my money back in a day.
The item number still goes to permanent records at ebay. Every item is indeed archived.
Are you saying these two sellers ripped you off(what you are implying is stealing) and you don't remember who they are?
Go check your feedback and look them up.
05-14-2006, 09:36 AM
#33
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RE: Ebay Fever
ORIGINAL: EASYTIGER
It will be on your feedback. All feedback, since 1998, has the item number attached.
The item number still goes to permanent records at ebay. Every item is indeed archived.
Are you saying these two sellers ripped you off(what you are implying is stealing) and you don't remember who they are?
Go check your feedback and look them up.
ORIGINAL: flyinrog
you keep a log of item numbers and sellers that you bought from successfully for a year?
ORIGINAL: EASYTIGER
The item numbers will still exist, you gave or got feedback for both of the items, no? I doubt you forgot who the sellers were. I"m sure you remember these two items. Post the numbers, and I will call Rob Chesnut, ebay's Vice President of Trust and Safety, and he will get to the bottom of it right away.
How about this? I will offer a $25,000 reward for a copy of such a program or glitch. I would make my money back in a day.
The item numbers will still exist, you gave or got feedback for both of the items, no? I doubt you forgot who the sellers were. I"m sure you remember these two items. Post the numbers, and I will call Rob Chesnut, ebay's Vice President of Trust and Safety, and he will get to the bottom of it right away.
How about this? I will offer a $25,000 reward for a copy of such a program or glitch. I would make my money back in a day.
The item number still goes to permanent records at ebay. Every item is indeed archived.
Are you saying these two sellers ripped you off(what you are implying is stealing) and you don't remember who they are?
Go check your feedback and look them up.
05-14-2006, 10:03 AM
#34
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RE: Ebay Fever
Find it hard to believe that you cannot look at your feedback and remember which items they were, which sellers.
If you have concrete evidence, like I said, I'll give you $25k. There are any number of people who would LOVE to have this information, from ebay sellers to ebay themselves, to their competitors...
You realize this is a $40b corporation, and the value of your information is immeasurable? That if what you were saying was true, and it got out, it would throw the stock into a tizzy(it's already dropping fast) and that there are, literally, BILLIONS of dollars at stake?
If you have concrete evidence, like I said, I'll give you $25k. There are any number of people who would LOVE to have this information, from ebay sellers to ebay themselves, to their competitors...
You realize this is a $40b corporation, and the value of your information is immeasurable? That if what you were saying was true, and it got out, it would throw the stock into a tizzy(it's already dropping fast) and that there are, literally, BILLIONS of dollars at stake?
05-14-2006, 11:26 AM
#35
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RE: Ebay Fever
As a bidder I wouldn't be to worried about any kind of software that a seller can use to optain your max bid. There is just to much to lose if you got caught pulling something "funny". I am sure there is a logical reason for what happened to Rog and bsindel. I would bet it was something in relation to a reserve auction and the way they work. I have seen big jumps like that on both ones I bid and sell with. With as big as eBay is if something like this really was made the second it was "leaked" it would be all over the news and smashed like a bug in a matter of hours.
LAter,
Tim
LAter,
Tim
05-14-2006, 11:59 AM
#36
Senior Member
RE: Ebay Fever
If I bid, I do it based on one of two methods. (1.) That's cute. I don't need it but I'll put in a low bid just to encourage the seller. Occasionally I get something cheap enough that I don't mind having it. (2.) I'd like to have that. It is worth $xx.xx plus shipping and insurance to me. I bid $xx.xx. I get the item for $xx.xx or less, or it goes to someone who valued it more highly than I did. Either way, I am a happy camper. I get about one out of 15 items I bid on. I have enough junk already; so I figure the person who out bid me probably did me a favor. 
05-14-2006, 12:16 PM
#37
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RE: Ebay Fever
Jim, that's pretty much the same way I think. I've also found that eBay fever has spread to local flea markets. On more than one occasion I've tried to haggle on a price from one of the local vendors and I've been told "I could sell it on eBay for $xx.xx..." My answer to them; "Go right ahead and have a nice day!"
Amen to that! 
-Joe
I have enough junk already; so I figure the person who out bid me probably did me a favor.
-Joe
05-14-2006, 02:41 PM
#39
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RE: Ebay Fever
Here is a service that automates the process of posting bid on ebay during the last few seconds of an auction (a.k.a sniping): http://www.auctionsniper.com
If you're max bid is in at, say $100, but the highest competing bid was only $49, then you'll will win the auction for $50.
If, in the last few seconds, a big comes in with a max of $99, then you will automatically outbid the $99 competieting bid and win the auction for $100.
Nothing mysterious here.... it's just a bidding stategy. If the $99 max bid had come in an hour before the end of the auction the result would be the same.
If you're max bid is in at, say $100, but the highest competing bid was only $49, then you'll will win the auction for $50.
If, in the last few seconds, a big comes in with a max of $99, then you will automatically outbid the $99 competieting bid and win the auction for $100.
Nothing mysterious here.... it's just a bidding stategy. If the $99 max bid had come in an hour before the end of the auction the result would be the same.
05-14-2006, 11:13 PM
#40
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RE: Ebay Fever
Maybe I can solve the "Ebay dilemma". You CAN change your reserve price AFTER bids have been made. The seller may have dropped his reserve when he saw the it would be necessary to get it sold. That would cause the undocumented jump. Easytiger, where's my 25K? Live up to your big mouth and PAY ME!
05-14-2006, 11:18 PM
#41
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RE: Ebay Fever
Ebay has changed the rules on lowering your reserve. (I think!) I don't remember all these stipulations, but it may have been complaints like you guys have that caused the change. If a reserve is lowered now, you get notified and your bid is lowered to $1 under the new reserve. You would have to bid again to win the item. Guess if you're at work, you lose out! I like it this way, cause if I don't make the reserve, I move on to other deals.
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/lowering-reserve.html
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/lowering-reserve.html
05-14-2006, 11:28 PM
#42
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RE: Ebay Fever
ORIGINAL: ptulmer
Maybe I can solve the "Ebay dilemma". You CAN change your reserve price AFTER bids have been made. The seller may have dropped his reserve when he saw the it would be necessary to get it sold. That would cause the undocumented jump. Easytiger, where's my 25K? Live up to your big mouth and PAY ME!
Maybe I can solve the "Ebay dilemma". You CAN change your reserve price AFTER bids have been made. The seller may have dropped his reserve when he saw the it would be necessary to get it sold. That would cause the undocumented jump. Easytiger, where's my 25K? Live up to your big mouth and PAY ME!
05-15-2006, 07:49 AM
#43
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RE: Ebay Fever
ET, your single line responses are stupid and tiring. What, exactly, are you responding to? No, never mind. I really don't care. You NEVER have anything to really offer. All you can do is assume that everyone but you is stupid.
05-15-2006, 08:44 AM
#44
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RE: Ebay Fever
ORIGINAL: ptulmer
ET, your single line responses are stupid and tiring. What, exactly, are you responding to? No, never mind. I really don't care. You NEVER have anything to really offer. All you can do is assume that everyone but you is stupid.
ET, your single line responses are stupid and tiring. What, exactly, are you responding to? No, never mind. I really don't care. You NEVER have anything to really offer. All you can do is assume that everyone but you is stupid.
Why don't you go back and:
Reread the original complaint about how Rogflyer thinks he got shafted? Because from your answer, you obviously do not understand what he is saying. Your "solution" about lowering reserves has nothing to do with this whatsoever. All it was was you looking to make a dig at me. How sad.
At any rate, rog really beleives that there IS a piece of software that will tell the seller what someone's max bid is. He really believes it.
There is no such thing, but I give up on trying to convince him.
05-15-2006, 06:04 PM
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RE: Ebay Fever
No such thing? How can you be sure? If someone did have it why would they give it up for 25k? rog didn't say he knew how it happened. He just said it happened.
05-15-2006, 06:40 PM
#46
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RE: Ebay Fever
For what its worth:
I have bought a fair amount of stuff on eBay. I have been "sniped" a few times (outbid at the last possible second), but I learned to avoid getting into a bidding "fever." It is kinda exciting, but there are better ways to jump-start the old ticker. Now I search for the kind of things that I want. I decide early what my absolute maximum bid is and I post that bid early. More than once I have won because my max bid was the highest and it was recorded earliest. When I lose I no longer feel bad about it because whoever did win really was willing to pay more for the item than it was worth to me. Would I have paid one dollar more to win? Maybe, but maybe the other guy would just have kept bidding up. Five dollars more? Ten? It gets ridiculous after a while. So, using my method, I still get some great bargains, sometimes, and I have met some great people that I would not have otherwise. I have made purchases from Great Britain and from Australia, and all across the good 'ol US of A. I have never been "burned" by a bad purchase. Sometimes the shipping charges are outrageous, but I have also negotiated reduced charges on occasion just by asking.
Regards, Ben Newkirk
I have bought a fair amount of stuff on eBay. I have been "sniped" a few times (outbid at the last possible second), but I learned to avoid getting into a bidding "fever." It is kinda exciting, but there are better ways to jump-start the old ticker. Now I search for the kind of things that I want. I decide early what my absolute maximum bid is and I post that bid early. More than once I have won because my max bid was the highest and it was recorded earliest. When I lose I no longer feel bad about it because whoever did win really was willing to pay more for the item than it was worth to me. Would I have paid one dollar more to win? Maybe, but maybe the other guy would just have kept bidding up. Five dollars more? Ten? It gets ridiculous after a while. So, using my method, I still get some great bargains, sometimes, and I have met some great people that I would not have otherwise. I have made purchases from Great Britain and from Australia, and all across the good 'ol US of A. I have never been "burned" by a bad purchase. Sometimes the shipping charges are outrageous, but I have also negotiated reduced charges on occasion just by asking.
Regards, Ben Newkirk
05-15-2006, 11:25 PM
#47
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RE: Ebay Fever
Ptulmer,
This only happened to me a few times, as having been bitten a few times I learned my lesson and did not leave a max bid and walk away from the process again. On the occaisions when this happened I was bidding on non reserve items (engines I believe) and upon returning I found that my "winning bid" had no bid history between my last bid and my max bid. The first time it happened I just thought that something weird had happened, but the next time it happened I complained to Ebay about it. Their response was a canned email that basically said you're an idiot cause we know that can't happen period end of reply. I really didn't expect much from them so I wasn't very surprised, and I just adopted a policy of not leaving max bids laying around, problem solved. I have not been very active on the Bay of late, and wouldn't leave a max bid laying around again anyway so I can't really say whether or not this is still going on or not. However, a word to the wise as they say. It would seem that the this cannot be a very widespread problem or you would hear quite a few folks chiming in to say that they have also encountered this. My guess is that the "HOLE" was quietly plugged, and so the problem has since gone away ( I still don't leave max bids though )..!!!!
Bill S. (the other Bill)
This only happened to me a few times, as having been bitten a few times I learned my lesson and did not leave a max bid and walk away from the process again. On the occaisions when this happened I was bidding on non reserve items (engines I believe) and upon returning I found that my "winning bid" had no bid history between my last bid and my max bid. The first time it happened I just thought that something weird had happened, but the next time it happened I complained to Ebay about it. Their response was a canned email that basically said you're an idiot cause we know that can't happen period end of reply. I really didn't expect much from them so I wasn't very surprised, and I just adopted a policy of not leaving max bids laying around, problem solved. I have not been very active on the Bay of late, and wouldn't leave a max bid laying around again anyway so I can't really say whether or not this is still going on or not. However, a word to the wise as they say. It would seem that the this cannot be a very widespread problem or you would hear quite a few folks chiming in to say that they have also encountered this. My guess is that the "HOLE" was quietly plugged, and so the problem has since gone away ( I still don't leave max bids though )..!!!!
Bill S. (the other Bill)
05-16-2006, 07:08 AM
#48
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RE: Ebay Fever
ORIGINAL: bsindel
Ptulmer,
This only happened to me a few times, as having been bitten a few times I learned my lesson and did not leave a max bid and walk away from the process again. On the occaisions when this happened I was bidding on non reserve items (engines I believe) and upon returning I found that my "winning bid" had no bid history between my last bid and my max bid. The first time it happened I just thought that something weird had happened, but the next time it happened I complained to Ebay about it. Their response was a canned email that basically said you're an idiot cause we know that can't happen period end of reply. I really didn't expect much from them so I wasn't very surprised, and I just adopted a policy of not leaving max bids laying around, problem solved. I have not been very active on the Bay of late, and wouldn't leave a max bid laying around again anyway so I can't really say whether or not this is still going on or not. However, a word to the wise as they say. It would seem that the this cannot be a very widespread problem or you would hear quite a few folks chiming in to say that they have also encountered this. My guess is that the "HOLE" was quietly plugged, and so the problem has since gone away ( I still don't leave max bids though )..!!!!
Bill S. (the other Bill)
Ptulmer,
This only happened to me a few times, as having been bitten a few times I learned my lesson and did not leave a max bid and walk away from the process again. On the occaisions when this happened I was bidding on non reserve items (engines I believe) and upon returning I found that my "winning bid" had no bid history between my last bid and my max bid. The first time it happened I just thought that something weird had happened, but the next time it happened I complained to Ebay about it. Their response was a canned email that basically said you're an idiot cause we know that can't happen period end of reply. I really didn't expect much from them so I wasn't very surprised, and I just adopted a policy of not leaving max bids laying around, problem solved. I have not been very active on the Bay of late, and wouldn't leave a max bid laying around again anyway so I can't really say whether or not this is still going on or not. However, a word to the wise as they say. It would seem that the this cannot be a very widespread problem or you would hear quite a few folks chiming in to say that they have also encountered this. My guess is that the "HOLE" was quietly plugged, and so the problem has since gone away ( I still don't leave max bids though )..!!!!
Bill S. (the other Bill)
05-16-2006, 07:30 AM
#49
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RE: Ebay Fever
Well, I tried! I don't remember all those reserve stipulations when I was selling kits. You guys gotta get a sniping account. That way you don't run the bid up ahead of time. It probably ain't nice, but who said I was nice? Just nicer than some...
I wonder if Ebay is running some kind of Microsoft software? Patches, holes, etc.[sm=spinnyeyes.gif] I don't doubt you guys one bit. With the stakes high like ET pointed out, any security problems they had would be denied unless proven. Of course, they couldn't be proven without internal access. The guys that found the hole in the first place sure ain't gonna be telling!
I wonder if Ebay is running some kind of Microsoft software? Patches, holes, etc.[sm=spinnyeyes.gif] I don't doubt you guys one bit. With the stakes high like ET pointed out, any security problems they had would be denied unless proven. Of course, they couldn't be proven without internal access. The guys that found the hole in the first place sure ain't gonna be telling!
05-16-2006, 08:25 AM
#50
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RE: Ebay Fever
ORIGINAL: ptulmer
Well, I tried! I don't remember all those reserve stipulations when I was selling kits. You guys gotta get a sniping account. That way you don't run the bid up ahead of time. It probably ain't nice, but who said I was nice? Just nicer than some...
I wonder if Ebay is running some kind of Microsoft software? Patches, holes, etc.[sm=spinnyeyes.gif] I don't doubt you guys one bit. With the stakes high like ET pointed out, any security problems they had would be denied unless proven. Of course, they couldn't be proven without internal access. The guys that found the hole in the first place sure ain't gonna be telling!
Well, I tried! I don't remember all those reserve stipulations when I was selling kits. You guys gotta get a sniping account. That way you don't run the bid up ahead of time. It probably ain't nice, but who said I was nice? Just nicer than some...
I wonder if Ebay is running some kind of Microsoft software? Patches, holes, etc.[sm=spinnyeyes.gif] I don't doubt you guys one bit. With the stakes high like ET pointed out, any security problems they had would be denied unless proven. Of course, they couldn't be proven without internal access. The guys that found the hole in the first place sure ain't gonna be telling!