Re: [photo-3d] Sniping

["Hans Middendorp" <ajhans@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

More on the issue of sniping - my two cents...

The phenomenon of sniping really stops me from bidding myself in most
instances, as it means becoming involved in last-second bidding up to often
much higher bids then I originally had in mind anyway. And stopping people
from bidding is probably not the idea of eBay, is it?

I have been wondering why eBay is not employing some variant of the
"five-minute-rule" used in many telephone auctions (i.e. bidding to continue
until no more bids received for 5 minutes, or whatever limit agreed). That
would really expose the highest bid, in favour of the seller, would it not?
It would surely counterbalance sniping, IMHO, because each snipe would again
extend the time-limit.

The way it works now, there is a one-week (or whatever) advertising period
(_for the innocents_ as George has pointed out), with a 60-second bidding
period (and at often inconvenient times in my part of the world). Those who
are on-line 24-hours, with access to sniping software, are defenitely
advantaged.

Anyway, same items do turn up again and again... At some stage, even the
snipers must have spend all their money!

Hans
(prevented from spending too much on eBay by snipers)
-

One comment on George's story:

I would not be surprised if the seller would have put in his own high bid
through his wife's email account or something!

From: Dr. George A. Themelis <drt-3d@xxxxxxx>
>
> Here is a real story:  There was a Greek stereoview
> in ebay that I wanted.  Someone had a bid for $10
> or so.  I started bidding a 5 minutes before the
> end (that's when I was the innocent unspoiled buyer).
> I go $15 thinking I will blow the other guy out of
> the water.  Nope!  Not good enough.  (etc. etc.).