Automated programs

[lancerlacediana]

Hello-  Maybe I'm late to the party, but I have been screwed out of three items just this week due to an automated or automatic program that has outbid me at the last possible seconds in an auction.  I try to use odd cent totals to try and make it more difficult for someone to outbid, it hardly ever works.  But, I just lost an auction that first started to say I was the high bidder, then in literally ONE second it changed to outbid, and I had used $0.46, the winner used $0.47.  It is just not possible for someone to do this with only 3 seconds left.  I do not think this is fair at all.  While someone is using an automatic program which only bids a penny over you they have literally no chance of losing.  How is this allowed to go on?  I am so upset about this.  Thanks.

[gosimus]

@lancerlacediana 

< but I have been screwed out of three items just this week due to an automated or automatic program that has outbid me at the last possible seconds in an auction >     

Placing a bid as the last seconds trickle away is called sniping, and it's the way I bid.  There are programs that will place the bid for you, but I do it manually.  I have a couple of 1 second wins.  I think the bid with 47¢ vs your 46¢ was a coincidence. 

You aren't screwed when you lose to a sniper.  It isn't the last bid that wins; it's the highest bid.  When that bid is placed is irrelevant.  You bid late in the auction so others won't have enough time to nibble your bid up.

Using odd cent totals isn't to prevent someone from outbidding you.  It's to give you the win in case of what would have been a tie without the odd cents.