eBay

dealsagent · ‎07-26-2017

although eBay might keep sending you updates about your own item and when it sells they'll apologize to you for missing out and direct you to a similuar item

omgitlightsup · ‎07-27-2017

@thatsallfolks wrote:
@omgitlightsup wrote:
I remember that too, and when you could
stop an auction any time you wanted to (like five minutes before the schedule end to deter snipers)
You still can. It's still the equivalent of setting currency on fire, but you can still do it.

Some time in the early 2000's it became impossible to stop an auction in the last hour. That restriction may have been lifted since.

And no, it actually encourages people to bid earlier. (Of course you have to make them aware of it in the listing). I have gotten hundreds of appreciative emails from bidders who don't like getting sniped. Almost to the point where I felt bad, because the whole reason I did it was to encourage competitive bidding.

And yeah, people will argue til they're blue in the face that it doesn't get you more money. Those people are all sniper bidders. They hate it when you find ways to counter their tactics.

*help_no_brakes* · ‎07-27-2017

" They hate it when you find ways to counter their tactics."

How do you "counter their tactics"?

Why do you want less money for your item?

timemachine777 · ‎07-27-2017

@thatsallfolks wrote:
@timemachine777 wrote:
@thatsallfolks wrote:
@omgitlightsup wrote:
Back in the 90s, you could bid on your own items.
I wasn't aware that shill bidding (a crime) was ever permitted on eBay. Not believing that one.
It wasn't that eBay allowed it. They just didn't have the software in place to prevent you from doing it. Most shills were done via family and friends. That way you had different ID's appearing. Only dumb people would bid on their own stuff with linked accounts.
That's definitely not what ke4fpb is claiming. Read it again:

"It absolutely was permitted to accept bids from other sources, and submit them on behalf of your buyers."

The statement is true, though it was a violation. Where did you get the final statement that you made from? (which message #)?

pingpong517 · ‎07-27-2017

LOL reminds me of the movie with Peter Sellers... Being There.

"I like to watch".... never seen it... it is a good movie... if you like Peter sellers... it is just an odd story, but slow and somewhat pulls you in to see what happens.....

pingpong517 · ‎07-27-2017

ah those were the days

@omgitlightsup wrote:
Back in the 90s, you could bid on your own items.

... and no shipping fees.... good ol days.... ah the menories...lol

mg152 · ‎07-27-2017

@the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth wrote:
I don't remember that one but I didn't start until 1999. I do remember being able to leave feedback for anyone.

I thought you said you don't remember being able to leave FB for anyone. My eyesight is really gone & my mind too. The FB was entertainment! People left FB for neighbors they didn't like accusing them of illegal & immoral activity. Ex wives & ex husbands left juicy FB. I'm sure it's all gone now but I used to come on here just to read random FB & every page had a "leave FB for this member" button. May 1999 I joined but I came here way before then to look around.

I never gave in to temptation to join them but it sure was good reading! 😂😂😂😂

Patricia
eBay member for 25 years

omgitlightsup · ‎07-27-2017

This thread is about watching items, not sniping.

From the late 90s to about 2004 I ran a fairly high-volume business on here selling used video games and consoles. I would sell the same items over and over, and I regularly experimented with techniques to control sniping. It was my observation, based on hundreds of auctions of the same items over and over, that when bidders knew that sniping was impossible, I'd get more bids.

It makes perfect sense to me, as a long-time buyer in "real world auctions," since the entire institution of auction sales is based on the fact that if someone wants it, someone else will want it. Placing a bid at the last possible second prevents you from being outbid.

If you don't understand this, I know from hundreds of threads that were created back then that nothing will make it clear to you. The reason I did it was, it got me higher sale prices.

omgitlightsup · ‎07-27-2017

"I don't read."

"Who has time!"

😄

Oh God, and I'd completely forgotten about the shipping fees! Good point!

pingpong517 · ‎07-27-2017

@omgitlightsup wrote:
"I don't read."

"Who has time!"

😄

Oh God, and I'd completely forgotten about the shipping fees! Good point!

i didn't thibnk you could watch your own.. funny what you learn...and then realize "what the heck would you do that for" tio make people interested? AH.... then i would send offers to myself in that case....I'd decline of course..I only have so much to spend...lol

omgitlightsup · ‎07-27-2017

I sent myself an offer once, but it was insultingly low, and resulted in a month of self-loathing. So I don't do it anymore.

*help_no_brakes* · ‎07-27-2017

"

Placing a bid at the last possible second prevents you from being outbid."

Um...no it does not.

I am fully aware of how to snipe...that is the only way I bid.

Btw you introduced the sniping topic in one of your replies.

" I'd get more bids."

And lower ending prices.

thatsallfolks · ‎07-27-2017

@timemachine777 wrote:
@thatsallfolks wrote:
@timemachine777 wrote:
@thatsallfolks wrote:
@omgitlightsup wrote:
Back in the 90s, you could bid on your own items.
I wasn't aware that shill bidding (a crime) was ever permitted on eBay. Not believing that one.
It wasn't that eBay allowed it. They just didn't have the software in place to prevent you from doing it. Most shills were done via family and friends. That way you had different ID's appearing. Only dumb people would bid on their own stuff with linked accounts.
That's definitely not what ke4fpb is claiming. Read it again:

"It absolutely was permitted to accept bids from other sources, and submit them on behalf of your buyers."
The statement is true, though it was a violation. Where did you get the final statement that you made from? (which message #)?

Message #15.

It can't be "permitted", AND be a violation. Pick one.

omgitlightsup · ‎07-27-2017

Here's another one some of you may not recall. eBay used to show you the IDs of every bidder in all past and current auctions.

It was great to be able to email a bidder who'd missed out on a purchase and let him know you've got another similar item for sale.

And I'm sorry if this angers you, nobrakes, but counter-sniping paid off for me. It made my items sell for higher prices than when I let them sit with no activity until the last minute.

You may not buy into the frenzy of auction bidding, and that has to be a respectable feat of self-control... but most people do.

thatsallfolks · ‎07-27-2017

@omgitlightsup wrote:

It makes perfect sense to me, as a long-time buyer in "real world auctions," since the entire institution of auction sales is based on the fact that if someone wants it, someone else will want it. Placing a bid at the last possible second prevents you from being outbid.

If you don't understand this, I know from hundreds of threads that were created back then that nothing will make it clear to you. The reason I did it was, it got me higher sale prices.

If you don't understand that your statement that I underlined is not true on eBay, I need to stop reading your posts. If you do understand that, what's the relevance to this conversation?

omgitlightsup · ‎07-27-2017

@thatsallfolks wrote:
If you don't understand that your statement that I underlined is not true on eBay, I need to stop reading your posts. If you do understand that, what's the relevance to this conversation?

I think I was the first one to bring up the point that it's not relevant.

I never really got why people who snipe would argue that it doesn't have any impact on the final sale price. A lot of people even made up names for the practice, like "late proxy bidding," like it legitimizes it or something.

If bidding at the last minute had no effect on the price you'd pay, then why would you stay up til 4am hitting f5 and then time your bid with a stopwatch, risking missing out on the purchase entirely, or give your eBay credentials to a helper website to place the bid for you? It makes no sense.

As a seller, I noticed that when people are allowed to compete, I'd make more money on the sale. It's just that simple to me. If you've ever been to a real auction, you'd know that an auctioneer will never stop the bidding while people are one-upping each other. If they did, they'd make less money!

Like I said, this was once a very hot topic on the forums. I'd totally give my opinions in a new thread if you feel passionate enough to create one, since again... this is a different topic we're discussing.