WTF is going on with Ebay??

[Psychonaut]

I've kinda been away from it for a while but how is it that in the last 2 seconds of auctions, the prices are jumping up by $100 or more? I should have won 4 in the last 3 days based on pure auction ninja skill, but have been slammed by some abnormal numbers flying up before I can get a refresh.

Is there some new voodoo that ebay has implemented allowing high-powered bidders to put the wtfpwn on penniless paupers like myself? I am beyond furious as I could have almost completed a vinyl collection with this.

The numbers go:
$24
$35
$40
$139.99
$142.49

All in the last 2 seconds of the auction... WTF!

[Zephyrus]

What were you bidding on?

[Ben_t]

Believe it or not it's possible that 5 people wait until there's less than 5 seconds left to bid.

Based on the numbers you posted...one maximum bid was 24, then another bid 35...then another had 40 then you had 2 crazy ones that bid 142 and the other bid more so he ended up getting the item. But it only takes 2 crazy bidder to really make an auction go very high in a matter of seconds.

[Zephyrus]

I often ninja bid with 5-10 seconds left, but that usually gets me a lower price than expected.

[Psychonaut]

I entered a bid at 14 seconds then counted down to 5 in my head and confirmed it. It said I was winning, I hit refresh, and the auction was over and the price had jumped $110.00. Got me twice in a row last night and twice on Friday night. Same crap.

I was trying to finish my Dead Can Dance vinyl collection.

I guess I don't understand how it went from 40 to $140 without the middle steps. I've never seen it blaze to someone's maximum bid without "walking" up.

[V.V.V.V.V.]

Because some people are motherfucking crazy.

[Ben_t]

Originally Posted by Psychonaut

I guess I don't understand how it went from 40 to $140 without the middle steps. I've never seen it blaze to someone's maximum bid without "walking" up.

Like I said before it's easy. It takes only 2 crazy bidders.

When you bid you enter your maximum bid. So if crazy bidder A bid 140 and crazy bidder B bids 200...it's going to show exactly what you saw there.

B will win because his maximum bid was higher and it will surpass A by the lowest amount possible. So B wins with a final bid of 50 cents more.

[cook-ta]

I lost Ceremonium - Into The Autumn Shade again on saturday. I had the winning bid with like 3 seconds left but I still lost. Ebay has been pissing me off a lot lately because I lost the last 4 or 5 items I bid on in the final seconds.

[AchrisK]

It's called sniping, and in many cases it can help keep the price reasonable. But as has been said, it only takes 2 maniacs to get a price very high. Don't blame eBay, it's the bidders.

There are services that will place bids for you. I use one sometimes, especially if I will not be there at the end.

[genocide roach]

yeah, as ack said. there are sites/programs that will place a last second max bid on your behalf
~gR~