topic Re: Time sequence and bid sequence reporting issues in Community Feedback

Time sequence and bid sequence reporting issues

dpar3518 — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 13:39:49 GMT

Bids closed at 25/02/24 at 19:00 AEDST - My (dpar) bid of $46 was timed as above at 13:57:54 but as one can see a 6**2 $45 bid was timed at 19:00:47 followed by my 2 higher bids of $46 and $55 (a $10 increase against myself ?) but those 2 bids were timed at 13:57:54 - about 5 hours hours before the so called auto bidding was supposed to place my higher bids after 19:00:47- so what happened after 19:00:47 to my 2 higher bids which had those "wonky/incorrect" times reported? - I would have thought higher bids would always be recorded at a later time sequence - it is an auction where the higher bid always winning, is it not ? It would seem that auto bidding can follow a very strange sequence in dates and times. The timing below is a exact copy from the full bidding ebay report - dates and times are out of sequence with the increasing bids but maybe there is an explanation which I would like to know.

Re: Time sequence and bid sequence reporting issues

padi*0409 — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 13:50:52 GMT

What was the item number so that we can see the bidding for ourselves ?

Re: Time sequence and bid sequence reporting issues

dpar3518 — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 22:33:04 GMT

Logitech Harmony Advanced Universal Remote 525 SEALED (6) #405

(266680701210)

99.80 %Feedback percentage for

Your max. bid: AU $55.00

Also my screen showed $33 and that bid winning as the system counted down to 18:00:00 AEST

and did not show any change in my bid status from 19 Feb 24 to auction closing . Often the bids and offers page did not show I had a bid- I was "not bidding on any items"

The $10 bid acceleration after 19:00:47 seems to allow the winner to get to $56 in less than 1 second - from 19:00:47 to 19:00:48 (when I had 2 bids at 13:57:54 AEDST - how quick is that even if it was 5 hours before)

Re: Time sequence and bid sequence reporting issues

sugar249 — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 22:42:01 GMT

A****A most probably put in their $56 bid at the last second, and 6****8 had an autobid top range of $55.

So as soon as A****A put in their bid, it maxed out 6****8 and tool A****A as the high bid.

Re: Time sequence and bid sequence reporting issues

dpar3518 — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 23:32:24 GMT

Your sequencing does not take into account the 'wrong' timing reported and there is no 6***8 bid - it seems there can be more than 1 bid per second and my 2 bids were made 5 hours earlier - the last bid was actually made in the 48 th second so bids can be made 48 seconds after close - also why did my screen show no bidding after my $33 bid which continually showed me winning - indeed the $55 bid was mine and not 6***8 - 6***2 had 2 bids at 19:00:47 and my 2 bids at 13:57:54 (???) maxed out that bid, 47 seconds after closing or 5 hours before closing (take your pick)- no logic there - and why did my accelerated $55 bid max out my $46 bid by $10 when the bid rise was supposed to be $1 - - I understand auto bids are in italics - how did a bidder manage to get a bid at $56 approved at 48 seconds after 19:00:00 close.

Re: Time sequence and bid sequence reporting issues

countessalmirena — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 23:57:03 GMT

The close is 19:00, not 19:00:00.

The auto bids will be increased automatically to the lowest bid needed to outbid a previous or current bid, up to the maximum bid by that bidder. In a hotly contested auction, it will look far more confusing than this, as competing bids and auto bids will reset the bids placed and incremental times will scramble to reflect what’s happening/happened.

Auction snipe bids set up with Gixen or similar will have a time (seconds, microseconds) advantage over manual or auto bids on eBay.

Re: Time sequence and bid sequence reporting issues

dpar3518 — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 01:00:21 GMT

Well, the actual close was after 19:00 namely 19:00:48

The reply does not address my reported 13:57:45 bids

I will not be bidding again as relying on the ebay auto biding creates incorrect timing (can be incorrect by 5 hours illustrating the excessive 'scramble' involved) which means I can never win an auction. How Gixen or similar accelerates my $46 bit to $55 is questionable but there will be no answer from ebay or anyone else and I cannot accept that is fair or just a glitch or normal ebay business fairness and practice. How Gixen or ebay system allows the 19:00 close time to really be 19:00:48 is also questionable given it accepts microsecond bidding. Seems 'sniping' is allowed as fair and reasonable practice.

Gixen has a time advantage over manual or auto bids only if ebay allows that and obviously ebay does if the above reply is accurate. I have also cancelled my ebay membership. $5 for nothing is a waste where I will no longer be bidding. A real fixed price and a guarantee the new not used goods are as described will be sufficient for me from now on.

No solutions and no help in the replies has helped me make a fair and valid decision. But I have learned a lot from the replies above which indicate a 'Gixen' thing exists and that is the solution generally accepted as best ebay bidding - forget the auto thing

Re: Time sequence and bid sequence reporting issues

countessalmirena — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 01:30:12 GMT

Farewell and may fortune smile on thee in whatever travels lie ahead.

There’s no fee for joining eBay.

However, it’s probably best that you eschew eBay as its auction format is clearly not for you.

For the benefit of anyone else who may come across this thread in the future…

1. Yes, sniping is permitted. See https://www.ebay.com.au/help/buying/auctions-bidding/bid-sniping?id=4224

2. Automatic bidding may see your bid immediately outbid if someone else has placed an automatic bid with a higher maximum than yours. Your visible placed bid will increase by increments if/when other bids are placed that are higher than the current increment of your automatic bid. See https://www.ebay.com.au/help/buying/auctions-bidding/bidding-works?id=4014

3. The latest time at which bids can be placed is apparently not to the second but to the microsecond, wherein a time not reaching the next second is still contained within the allowed timeframe. In other words, whole-time increments to the second, including the final second in full before the next second is reached.

Re: Time sequence and bid sequence reporting issues

dpar3518 — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 04:12:07 GMT

Would not want anyone to be mislead by my time sequencing

Ebay prime is $5 per month

However, this timed interval was not a whole timed increment of 1 second after bids closed at 19:00 but 48 seconds more- or so the record shows

From 3 above the final second would be 19:00:00 if indeed the closing time was 19:00

The winning bid was at 19:00:48 but with 2 bidders, the ebay computer can take up to 49 seconds to decide

Discrepancies were not addressed in any of the most helpful replies were:

1 My $46 and $55 bids being recorded as 13:57:54 even though they seemed to have happening after 19:00:47 but should have been reported at some other time within the stated closing time interval of 1 second

2 My screen showing the $33 bid right through to the bid close times of 19:00 or 19:00:48 - which ever is the correct time

3 increments within the band $25 to $99 are at $1 so how did my $46 bid increase by $9 to $55

Obliviously, the $55 bid was in response to something happening between 19:00:47 and 19:00:48

4 the 6***u and 6***2 bid times are incorrect as to date and/or times

A simple solution would be to state the bidding sequence above is incorrect rather than just ignore it. the auction perhaps finished at 19:00:48 so my $46 and $55 bids were microseconds before that OR the bidding sequence is incorrect with my 2 bids being microseconds after 18:59:59 with the winning bid microseconds before 19:00. In other words, the bidding sequence reported can be incorrect due to whatever happens at close time if more than 2 bids.

I looked at a page somewhere which seemed to indicate the snipe may fail because auto was better - just leave it up to ebay

Re: Time sequence and bid sequence reporting issues

sugar249 — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 05:11:56 GMT

Either way your highest bid was less than the other bid be it a snipe bid or heaven forbid another human, thats how auctions work, whoever is prepared to pay the highest amount wins

Re: Time sequence and bid sequence reporting issues

dpar3518 — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 05:52:47 GMT

Yes, I agree, but a decision about that highest bidder should be made at the stated auction expiry time (in this case 19:00 or within 1 second of it). The highest bid should not win after this time. That is to what I am objecting. It means that any auto bid I set cannot be successful, if the auto bid is made to cease by the bidding expiry time and another bid can succeed up to 48 seconds longer

Re: Time sequence and bid sequence reporting issues

countessalmirena — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 06:15:05 GMT

OP, if you had set your maximum bid at, say, $100, you’d probably have won. When it comes to setting a maximum, you need to make it the very highest you are willing to pay, so that if you lose, you know you were not willing to bid even 1¢ more.

The problem with using eBay to bid automatically on your behalf is that your maximum is out there ready to be exposed. As other bidders bid, your bid will be automatically increased to beat them, and a bad-intentioned “bidder” can bid you up to the highest you have bid, then retract their bid with an excuse, having thus exposed for their knowledge what your maximum is.

It doesn’t even have to be a bad bidder; another bidder having placed their maximum (let’s say it’s just $5 lower than your max) will automatically drive your bid up to that level.

If you wait until the last few seconds and bid your absolute maximum then, you’d have a better chance of avoiding the process of nibble-bidding and could well win at a price considerably less than your max.

However, if someone else is also bidding in those last few seconds and their max is higher than yours, of course you will not be the winner.

Manual sniping runs the risk of a slow-running server, failure of communication (so bid never received), forgetting, your computer having a fit, etc.

Using an auction sniper is strategically more likely to succeed. There will be a mirror server in case of failure from the main server, no forgetting, bid placed in last 3 or d at o seconds and much faster than any human can bid, and once again you’ll only be increasing the highest bid by the required increment, up to your max but often well below it.

I won’t belabour the fact that 19:00:48 is contained within 19:00… it’s not yet 19:01. That appears to be how eBay have set up the end time but it may show time after final processing. At any rate, that’s the time displayed but I wouldn’t rely on that being time actually bid.

Re: Time sequence and bid sequence reporting issues

sugar249 — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 06:18:46 GMT

@dpar3518 wrote:
Yes, I agree, but a decision about that highest bidder should be made at the stated auction expiry time (in this case 19:00 or within 1 second of it). The highest bid should not win after this time. That is to what I am objecting. It means that any auto bid I set cannot be successful, if the auto bid is made to cease by the bidding expiry time and another bid can succeed up to 48 seconds longer

I think you miss an important factor, a listing is set to run for exactly say 3 days (5 or 10), so if they kick started the listing at 48 seconds after the hour, than it will finish at exactly 48 seconds after the hour in 3 days.

Re: Time sequence and bid sequence reporting issues

sugar249 — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 06:20:30 GMT

@kh-stanley1 wrote:
Just my two cents, based on answers provided by vastly experienced sellers on eBay US, the asnwer is that an auction ends to the second of the time period selected.

In this case the auction was loaded at 18 Feb 2024 at 19:00:53 AEDST
and ended, exactly seven days later Ended:25 Feb, 2024 19:00:53 AEDST

The incremental bidding has been explained already in this thread, as has the final bid, either by sniping or by someone with great reflexes, placed 5 seconds before the auction expired

Snap, we both had the same thought. LOL...

Re: Time sequence and bid sequence reporting issues

dpar3518 — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 06:35:17 GMT

Ah some relevant info -The 19:00 time was indeed incorrect

Just to prove the published closing time and also to prove that 5 hours before the end, I had no indication that my $33 bid had been overtaken by a further 8 bids.

Re: Time sequence and bid sequence reporting issues

sugar249 — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 06:37:24 GMT

@dpar3518 wrote:
Ah some relevant info -The 19:00 time was indeed incorrect
Just to prove the published closing time and also to prove that 5 hours before the end, I had no indication that my $33 bid had been overtaken by a further 8 bids.

Thats because it is still 5 hours from the auction end time, you need to refresh the page, and it will start counting down in the last hour (on some browsers)

Re: Time sequence and bid sequence reporting issues

dpar3518 — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 09:36:59 GMT

A few bits of info I have learnt

1 Only use the start date down to the second and add the auction time to that - do not use the screen end date and time - can be incorrect by many seconds or even minutes

2 Set an auto bid based on the time to end and the relevant bid increase for that bid range for the estimate of a possible final bid - example $25 to $99 - $1 increment

3 Do not bid at all until the last possible seconds and allow 20 or so increments but this may not allow for bids where you may bid against yourself and an increment may be more than that shown in my example

5 Refresh the page (whatever that means) - If the screen does not show the latest bids but counts down and shows winning then suspect an issue but I do not have a solution

4 Perhaps Use Gixen over the last 40 seconds or perhaps try Bidnapper for a free trial

Re: Time sequence and bid sequence reporting issues

sugar249 — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 09:44:14 GMT

@dpar3518 wrote:

3 Do not bid at all until the last possible seconds and allow 20 or so increments but this may not allow for bids where you may bid against yourself and an increment may be more than that shown in my example

You cant bid against yourself. Unless you have 2 accounts bidding.

Re: Time sequence and bid sequence reporting issues

dpar3518 — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 13:38:31 GMT

Yes I know but ebay auto bidding can - if you look at my bid sequence at 1 of 18 above you can see I had a proxy/auto? bid at $46 then a my/real? bid of $55 at exactly the same day and time with a $9 increment (which cannot happen, of course but seems it did).

It is something I should be aware of

Re: Time sequence and bid sequence reporting issues

sugar249 — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 19:32:41 GMT

@dpar3518 wrote:
Yes I know but ebay auto bidding can - if you look at my bid sequence at 1 of 18 above you can see I had a proxy/auto? bid at $46 then a my/real? bid of $55 at exactly the same day and time with a $9 increment (which cannot happen, of course but seems it did).
It is something I should be aware of

It only happened because someone else bidded in between, but the bid history is showing it in an odd way.