Question from USA bidder - any thoughts welcome

[siddieswans]

I got this message from a USA bidder this morning. I am not sure I understand what has happened - perhaps someone can explain it to me (and then I can try and explain it to her.)

"I'm sorry if this is going to sound like sour grapes but I'm just starting to detest Ebay. I am in the US, I studied money conversions, set my bid and waited. The item was to time out VERY late so I set my alarm. I watched as the auction ended. I took a screenshot as my trust for Ebay has waned. The image says You're the high bidder. It also stated time left is ZERO. I closed my eyes and went to sleep thinking of course I had won, right? Nope...this morning I awoke to I had been outbid. ....... But there is no other way to feel about this keep happening except there is something very unfair I would love to understand. Thanks for listening. Sincerely,

As you can see when her screen shot shows time left as "Ended" there are only 2 bids shown, and she is top bidder at $100. These are the bids shown on the listing, including eBay generated proxy bids. 4 bids, 3 bidders.

Oz2 Feedback score (3180) AU $211.30 9 Jun 2024 at 16:14:54 AEST Australia

USA Feedback score (232) AU $208.80 9 Jun 2024 at 14:21:26 AEST 42071

This is an automatic bid (proxy bid) placed by eBay on behalf of the bidder.USA Feedback score (232)

AU $153.50 9 Jun 2024 at 14:21:26 AEST 42071

Oz1 Feedback score (222) AU $151.00 9 Jun 2024 at 16:14:46 AEST Australia

This is an automatic bid (proxy bid) placed by eBay on behalf of the bidder USA Feedback score (232)

AU $100.00 9 Jun 2024 at 14:21:26 AEST 42071

Oz1 Feedback score (222) AU $99.00 5 Jun 2024 at 13:38:36 AEST Australia

So actually her screen shot does not show the bids generated in (literally) the last minute of bidding; the bid of $151.00 from Oz1 at 16:14:46 that created a proxy bid for her of AU $153.50; and then the bid from Oz2 at 16:14:54 which outbid her top bid of $208.80.  All I can think of is that there is some sort of time lag between USA and Oz eBay which could account for the fact  that while there were actually 4 bids and 3 bidders, when USA showed time Ended it had only registered 2 bids and 2 bidders. She thinks this is an eBay conspiracy, while I think it is some sort of a basic flaw. In any case, if this is a normal occurrence it won't help her in future with last-minute bidding from an International eBay site.  Any thoughts welcome.

[countessalmirena]

In the last few seconds if there’s a flurry of bids, I know that the computer (and worse still, smart device on the app) may well not show all of the activity in real time.

If she’d refreshed a little later, the screen would have shown that she hadn’t won the item.

Could you suggest that she sign up to Gixen as a back-up, where she can put her absolute maximum that she would be willing to pay for an item? It won’t help with her perception of something weird going on, but it might help with her feeling eBay’s automatic bids are letting her down. 

[siddieswans]

Thanks for your thoughts. I imagined that her left bid was her highest; I thought she watched for peace of  mind rather than  to bid again if necessary. (But I may be wrong about this.) Subscribing to Gixen may give her some surety as opposed to reliance on eBay's automatic bidding. Good suggestion.

[twyngwyn]

Is eBay Technical Issue Depressing Auction Prices? (ecommercebytes.com)

[sugar249]

definitely sour grapes.

Block her, and move on with your life.

[siddieswans]

Thanks for providing that link, I will pass it on in my reply.

[gutterpunkz05]

The screen shot may show her as the top bidder, but it has not been refreshed otherwise it would have shown, in this case, you have been outbid, or failing the last second bid, you have won this item.

The last second bid. is the legitimate winning bid and as such she has not won this item.

[siddieswans]

I guess she would say that the screen HAS refreshed, as it shows Ended and the correct Ended time - June 09 1.15 am. Could the time refresh without the bids being refreshed?

[countessalmirena]

Yes; the time progression is a constant change and it is sure to be handled by a different set of code than the receiving of new bids and the ultimate winning bid.

[gutterpunkz05]

No matter what the time says, you have not won anything, until you are the top bidder changes to you have won this item.

The countdown clock, does not equate to refreshing the page.