# Thanks for the great app, ebay (assholes) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 1, 2010, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201 "2010-09-01T00:11:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201/1 "2010-09-01T00:11:47Z")
I got this new app from eBay for my iphone, so I could watch stuff I was trying to buy when I’m not sitting at my computer. I had a bid out for a CD today, an album I’ve been trying to get ahold of for about 10 years now, since a GF made off with my last copy. I had the high bid 24 minutes before closing. I needed groceries for dinner, so I went to the store, intending to be back just before bidding closed. I didn’t make it home in time, but I had my phone, and I never got a push that I was outbid, so when the auction ended and I got a message “auction ended” I was all like cool, let’s go see “you won this item” so when I got home, I opened up eBay on my computer, only to find that I was outbid on the item. Thanks, eBay, for the great app. It really works well. It’s sure gonna be a big help against all the people who use bots, like the asshole who won my CD. :rolleyes: For those wondering, the album I want has been OOP for more than 20 years now. There’s no option to just go to Best Buy or [amazon.com](http://amazon.com) and get this. I’m having a hard time understanding just what good an auction notification system is if it doesn’t tell you when others have outbid you. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201/2 "2010-09-01T00:56:51Z")
So, what album is it? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201/3 "2010-09-01T01:02:38Z")
_Happy Nightmare Baby_ by Opal. This will be my 3rd copy. Ex-GFs made of with the other 2. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201/4 "2010-09-01T01:08:10Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > For those wondering, the album I want has been OOP for more than 20 years now. There’s no option to just go to Best Buy or [amazon.com](http://amazon.com) and get this. From what i can see, there are quite a few copies available on [Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000000M1E/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&redirect=true&condition=all), starting at about $33 for a used copy in Very Good condition from a retailer that has a 99% positive rating. I know that’s not exactly cheap for a CD, but if i was as keen as you are to get this CD, i’d probably be willing to pay it. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201/5 "2010-09-01T01:11:21Z")
I don’t know anything about the ebay app, but is it possible your phone wasn’t getting a good data signal inside the grocery store? I know the internet on my phone works in some places within the store but not in others. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201/6 "2010-09-01T02:15:15Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Thanks, eBay, for the great app. It really works well. It’s sure gonna be a big help against all the people who use bots, like the asshole who won my CD. :rolleyes: But you already knew this app was useless to combat those who use sniper programs that bid during the last few seconds. If you were outbid by a bot, what good would it have done if you received a message that you were outbid since there’s no way you could have bid again in time? The best thing to do is also use a sniper program and make your bid the max you’d be willing to pay. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201/7 "2010-09-01T02:26:43Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > _Happy Nightmare Baby_ by Opal. I’m a big fan of the _Buckeye_ ep ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201/8 "2010-09-01T02:34:24Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > The best thing to do is also use a sniper program and make your bid the max you’d be willing to pay. Seconded. On eBay, it isn’t the _last_ bidder who wins, it is the _highest_ bidder who wins - no matter what app you have on your phone. The person who won it bid more than you did. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201/9 "2010-09-01T03:42:11Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > _Happy Nightmare Baby_ by Opal. Man, just threw that away awhile back. Betcha wish you had an “app” (is that right?) for “Sound of Shit Hitting the Bottom of A Dumpster”. (Not implying your favorite “thing” is shit, but I used the word in a more general sort of way, like “stuff”) I still remember when ebay was kinda fun. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201/10 "2010-09-01T03:52:45Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > > > Thanks, eBay, for the great app. It really works well. It’s sure gonna be a big help against all the people who use bots, like the asshole who won my CD. :rolleyes: > > But you already knew this app was useless to combat those who use sniper programs that bid during the last few seconds. If you were outbid by a bot, what good would it have done if you received a message that you were outbid since there’s no way you could have bid again in time? The best thing to do is also use a sniper program and make your bid the max you’d be willing to pay. I can bid from my phone, and from the app, dude, if I just know that I’m not the high bidder currently. I do this frequently and losing out to nanoseconds is fine, because at least AFAIK I have a shot. But to not get the notification… it’s like being a blind guy on first base and having your base coach put earphones on you so you can’t even hear the bat make contact with the ball. How do you know if you should start running? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201/11 "2010-09-01T03:57:18Z")
> [@Hanna](#): > > > [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > > > The best thing to do is also use a sniper program and make your bid the max you’d be willing to pay. > > Seconded. On eBay, it isn’t the _last_ bidder who wins, it is the _highest_ bidder who wins - no matter what app you have on your phone. The person who won it bid more than you did. They outbid me by US$.25. That’s a bot. That means the bot was resetting his max bid over and over and over. I don’t want to pay $50 for this CD (or even $35 if I can help it) because I’ve already got $35 invested in the 2 CDs I don’t have anymore. Times are tight, so I prioritize, and while this is something I would like to have, it’s not even close to the “must have over all else” category, hence I’m not paying the higher prices. That’s the whole point of finding it on auction and trying to win the bid. I almost grabbed this one for under $25. ETA: I gotta clarify my post above: this is the first I’ve used the app. I haven’t used it to bid anything yet; I usually just do that from the browser on the iphone. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201/12 "2010-09-01T04:22:28Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I can bid from my phone, and from the app, dude, if I just know that I’m not the high bidder currently. I do this frequently and losing out to nanoseconds is fine, because at least AFAIK I have a shot. But to not get the notification… it’s like being a blind guy on first base and having your base coach put earphones on you so you can’t even hear the bat make contact with the ball. How do you know if you should start running? My point was that you were specifically complaining about not winning the _Opal_ CD and then you mentioned that you were outbid by someone using a bot. Even if you had received the message, you never would have had time to bid again. Complaining that the app is useless against those that outbid you in the last few seconds (bot or not) makes no sense as you knew that already and the app doesn’t claim to be useful in that situation. > [@](#): > > They outbid me by US$.25. That’s a bot. That means the bot was resetting his max bid over and over and over. I don’t think it works that way. AFAIK, the bot does the same thing a buyer would do; it bids the max price the bidder is willing to pay, only it does it in the last few seconds. eBay software makes sure that the bidder only ends up paying one price increment more than the current highest bidder. There’s no reason to believe you were outbid by a bot just because you were outbid by a quarter. > [@](#): > > I don’t want to pay $50 for this CD (or even $35 if I can help it) because I’ve already got $35 invested in the 2 CDs I don’t have anymore. Times are tight, so I prioritize, and while this is something I would like to have, it’s not even close to the “must have over all else” category, hence I’m not paying the higher prices. **Hanna** didn’t tell you to bid $35 or $50; she said to bid the highest amount you’re willing to pay. As I suggested earlier, the best way to to this is for you to use a sniping program so that no one can see your bid in time and outbid you, as you planned on doing to whomever outbid you. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201/13 "2010-09-01T04:40:21Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > > > I can bid from my phone, and from the app, dude, if I just know that I’m not the high bidder currently. I do this frequently and losing out to nanoseconds is fine, because at least AFAIK I have a shot. But to not get the notification… it’s like being a blind guy on first base and having your base coach put earphones on you so you can’t even hear the bat make contact with the ball. How do you know if you should start running? > > My point was that you were specifically complaining about not winning the _Opal_ CD and then you mentioned that you were outbid by someone using a bot. Even if you had received the message, you never would have had time to bid again. Complaining that the app is useless against those that outbid you in the last few seconds (bot or not) makes no sense as you knew that already and the app doesn’t claim to be useful in that situation. Thanks for telling me what I know. I always find it helpful for others to tell me what I know, rather tham just know what I know myself. :rolleyes: The fact is, as I mentioned, I have won many bids on ebay because I realized I was outbid and I was able to put in a new max bid before the timer ran out. Note that I don’t bitch about the bot, just about the fact that I didn’t get any push notification, which the app is supposed to do. > [@x-ray vision](#): > > I don’t think it works that way. AFAIK, the bot does the same thing a buyer would do; it bids the max price the bidder is willing to pay, only it does it in the last few seconds. eBay software makes sure that the bidder only ends up paying one price increment more than the current highest bidder. There’s no reason to believe you were outbid by a bot just because you were outbid by a quarter. I do think it works that way, because that’s how I’ve been told the bots work. If you’d like to show different, great. But keep in mind that I’m not bitching because other people use bots. I’ve won bids before against bots, presumably, since I’ve bought a lot from eBay over the last 10 years or however they’ve been around. > [@](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > I don’t want to pay $50 for this CD (or even $35 if I can help it) because I’ve already got $35 invested in the 2 CDs I don’t have anymore. Times are tight, so I prioritize, and while this is something I would like to have, it’s not even close to the “must have over all else” category, hence I’m not paying the higher prices. > > **Hanna** didn’t tell you to bid $35 or $50; she said to bid the highest amount you’re willing to pay. As I suggested earlier, the best way to to this is for you to use a sniping program so that no one can see your bid in time and outbid you, as you planned on doing to whomever outbid you. Thanks for the suggestion, but I won’t be using a bot. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201/14 "2010-09-01T04:56:11Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > They outbid me by US$.25. That’s a bot. That means the bot was resetting his max bid over and over and over. No, that’s how eBay works. Have you not bought anything there for 8 years or something? eBay has built-in proxy bidding. You enter your maximum bid, and it automatically bids up to that value. The price ends up being one increment higher than the second-highest bid. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201/15 "2010-09-01T05:07:33Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Thanks for telling me what I know. I always find it helpful for others to tell me what I know, rather tham just know what I know myself. :rolleyes: So you already knew your complaint made no sense? Cool. > [@](#): > > The fact is, as I mentioned, I have won many bids on ebay because I realized I was outbid and I was able to put in a new max bid before the timer ran out. Note that I don’t bitch about the bot, just about the fact that I didn’t get any push notification, which the app is supposed to do. WTF? I didn’t say you bitched about the bot. Do you understand the notification wouldn’t have helped you? Did you consider the app isn’t lightening fast and it may have been programmed to not bother notifying you that you were outbid if the bidding ended seconds or less after you were outbid? Getting that notification would have done nothing to help you win. > [@](#): > > I do think it works that way, because that’s how I’ve been told the bots work. What would be the point of bots working that way when eBay’s software already makes sure that you don’t pay more than one price increment more than the last highest bidder? You said, _“They outbid me by US$.25. That’s a bot.”_ How do you think it would have been any different if you were outbid by a human for you conclude that you weren’t? > [@](#): > > I’ve won bids before against bots, presumably, since I’ve bought a lot from eBay over the last 10 years or however they’ve been around. You’ve won bids? I’m not sure what you’re saying here. It sounds like you’re saying since you’ve won lots of items in the past, you most likely have beat out bots before. If that’s what you’re saying, I don’t see why you think this. How would you beat a bot without simply bidding higher than the person sniping was willing to pay (which isn’t beating a bot)? > [@](#): > > Thanks for the suggestion, but I won’t be using a bot. That’s your prerogative, but out of curiosity- why not? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201/16 "2010-09-01T05:16:29Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > WTF? I didn’t say you bitched about the bot. Do you understand the notification wouldn’t have helped you? Did you consider the app isn’t lightening fast and it may have been programmed to not bother notifying you that you were outbid if the bidding ended seconds or less after you were outbid? Getting that notification would have done nothing to help you win. Yes, thank you; you’ve said this already. And as I said, I disagree based on my own experiences with eBay. > [@](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Thanks for the suggestion, but I won’t be using a bot. > > That’s your prerogative, but out of curiosity- why not? I just don’t want to use one. It’s a piece of software I don’t think I need. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201/17 "2010-09-01T05:23:40Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Yes, thank you; you’ve said this already. And as I said, I disagree based on my own experiences with eBay. What part of what I said do you disagree with? You believe that notification would have been helpful against a bot had you received the notification? > [@](#): > > I just don’t want to use one. It’s a piece of software I don’t think I need. Then you don’t _need_ to win anything on eBay. But if you _want_ to win more often and often pay less because no one will see your bid in time and outbid you, it would be wise to use one. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201/18 "2010-09-01T06:02:52Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > > > Yes, thank you; you’ve said this already. And as I said, I disagree based on my own experiences with eBay. > > What part of what I said do you disagree with? You believe that notification would have been helpful against a bot had you received the notification? Yes, I do, as I’ve indicated, perhaps most visibly, by starting this thread to bemoan that fact. > [@x-ray vision](#): > > Then you don’t _need_ to win anything on eBay. But if you _want_ to win more often and often pay less because no one will see your bid in time and outbid you, it would be wise to use one. Astounding. I’m pretty sure I said almost that exact same thing about knowing the difference between “want” and “need” when I said: > [@Bo](#): > > Times are tight, so I prioritize, and while this is something I would like to have, it’s not even close to the “must have over all else” category You’ve just been a terrific help, **x-ray**. Thanks so much for participating. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201/19 "2010-09-01T06:12:08Z")
I got 3 wins today on Ebay, all sniped within the last 20 seconds. And I don’t use sniping software - I just make sure to set an alarm for 5 minutes before the auction ends, then when the alarm goes off I finish what I’m doing and go to the computer/make sure my phone is out and ebay is loaded up, and wait for the timer to tic down. It’s a thrill, though I’m a bit overly cautious - I send my bid in at 20-30 seconds till. I know people who (manually) snipe and don’t send their bid till 10 seconds till. If someone was sitting at their computer, they could still see my bid and outbid me (or drive my price up) at 30 seconds. At 10 seconds - no way. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201/20 "2010-09-01T06:20:10Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Yes, I do, as I’ve indicated, perhaps most visibly, by starting this thread to bemoan that fact. Jesus Christ! Earlier I said : _My point was that you were specifically complaining about not winning the Opal CD and then you mentioned that you were outbid by someone using a bot. Even if you had received the message, you never would have had time to bid again. Complaining that the app is useless against those that outbid you in the last few seconds (bot or not) makes no sense as you knew that already and the app doesn’t claim to be useful in that situation._ Your response?: _Thanks for telling me what I know. I always find it helpful for others to tell me what I know, rather tham just know what I know myself. :rolleyes:_ Now you’re saying that’s not something you know. Explain. If a bot bids in the last few seconds (you even used the word “nanoseconds”) how could you have possibly received and read the message and placed the bid in time in time to beat a bot that is designed to beat humans? > [@](#): > > Astounding. I’m pretty sure I said almost that exact same thing about knowing the difference between “want” and “need” when I said: > > Times are tight, so I prioritize, and while this is something I would like to have, it’s not even close to the “must have over all else” category Which has nothing to do with being able to pay less for things by using a simple program. If you’re going to buy a CD regardless of your situation, a program that helps you to pay less makes sense. Your money and your choice to bitch about it rather than helping yourself though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-great-app-ebay-assholes/552201.md?page=2)