Re: A Golden Opportunity!

From: Watson A.Name - \ (NOSPAM_at_dslextreme.com)
Date: 08/20/04 

Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2004 02:06:37 -0700

"Michael A. Covington" <look@ai.uga.edu.for.address> wrote in message
news:412439fd$1@mustang.speedfactory.net...
>
> "Dave Platt" <dplatt@radagast.org> wrote in message
> news:10i8d9fo3r5h7e8@corp.supernews.com...
> >
> > Sniping software is available to everybody, sniping can be done
> > manually with nothing other than a web browser and a decent watch,
and
> > (as I see it) the playing field is entirely level. The Categorial
> > Imperative applies fully, I believe.
>
> OK, then why don't we petition eBay to change over to a completely
> sealed-bid format (with the proviso that the second highest bid
determines
> the selling price, rather than the highest as in a true sealed-bid
auction).
> That would work exactly like a perfectly efficient sniping system, and
it
> would save everybody a lot of trouble.

Why should they have to "change over"? Why not make it an option that
the seller can choose?

There are so many followups in this thread that I haven't had a chance
to find out if you replied to my earlier question. What is this
supposed to accomplish? Is it supposed ro remove any purported
advantage the sniper has and level the playing field for the buyers? Or
is it supposed to help the seller?

You keep on talking about Ebay not being what it is, yet I (or we) have
said that Ebay is what it is, and it doesn't try to hide that fact.

Come to think about it, Ebay could give the buyer the option of turning
off the bid amount in his own screen. If he bids, Ebay could just tell
hime whether it was accepted or not up until the end, when it would
reveal the ending price.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Tucson RV ripoff company
    ... "Placing a high bid in the closing seconds of an auction-style listing is ... called "sniping" within the eBay Community. ... My snipe bid was ultimately the most I was willing to pay but usually I got ...
    (rec.outdoors.rv-travel)
  • Re: TV news discovers sniping
    ... Now eBay sniping may change things again. ... sellers and buyers) would like to see eBay get into the ...
    (alt.marketing.online.ebay)
  • Re: Secret Bidding approved on Ebay ....
    ... Sniping is illegal. ... "Is it permitted for another bidder to bid on an item I was bidding on ... Within the eBay Community, this practice is called "sniping" and it ... is part of the eBay experience, and all bids placed before a listing ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: sniper
    ... >gone from eBay now. ... Sniping can be a problem when taken to extremes. ... My snipes rarely net be a bargain. ... my snipe will get the item for one bid increment over the only ...
    (rec.collecting.coins)
  • Re: A Golden Opportunity!
    ... Sniping is an inefficient way of doing what it does. ... > bidding by sealed bids would accomplish the same thing (concealing ... > In a typical eBay auction today, you have 3 things that I think are ... to get enough spam thru the filters to make money. ...
    (sci.electronics.components)