My Biggest eBay gripe..

From: daniel <daniel_at_internet.look.ca>
Date: Sun Oct 17 20:00:53 1999

-----Original Message-----
From: John Lawson <jpl15_at_netcom.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Sunday, October 17, 1999 8:57 PM
Subject: My Biggest eBay gripe..


>
>
> My main concern with the eBay auction algorithm is that it is
>time-limited, rather than bid-limited.... the aution closes after a
>fixed span **no matter what the bidding activity is**.
>
> 'Normal' auctions close when **no further bids are recieved** in an
>agreed-upon span.
>
> I have bought and sold hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of
>aerospace and industrial surplus at auctions large and small,
>sealed-bid and open-floor, honestly run and 'otherwise'. The reason
>I dislike the eBay model is that the item most often goes to the
>fastest/luckiest bidder (sniper)... and that's totally wacked, IMHO.
>
> I am not going to join the "capitalism vs. overvaluation" debate.
>I'm a captialist *and* a collector... that's internal conflict
>enough.
>
> I wonder how much tweaking would be involved on the part of eBay's
>logicians to convert it over to the more familiar "going, going,
>gone!" type of format.
>
> What do You All think??
>

I emailed EBay asking them to extend an auction by 10 minutes every time a
bid comes in close to the closing (within the last 10 minutes) . No response
yet... I love the snipering though.. have gotten many great deals because
people won't bid what they are willing to pay if they think no one else will
bid.

> Cheers
>
>John
>
>
>
Received on Sun Oct 17 1999 - 20:00:53 BST