eBay being sued over patent infringement

From: Mail List <mail.list_at_analog-and-digital-solutions.com>
Date: Thu Apr 24 11:30:01 2003

Jeffrey,

> When two or more bidders are competing in the final moments of an
auction, they
> get caught in the excitement of battle, and those psychological forces
induce them
> to place bids higher then they would have normally placed. I have
experienced it both
> as a seller and as a bidder.

This happens sometimes. I've been there. Sometimes my best way to keep from
getting
caught up in it is to enter my bid ( that hopefully only purely rational
thought has gone into
making that decision, leaving emotion out of it ) into a bid sniping
service, and then walking
away from it. Come back after it's all over and then see if the item was
won or not.

> My favorite idea is simply to have sealed bids.

A sealed bid sale is effectively where every bid is the same as the snipe
bid. I'd bid at a few
sealed bid sales. I generally liked them, but again, you don't have the
chance to change your
mind and increase your bid if you're not the high bidder.





At 10:48 AM 4/24/03 -0500, you wrote:
>On Thursday, April 24, 2003, Innfogra_at_aol.com wrote:
> > Actually, as a seller, I think the eBay process sucks. It is the second
> > best bidder that really sets the price. The advantage really is to the
> > bidder.
>
>I feel that the advantage quite frequently tilts to the seller. When two or
>more bidders are competing in the final moments of an auction, they get
>caught in the excitement of battle, and those psychological forces induce
>them to place bids higher then they would have normally placed. I have
>experienced it both as a seller and as a bidder.
>
> > Another very successful Internet auction run by LabX is a much preferred
> > model for me. It is where the sale is extended by a minute or two when
> > each bid comes in at the end of the auction. WWW.labx.com
>
>My favorite idea is simply to have sealed bids. That is, you don't know the
>high bid until the auction closes. Doing it that way prevents last-minute
>psychology from causing bad decisions.
>
>--
>Jeffrey Sharp
Received on Thu Apr 24 2003 - 11:30:01 BST