Rargh. Now I remember why I hate ebay. - by Elentari
Elentari on 15/2/2007 at 19:56
I just got reintroduced to the reason I hate Ebay.
Bid on a copy of Thief Gold. . .outbid someone three times from 1.24 to 6.50us and there it sat all week. . .until the very last few moments of the auction then someone jerked the price up to 14 and by the time I woke up, the auction was closed. :mad:
I was so close to getting myself a copy too. Its infuriating. Now of course there are no others copies coming up in the search. And Amazon still has those two listed but for ridiculous prices. :nono:
I don't mind ebay so much when you can hit the 'buy it now' button, but the auctions are too easy to get blindsided at the last minute for something you really want.
-sigh- Back to the search I guess.
EZ-52 on 15/2/2007 at 20:33
Yeah i have tried *desperatly* to get a copy of Thief Gold through ebay, and i constantly have been outbid at the last seconds! :mad:
I also tried amazon uk and a seller is listing a new (supposdly) copy of thief gold and is asking for around £50 plus p+p. Now thief gold to add to my collection would be great but saddly dont have a spare £50 to spend on a game. :o
Im hoping that a bargain will arive soon on ebay. :D
Elentari on 15/2/2007 at 20:40
Yeah, thats exactly it. As much as I love the game, you can't spend fifty bucks or, worse, 90 on a copy when you haven't GOT 50 bucks to spend on it. 10, sure. 15? Ok. 20? Why not. More than that? I'd need to be paid first. :P Literally.
I can understand the tactic of jumping in there at the last minute. . .but darn its a letdown to someone who really wants it and has been waiting all week for it to close so they can get it.
Hewer on 15/2/2007 at 21:01
What I'll generally do is to enter the maximum I'm willing to pay, then keep an eye on my email to see if someone wants it more than me. It's not a very good tactic, but I don't have time to sit and hit refresh over and over in the waning minutes trying to outmaneuver 'nerdboy390475'.
It also helps keep me from spending more than I was originally willing to in the heat of the moment.
And sometimes I get pleasantly surprised.
Beleg Cúthalion on 15/2/2007 at 23:01
What about taking the time when the auction ends, check the computer time and bid on highest price you want to pay within the last ten seconds? There's nothing clever about that. :erg: After all, it's an auction house and not the social service.
Yandros on 15/2/2007 at 23:13
That's what my wife does on nearly every auction she bids on. On a few occasions in the last 8 years she's even managed to get a 1-second snipe, which she considers a small personal victory. Some people call it rude, but IMO it's part of the auction system; you can choose to work the system or sit back and let other people work it and get that item that you wanted.
(Don't worry, my wife hates Thief and would never bid on it.)
Elentari on 16/2/2007 at 01:55
It is sort of rude. . .but at the same time, no one can know how much you really want that item except you. . .and maybe those you talk to. The person who did it to me most likely has NO idea who I am, and it certainly was not personal. Is it frustrating, most definitely. Would I do it if I wanted the item and came on one closing? Probably. As you say its the system of the auctions. But yeah, i'm not going to sit there and refresh every few minutes either.
But even looking at it like that does not make it less frustrating that I lost something I REALLY wanted to a sniper. -sigh-
Oh well. I suppose there will be another chance. or I'll find it elsewhere eventually. *sniffs*
:) And I wasn't worried about her, Yandros. lol I am willing to bet it wasn't even someone from these boards. Although, let me see. . .your WIFE hates Thief. . .let me guess why. *grins* I'm betting she doesn't like all the time you spend on it instead of with her, yes? All you got to do then is get her hooked and all will be well. Or not.
Mortal Monkey on 16/2/2007 at 06:01
The only one actually losing money on sniping is the auctioneer though.
Elentari on 16/2/2007 at 06:42
How does the auctioneer lose money? I mean, they price their goods to a certain 'base' price, then people bid incrementally. If a sniper snipes moments before the auction's closed, they raise the price only slightly anyway.
Unless you mean because it rules out the chances of anyone bidding higher after that. I would say its not so much losing money as removing chances it can be driven higher.
I mean, technically if the seller wanted to make money off it, truly, they'd base-price it at or just below what they actually wanted so the bids would either match that or go past it. At least. . .thats what I'd do. :D
pbldcttr on 16/2/2007 at 08:50
you guys should try to look on those video game stores where they trade/sell used games and stuff. i found thief gold in the one in town for $2 dollars! :-D it was used, but it had the box and all, so i gave it to my brother (i already have the games, i bought that thief platinum bundle mama).
i remember finding lots of awesome games on this store too, so cheap! the console ones are the expensive ones. like the megaman games, $15 bucks or more! so i guess i'm lucky to have find thief gold for so cheap :-)
