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Subject: 
Re: [DISC] Shortcircuit eBay?
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.market.auction
Date: 
Wed, 28 Apr 1999 00:13:08 GMT
Viewed: 
713 times
  
In lugnet.market.auction, Rose Regner writes:
Here is an argument (of mine) pulled from a previous thread.  It shows one
(of many) of the problems with fixed-end auctions.

"I don't know about other people, but I tend to go into an auction (more
often a parts auction than an auction server, but the principle still
applies)with two things.  A maximum budget, and a list of things I want.  so
if I'm looking at A and B, and have a maximum of $20.00, there's a huge
variety of prices that can apply.  Most of the options open to me involve
being able to reconsider either lot when I get outbid.  If I go with your
logic above, I bid $10 on each, and leave it.  What if A goes for $12 and B
goes for $3?  I've only got 1 lot that I wanted, and I still had budget
available.  If I was able to re-evaulate each time I got outbid (i.e. not a
snipe-able system), I could keep bidding on lot A for another 5 bucks.

I know there's some holes in the logic, but the point is there.  I usually
know how much I'm willing to spend on something, but I can't very readily
predict how much I _can_ spend on something.  Does that make sense?"

I understand the dilemma, but just because you may want 2 different items
and have a fixed maximum, and I only want one and have the same amount to
spend, doesn't mean e-bay is bad, or I am the bad guy. I have a few sets I
am looking for, and may be willing to spend all my $$ on one lot.

I never claimed other bidders (or you) were the bad buy.  Nor does this
example by itself, I admit, make e-bay bad(1).  It does, however, illustrate a
flaw in a fixed-ending auction, in that it means a buyer goes away unhappy,
and with money unspent, a seller gets less for an item than they could have,
and the auction host gets less money, and a buyer out there who is bitching
about them.

I fully simpathize with your situation, and I have been there! I just do not
think that an auction is the place for that situation. One must prioritize!

For instance, using your example, you went to a store and found 2 Lego sets
you wanted. You only had enough $ for one. You have to make a decision on
which to buy. A day later, you come back and the other set is gone. Do you
blame the store?? You had to decide.

Not really comparable. In my example, I had enough money to "buy" both, but I
wasn't given the opportunity to.  It would be comparable to a store only
allowing you to take 1 item off the shelf in any given day, even though you
want, and can afford 2.

Although not an auction, I still think that the responsibility is yours to
decide what you want at the moment. If the TRUE frustration is that the
prices for what you want is too high, or you do not have enough cash to
purchase both sets, I do not see how you can blame the auction!

But that isn't the frustration!  I have enough cash, and the prices aren't too
high, yet the system doesn't give me a chance to get both (in my example).
That is where much of the frustration comes from.

James
http://www.shades-of-night.com/lego/

1: I have other reasons for considering e-bay "bad", this is simply an example
of why it's stupid. :)



Message has 2 Replies:
  Re: [DISC] Shortcircuit eBay?
 
(...) Like the fact that I just this morning received a "daily eBay update" which was two days stale? It listed my auction (which closed two days ago), with an old high-bid? And I still haven't received the auction-closing confirmation e-mail from (...) (25 years ago, 28-Apr-99, to lugnet.market.auction)
  Re: [DISC] Shortcircuit eBay?
 
(...) And *this* makes eBay bad, IMO. --Todd (25 years ago, 29-Apr-99, to lugnet.market.auction)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: [DISC] Shortcircuit eBay?
 
(...) people (...) (of (...) often (...) with (...) looking (...) bid (...) able (...) could (...) I understand the dilemma, but just because you may want 2 different items and have a fixed maximum, and I only want one and have the same amount to (...) (25 years ago, 27-Apr-99, to lugnet.market.auction)

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