GunBroker 15-minute rule: What do some people not get about it?

[Terry Two Shanks]

I would say that he was following the main suggestions given in this thread. He had reached his max and just walked away.

Yeah that could be funny thing the guy had been a member for ten years and never bought one thing. We went back and forth several times he could have been a shill for the seller. At any rate I got a new in box Python with papers and original bill of sale for about 350 under going rate. I even called and talked to the guy who bought it new who had it for over 20 years and never fired it. At any rate GB is what it is and its always buyer beware.

 

[Rocket3]

I like Gun Broker!
It's like the biggest gun show in the world and I can attend in my underwear

 

[THEmodelof1989]

Jeez, re-read my posts. I'm not complaining about anything. I am just commenting on the silliness (IMHO) of trying to repeatedly bump a GB auction by a few bucks at the end of the auction hoping to win the bid. The GB software is specifically designed to not provide any advantage in doing this.

In my case, the guy spent about 45 minutes doing this without winning the auction. He finally got tired when he hit $520. So he could have just entered that amount the first time if that was as high as he was willing to go.

I re-read it.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines complaining as "to express grief, pain, or discontent". If you aren't doing that I don't know what it is you are doing.

It's okay, nobody is upset. We all want you to enjoy that expensive Rossi; don't forget the range report.

 

[deadin]

I would be curious as to how you arrived at a $556 max in the first place. At the time, that seems way out of line for what was being offered.



Looks like he jumped in when the bid was about $350 (What I would consider about a reasonable value, give or take, for a Rossi.)


In checking him out it appears that he only has a feedback record of "1". (Another Rossi 62 that he paid $575 for)
To me this indicates he is a very unexperienced bidder, a real Rossi aficionado or he is a shill. Take your pick......

 

[Well Armed]

I would be curious as to how you arrived at a $556 max in the first place. At the time, that seems way out of line for what was being offered.



Looks like he jumped in when the bid was about $350 (What I would consider about a reasonable value, give or take, for a Rossi.)


In checking him out it appears that he only has a feedback record of "1". (Another Rossi 62 that he paid $575 for)
To me this indicates he is a very unexperienced bidder, a real Rossi aficionado or he is a shill. Take your pick......

Looks like he was trying to find the OP's max. I've done the same thing in the past.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Originally Posted by Borderboss:
"This isn't ebay where you can snipe something at the last moment. With GB, you put in the max you're willing to pay and you win or you don't."

If that were true, then how can they do that? Am I missing something (or a few things)?

 

[Jessie]

Who pays Gunbroker? The sellers. Of course it will be set up to make the sellers happy. I don’t think they’re around to get all of us a screamin’ deal on an item we want.
The 15 min rule is there to keep bidding alive and ostensibly, to give a bidder a chance to counter a higher bid.
Sometimes you luck out, most times not. Set your limit and try not to get frustrated, it’s just kind of a game after all.
Often when I get outbid I end up finding a better gun/ deal later

 

[mike campbell]

"I just find it odd that someone would try to snipe a GB auction because the GB software is designed to p̶r̶e̶v̶e̶n̶t̶ minimize it."

I snipe GB as nearly as I can and for the same reason; to buy at the lowest possible price. It makes no sense whatsoever to bid early. There are infinite reasons why another bidder can't be there at the bell.

 

[deadin]

Who pays Gunbroker? The sellers. Of course it will be set up to make the sellers happy.

I suppose I could argue that it is actually the bidders that pay GB. Without bidders there would be no sales. No Sales, no commissions.
(Of course there are a few fees the seller has to pay up front, but those are minor compared to final value fees.)
However I do agree that it seems GB is set up with a definite slant to the sellers advantage. (The 15 minute rule being the most obvious.)

 

[Borderboss]

I don't have an issue with GB being set up to provide sellers advantages. The sellers are GB's customers. Without the sellers, there is no GB. Buyers will naturally come to GB if the sellers are there with quality products.

That's why Auction Arms seems to be floundering.

 

[dockmurgw]

Some call it sniping, I call it tactics. Others have made me pay more by doing it, I have made others pay more by doing it. I have entered a maximum bid, forgot it and lost, I have entered a maximum bid, forgot it and got a screaming deal. It's like any other type of gambling, you win some and you lose some, and the odds favor the dealer. As the old saying goes, don't like the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

 

[deadin]

With all of this discussion of the 15 minute rule, I’ve been giving some thought as to improvements in some of the GB rules and regs that would be of a benefit to the bidders. (Without bidders, no sales….).

First off, the 15 Minute Rule. I personally don’t like it but I will admit that it is a major plus for sellers and GB and of a minor benefit to bidders. I doubt that it will go away, but shortening the time extension would be helpful.

Next, Free Re-listings. I, for one, get really tired of wading though hundreds of relists during a search (some of which have been out there for month after month after month with no change). I see that GB has tried to address this with a 90 day free re-list limit.
I feel there should at least be a charge for relisting unless there is some change on the auction. I would suggest that on all Buy It Now, Starting Bid, Reserve and Make Offer auctions, the asking price should be reduced by, say, 10% to qualify it for a free relist. Other wise the seller should pay a reasonable fee for the relist. I also feel that 3 months is too long a period that a listing should just sit out there without any action.

I’m sure there will be many that disagree with me on this, but, as a bidder, it’s only my opinion.

 

[Jtown]

Interesting thread, I have never bid on GB but this gives me an idea of how it works.
Walt

 

[The_Truth]

Originally Posted by Borderboss:
"This isn't ebay where you can snipe something at the last moment. With GB, you put in the max you're willing to pay and you win or you don't."

If that were true, then how can they do that? Am I missing something (or a few things)?

Nah you're missing anything. The thread starter doesn't like a rule, and he's doing his best to try to come up with a reason why it shouldn't be a rule, but failing IMO. I think the rules are super fair and there are legit reasons for virtually everything being complained about.

 

[Borderboss]

Nah you're missing anything. The thread starter doesn't like a rule, and he's doing his best to try to come up with a reason why it shouldn't be a rule, but failing IMO. I think the rules are super fair and there are legit reasons for virtually everything being complained about.

Apparently you're missing something. How many times in this thread do I have to say that I don't have an issue with the rule before you get it?

Go back and read my initial post. You'll notice that my only issue was that this other guy kept trying to snipe the auction like this was eBay, when it's not possible on GB (no matter what anyone says). I don't really give a cr*p about that. I put my top bid in and walked away. But this guy just kept extending the auction and lost anyway. Why waste your time when it doesn't work?

 

[Targets Guy]

The problem I have with it is it restarts the clock even if it is not the high bid. Other than that it is fine.

 

[mike campbell]

... Why waste your time when it doesn't work?

Maybe he didn't consider it a waste of time. Maybe he was just enjoying himself tormenting "the other guy" and didn't stop to think he'd ever have to justify it. Ya think?

 

[tlawler]

Looks like a shill bidder to me.

 

[The_Truth]

Apparently you're missing something. How many times in this thread do I have to say that I don't have an issue with the rule before you get it?

Go back and read my initial post. You'll notice that my only issue was that this other guy kept trying to snipe the auction like this was eBay, when it's not possible on GB (no matter what anyone says). I don't really give a cr*p about that. I put my top bid in and walked away. But this guy just kept extending the auction and lost anyway. Why waste your time when it doesn't work?

Look man, I have no dog in this fight. I'm just giving you a little ribbing because it seems like you're saying "I don't care, I don't have a problem with the rule" but this thread seems to exist as a way to vent about the fact that you actually DON'T like the rules. I feel like people have given plenty of reasons why someone who was not a shill for the seller would bid this way, some of us have even admitted to doing the same thing.

I just don't think you agree, so you're discarding the legitimate reasons as fodder and continuing the narrative that the other bidder was trying to "snipe" the auction, which is IMO not the case.

Fact of the matter is, it is possible to have a complete understanding of the rules and how the 15 minute rule works and STILL bid this way. Obviously it's not a snipe, but intentionally dragging out the end of the auction is a legitimate tactic to try and get the current high bidder, even if they get outbid, to think twice about re-bidding if their high bid is finally outbid. The goal is sort of 3 fold. 1) drag out the auction in hopes mental fatigue sets in with the other bidders, 2) find the high bid without setting a new high bid that's more than $5 away from the old high bid, 3) win the item at all cost - time-wise, at the lowest cost monetarily.

 

[ralph7]

something.
Why waste your time when it doesn't work?

Because some times it does.
And it costs nothing but a little free time to get something as cheaply as possible.