Snipers...

[Domaintial]

Why do people not flipping understand that domain auctions aren't like eBay...

How do we make people understand that sniping doesn't work and all that will happen is the auction will drag on and on and on and on... and on and on and on and on... and on and on... and...

Is this approach a strategy that I just don't understand... can someone enlighten me?

What am I missing?

 

[DesD]

Agree completely.

 

[JumpMaster]

Had the same thing on dropped. Annoyingly even when I upped my max bid with five minutes to go (I was already the winning bidder) the clock reset to ten minutes. It was a long ten minutes...

 

[RobM]

After these next couple of weeks I will be introducing a non-fixed end where people will only know the *hour* when it can finish randomly. No extensions.

 

[Domaintial]

Had the same thing on dropped. Annoyingly even when I upped my max bid with five minutes to go (I was already the winning bidder) the clock reset to ten minutes. It was a long ten minutes...

I've experienced (been caught out by) that before on other platforms too. It does kinda make sense though... if you are the winning bidder, and you update/increase your bid... that action is a bid, so the auction should in-fact extend. When I need to do exactly this, I increase my proxy bid before the specific platforms extension trigger time, and all is well.

 

[alex]

But if you keep biding at the last possible second the other person will eventually get bored and stop bidding. Foolproof strategy

 

[Domaintial]

After these next couple of weeks I will be introducing a non-fixed end where people will only know the *hour* when it can finish randomly. No extensions.

Is this going to work, and not cause mass chaos and confusion? Not doubting you, genuine question, as history demonstrates... you know what you are doing!

A really simple modification to this would be to prevent new bidders from getting involved after the original auction end time. That would level things out a little more, and help reduce this nonsense.

Actually... a modification to your "non-fixed" end time, might be to make the "somewhere randomly in this hour" new bidders will no longer be accepted. Then, at that point in time, reveal the actual end time, leaving the auction extension rules in play as normal. If this wasn't enough, you could hide the end clock after the auctions had to extend 2 or 3 times. From then on, anyone still in the mix, causing the auction to extend, won't actually know how much time is left on the clock until someone either bids it up. Then when it all ends, reveal everything with the timings as well, to everyone that was actually participating in the auction.

Experiencing @DomainOrder 's auction mechanics today for the first time, was actually quite refreshing. Setting aside everyone on here that was butt hurt because they were waiting for the last minute ... it was a "nicer" experience both winning and losing auctions (not sure how i'd quantify that though...). I now can't see the results of auctions I was watching, but not actively participating in (winning or losing), so the participants actions are shielded from history. I can see the results of auctions I was participating in, but not the bid audit history. This could leave room for abuse by the platform providers though? (not implying anything untoward about DomainOrder!)

I do wonder though... as I didn't know how many people were participating, did I behave differently? How did the psychology of that play out? On reflection, it was probably a less stressful experience... but I need to give this one some more thought.

 

[Domaintial]

But if you keep biding at the last possible second the other person will eventually get bored and stop bidding. Foolproof strategy

Ah the trolls...

I totally understand the reasons behind the extending, it actually stops people from sniping. This is a good thing. Its just frustrating when you're having to sit there and watch an auction (which isn't even near your max bid) extend over and over and over again as people try and feel out where the celling you've set is.

Auction was at £4k, my max bid was 5 figures. I watched it extend £200 every 9 mins, adding 10 mins each time past £5k before the other bidder perhaps realised that sniping won't work. They were clearly waiting for 1 min before the end, manually bidding price+£100, seeing the system apply my proxy bid, and add 10 mins to the clock

 

[RobM]

No it'll be simple to implement. You specify the auction end - it'll say something like 2pm to 2:59. Then at 2pm all timing stops and it just says 'ending anytime before 3'. It then ends at a random time - winner is the highest bidder. It doesn't need to be more complicated. It'll encourage people to set out the maximum they're willing to go to. I see far too many auctions where bidders go against each other with increments of £5 and that's also their maximum bid. People will probably moan and use DL anyway - that's the usual

 

[Domaintial]

No it'll be simple to implement. You specify the auction end - it'll say something like 2pm to 2:59. Then at 2pm all timing stops and it just says 'ending anytime before 3'. It then ends at a random time - winner is the highest bidder. It doesn't need to be more complicated. It'll encourage people to set out the maximum they're willing to go to. I see far too many auctions where bidders go against each other with increments of £5 and that's also their maximum bid. People will probably moan and use DL anyway - that's the usual

Hmmm... interesting... playing this out in my head... I kinda like it...

 

[RobM]

My site was set up to auction my own catches really - the public avenue was added after a few people asked for it. If I have caught the domain - people will either want it or not. It's not as if it costs anything to use.

 

[alex]

Ah the trolls...

I totally understand the reasons behind the extending, it actually stops people from sniping. This is a good thing. Its just frustrating when you're having to sit there and watch an auction (which isn't even near your max bid) extend over and over and over again as people try and feel out where the celling you've set is.

Auction was at £4k, my max bid was 5 figures. I watched it extend £200 every 9 mins, adding 10 mins each time past £5k before the other bidder perhaps realised that sniping won't work. They were clearly waiting for 1 min before the end, manually bidding price+£100, seeing the system apply my proxy bid, and add 10 mins to the clock

I don’t think I’ve been referred to as a troll before. Comment was intended to be taken as sarcasm, nothing malicious.

Having been involved in auctions of various types for many years I don’t see the extensions as the issue, more the time allocated to an extension. People need sufficient time to place a counter bid and extending avoids sniping. However, I think 10 minutes is unnecessary. As suggested here, if the number of bidders are limited to existing bidders after the auction ends, and the time the auction extends by is reduced to a more suitable duration I think you’re onto a better combination.

I’d be interested to know what research / thinking has gone into extension times, however. I’ve been outbid before and lost internet so have spent a frantic 5 minutes trying to connect via mobile, so I can see why there is logic in a 10 minute extension.

 

[Domaintial]

Thats a really good point. Will you move back to the auctions being just "catches where we had multiple bookings"?

 

[Domaintial]

I don’t think I’ve been referred to as a troll before. Comment was intended to be taken as sarcasm, nothing malicious.

Not seen or taken as malicious bud... trolololols of fun

Also... how have you been on the webs this long and never been called a troll... share this magics with the rest of us please.

The worst is the when its 10 mins added if bid received in last 10 mins... I guess 10 mins is reasonable, especially for those auctions not highly contested, where you'd hope thats enough time to receive an email notification (that someones sniping) and jump on to get your bid updated.

Its just the proxy bid run-up that was the most frustrating for me... sitting there watching them bid up £100 a time...

 

[alex]

Also... how have you been on the webs this long and never been called a troll... share this magics with the rest of us please.

It's probably just my ignorance!

Its just the proxy bid run-up that was the most frustrating for me... sitting there watching them bid up £100 a time...

Yes, totally agree. Though I guess if a bidder truly places their maximum bid, it makes no difference in the end how long the auction takes, they'll either win or not. It's probably more a frustration if you're watching it real time because you'd be willing to go higher if you are outbid.

 

[Nigel]

Godaddy night auctions have got to be the worse for this. Started bidding on a domain that I really wanted at 2.45am and up against a marathon opponent. Set my maximum bid and went to bed at around 3.30 am with bidder increasing by $16 every few minutes, extending auction. Couldn't sleep and had a peak at 4.00 am - not expecting to have won it. So nice surprise to see bidder finally bailed out - will be pleased when this week is over. Just one more tonight that I'm not that bothered about.

 

[dee]

Godaddy night auctions have got to be the worse for this. Started bidding on a domain that I really wanted at 2.45am and up against a marathon opponent. Set my maximum bid and went to bed at around 3.30 am with bidder increasing by $16 every few minutes, extending auction. Couldn't sleep and had a peak at 4.00 am - not expecting to have won it. So nice surprise to see bidder finally bailed out - will be pleased when this week is over. Just one more tonight that I'm not that bothered about.

Its not generally an issue though is it. Seems to be just this week / ror stuff

 

[Nigel]

Its not generally an issue though is it. Seems to be just this week / ror stuff

true - don't suppose it will happen again - you'd have thought godaddy would have timed these auction ends to suit uk buyers

 

[dropped.uk]

Had the same thing on dropped. Annoyingly even when I upped my max bid with five minutes to go (I was already the winning bidder) the clock reset to ten minutes. It was a long ten minutes...

This is fixed now and won't extend if you are already the highest bidder and increase your maximum bid.

 

[DesD]

Had two nights of it and just set my bid limits and went to sleep. Got 4 out of 5 I went for and 3 of those were at a price well under max bid. Not a bad result.