Experiment over

[Guest]

I've decided to try out an option for a few days. Different people have suggested it in different ways, and I think this is the most palatable compromise that doesn't disturb the existing principles.

This is only an option. Anyone with a new auction listing may choose to use this or not, it is the seller's choice.

Experiment: The "+15 Auction" (for lack of a better name).

The way this will work is simple. All normal auction rules apply. You still need to set a starting bid (or its zero). You still need to specify the amount and quality of the item. You still need an ending date. And the appropriate information must be listed in the subject line. HOWEVER, by putting "+15" after the time, you will invoke this new rule:

The auction will end at the stated time OR 15 minutes after the last bid, whichever comes later.

So for example, if I was selling 10,000 units of corn, q3, and wanted it to end at noon the 28th and use this option, I would use this subject line:

[2007-09-28 || 12:00 +15] 10k corn q3

And then just to be clear I'd spell out the same information in the post (never a bad idea.) Then when the auction runs, if I only get early bids, or no bids at all, it will end exactly at noon on the 28th. If someone bids at 11:55 that day, then the auction will run until 12:10 (15 minutes past the last bid). If another person bids at 12:08, it would run until 12:23. This continues until 15 minutes have passed without a bid. But it will not end before 12:00, as that was the stated duration. Understood?

This experiment ends 23:59 on Sat, Sept 29. (plus the 15 minute extension where applicable.) Therefore, any auctions wanting to use this option must have a scheduled end date of 23:59 on the 29th or sooner. Anything scheduled later than that can not use the +15 option. When this is done, we'll look at what happened and see if it was useful, problematic, or just a big complicated mess.

To review:

• Seller's option, at the time the auction is listed.
• Must state "+15" after the end time in the subject line. Must be 15 minutes, no more, no less.
• Auctions with the +15 option will run to end time or last bid +15 min, whichever is later.
• Latest auction possible with this experiment is [2007-09-29 || 23:59 +15], no later.
• Other auction rules still apply (buyout price, etc)

Questions can be posted here or PMed to me.

[Guest]

My take is that until we get some kind of resolution on the whole GMT issue, adding to the complexity of these auctions as far as when they do or do not end is just going to cause more trouble than it's worth.

This experiment was taken advantage of only twice. One did not have any bids at the last minute, and the other one did, with the expected confusion surrounding what time it really was, and complicated by the fact that a staff member entered the discussion with an inaccurate clock as well.

I vote thumbs down.

[Guest]

i vote thumbs down also

[Guest]

Thanks for the feedback and participation. I saw exactly what I needed to see, and the experiment is now over, so this thread is unstickied and locked.

Any further comments, please post them to this thread.

[Guest]

Really??? Its not locked yet

[Zbombe]

Really??? Its not locked yet

But now