Yesterday I was bidding on an Indy Fab Ti Crown Jewel frame and fork. I was the highest bidder going into the last 30 seconds. I even had everything set up to kick in my final bid at the very last second should it be needed. All I had to do was hit the send button. With 8 seconds to go a bid came in $25 higher than my current bid. The bid I had keyed and ready to enter was $150 over that. Just as I was about to hit the send button (from previous experience I've learned that about 6 seconds is the right time to do this), the computer goes off line, as I hear my wife say, "I can't get on-line. I'm going to reset the modem." Needless to say I lost the Indy Fab by $25. Unfreaking believable! I was sooooooo close to getting a frame I've dreamed about for the last few years.

If you are sure it was purely an accident, forgive her. Fate was at play. Perhaps you are meant to get a better deal somewhere down the line or that frame may have not been what you actually hoped it would be. On the otherhand, if you suspect it was NOT an accident, you have every right to not dig her car out from the 18 inch snowfall predicted for the Del. Val. area tomorrow.

If you wanted it so bad, why hadn't you already entered your larger bid? It would have been in place automatically but would have not raised the price at all if no one else placed another bid. There is no need to last second bid on Ebay.............unless you have a change of heart and decide to bid above your final budget.

she knew... they always know. nothing is ever accidental. it was probably payback for something you did long ago. did you miss an anniversary or one of her birthdays? did you unwittingly comment on her weight or some wrinkles? dig deep and try to recall. it's there. they are all evil, evil, evil.

LOL.

Don't worry. A better deal will become available. You just wasted some time trying to close this deal.

Michael

P.S. I hide my bikes from the wife and keep her in the dark when doing something new. I tell that each bike can be resold at a profit and that I'll sell something when the selling season is on. The selling season is "August", if I'm speaking to her during the fall, winter or spring. It's "May", If I'm speaking to her during the summer.

Not necessarily so. In the psychological game of bidding, there can be advantages to not revealing your intention until the last second. Sometimes a rival can be tricked into thinking his bid will hold if you don't raise until it is too late for him to respond.

I do agree with miss K that fate was in play here. Something bad was going to happen if he got that frame.

Are you for real?

I would never assume this on an Ebay bid. Most last minute bidders use an automated last minute program that is almost impossible to beat. I've found it better to be waiting with my top price bid already in place. Many will quit if they try to outbid me early with a low ball bid and get overbid immediately. Others who wait for the last minute and don't outbid me have no second chance. Lastly, if someone outbids my final price...........they can have it.

The best part of this policy is that if I'm outbid, I don't have to wait till the end of the auction........I'm out of it and can go looking for something else to bid on.

Note, that I am a cheap bidder and if I get knocked out early I do not get involved in a bidding war that may cause me to go well above my estimated "correct" price.

Don't bid often but wanted a Table saw. One came up and list price was £145. Not the best around and I would not normally go for this one---But the auction was at £60 with 5 minutes to go. Gradually got to £75 and had my bid ready for £80.51 all ready to post. Then looked at 1 minute and it was at £155 and rising. I was laughing so much I forgot to post my bid.

I never buy things on Ebay, you end up buying more than its worth, plus shipping and all the waiting for the item to end.

forgive? of course! but she needs a lesson in internet modem resetting etiquette!

I think if I dreamed about any frame I would just buy one new, and I'm poor.

The difference between a new Indy Fab Ti Crown Jewel and the one I lost was $2,625. I can't say I'm poor, but that difference is too big for me to ignore. But none of that matters, someone else got it.

Some of my favorite bikes and gear have come through bidding. I've found that when I'm careful, do my research, ask the right questions, and am disciplined, I can get some real bargains. My current titanium bike is fully outfitted with Reynolds Ouzo Pro fork, Ultegra SL, and Mavic Open Pro wheels on Ultegra hubs. I got all of this via the bidding process for under $2,000, and the fork, Ultegra SL, and wheels were new.

The problem with custom made frames as almost all IF frames are, is getting one with your exact(or even close) geometry. It is total luck that a custom frame ever gets posted on scambay that is an exact fit. Keep looking but it may take some time.

My ebay bidding policy is make my highest bid and let it ride. Even in this stinko economy it is amazing what some people end up paying. Example: guy has 10 sets of skewers listed in different auctions. I bid on one of them at a minimum price and some moron starts bidding on the same one when there are 7 exact items with no bids! I have to think of an old Fritos ad, we'll make more(money).

Ditto;

I recently scored a Lynskey made "Planet X" titanium frame and I am in the process of gathering all the bits to build the bike using eBay. I'm going with a Shimano Ultegra SL 6600 "Ice Grey" groupset, including crankset, brakes, shifters, deraillaurs, BB, chain, & cassette for about $650. The bike will have Look Keo pedals, a Cane Creek S-3 headset and FSA compact handlebars & seatpost. I should be well under $1600 total including the frameset.

This would be impossible to do at retail.

Usually in a situation like this, my wife is the last second bidder, and she emphatically tells me what is going on, and makes sure that there are no interruptions until the bidding is over. If you had a similar agreement and she still did what she did, then her actions are unforgivable. But remember, there's no fury like a woman scorned. Hopefully, she'll check with you or whoever else that maybe online before resetting the modem.

A huge difference, for sure, but if you got the new one you get to pick everything yourself, including the dimensions, and you get the warranty.
I know a lot of people have good luck with used bikes but I always buy new. I've broken so much stuff and had crashes because of it so I am leery of anything used.

Why are you are not using a sniping program? I have charter internet, and I can never count on my connection to function at such a critical point.

My thoughts exactly. It definately isn't your spouse's fault. Go to Gixen, set up your snipe and forget about it.

Was she laughing hysterically when this happened?

Sounds we bid using the same approach. I really hate that happened to ya.........feel your pain. Wait until Valentine's day though. Maybe she was the other bidder???

Didn't know it existed. Thanks for the lead. I must say, however, that it is bad protocol to unplug a modem and not tell people you are doing it ahead of time. But I guess it is a case of live and learn.

You are not alone in your spousal computer disgruntlement. TheMister took MY Macbook to work today, instead of his, leaving me unable to complete the homework I had started.

They look alike, huh? You need to put some pretty stickers on yours................or, maybe on his.