Why doesnt eBay just extend the auction?
There are many reasons why eBay does not have an auction extension (AE) feature when bids are placed in the last few minutes or seconds. First, by having auctions last three, five, seven or ten days, eBay has established a level playing field. Any bidder may bid at any time during the auctions duration. Auction extensions, while seeming to reduce sniping, in fact have the opposite effect: they turn everyone into snipers. Further, sellers who have listed their items for a specific period expect the auction to end at that time as well; this simplifies their schedules. Primarily, our reason for not implementing AE is that it would jeopardize the proxy bidding system, the very heart and core of eBay. If one knows an auction will be indefinitely extended, there is no reason to place ones maximum bid at any time.
