January 7th, 2013
Real-time Updates Are Here!
We have an exciting new site improvement to tell you about! The most challenging thing about auctions is the last-minute activity. Bids get placed near the auction end time and, until now, you've needed to refresh the page to see what the current bid amount was. This meant that you risked losing an auction unless you knew to refresh the page often.
We've heard your feedback and, today, we have turned on "real-time updates" on the site. What does that mean for you? The easiest way to describe it is that you no longer have to refresh a page to see the latest information. Ever. Instead, we'll "push" those updates to you, automatically.
For example, let's say you were winning an auction and the message at the top of the auction page showed you the green checkmark. Now, if you get outbid, that message will automatically change, as will the current price, the number of bids, and the time remaining. In other words, we think this real-time feature will give you the information you need, when you need it.
As before, we are using "popcorn" bidding, which causes the end time of the auction to be extended when bids are placed in the last few minutes.
We're always glad to you get your feedback. Please use the "Ask Us" link on the left side of the page to let us know how we're doing. Thanks!
