I am using the website service and found that the above two items do not update when I hit refresh in the browser. I am using the latest version of Firefox. It is very annoying.

Is this a known bug?

This is not a bug, this is by design.
Please check the following FAQ section for more information:
http://www.myibidder.com/login/faq/4/#q13

I understand that the priority goes to the snipe (and not refreshing), but the FAQ you pointed me to said:

"Manually, you can do it by clicking "Refresh" button in the "Snipe" window or by adding the item id anew"

Can you explain how to "manually" refresh this information because hitting the refresh button (or F5 key) in the browser does not work.

Hitting refresh button in the browser refreshes the page only, not the item's information.
You have to click "Refresh" button which is located on the "Snipe" page.

Oh okay, I see. I understand how refreshing could take resources from your systems. But being able to see up-to-date information is very important.

Since this is basic information that should be able to be pulled off eBay's systems, isn't there a way to re-write the web service to the use given auction number for each item and pull the various data for that auction straight from eBay, instead of your system?

I don't see how it is "very important" for the sniper.
If you need a monitoring tool, please use eBay directly because eBay has the same information in real-time and it's always available for you. Why do you want to use 3rd party service to display the same information?

I'm not sure I understood your second sentence. It takes it from eBay now, that's why it takes a lot of resources to update all your listings.

Sashka wrote:
I don't see how it is "very important" for the sniper.
If you need a monitoring tool, please use eBay directly because eBay has the same information in real-time and it's always available for you. Why do you want to use 3rd party service to display the same information?

I'm not sure I understood your second sentence. It takes it from eBay now, that's why it takes a lot of resources to update all your listings.

You run an ebay sniping system and you dont see why it is "very important" for someone trying to win an auction to see pertinent, up-to-date, real time, information regarding their auctions?

Okay, I will explain it to you:

(a) It is "very important" for me to know whether I have been out bid or not, and, by how much.

(b) If it's by a lot, then I now know that I will have to continue my search and keep loading auctions so that I can continue bidding on other auctions in hopes of winning.

(c) If it is only by an insignificant amount, then I may weigh whether or not to increase my snipe a little because I may win the auction by doing so.

(d) If I have even as little as 5 auctions loaded in the web interface, it is a MASSIVE pain in the butt to have to go to ebay to check each and every one of them, individually, at many intervals throughout the day just to see the current information on them. Also, the ebay page would NOT have my snipe information in it. So I'd have to switch back and forth between browser tabs constantly checking and comparing current bid amounts with what I have for a current snipe amount.

I used the Auction Sentry application for almost 10 years and that application provided all of this information.

I dont see why the web service cant take the auction number for each auction, query the eBay servers for this information and hand it back to my browser, while the whole time taxing your servers minimally, or, not at all - Do not make that server side scripting, but rather, client side so MY computer does the work. There is no reason for that to be server side.

If you are just not capable of doing this, then fine, as people can't complain about a free service. But with that said, please, do not act like seeing up-to-date auction information is not important, because it is, if you care about actually winning it.

calee4nyaboy wrote:
(c) If it is only by an insignificant amount, then I may weigh whether or not to increase my snipe a little because I may win the auction by doing so.

Why don't you increase it in the first place?
When you get outbid by insignificant amount in last seconds by another sniper, it will be too late for you to adjust your snipe anyway.
You should always set your snipe amount as your absolute maximum. Add 1-2 bid increments if you have something important.
If you feel adjusting your snipe based on the current bid, you are getting emotionally involved into bidding wars and risk to overpay.

calee4nyaboy wrote:
Also, the ebay page would NOT have my snipe information in it.

If you have Google Chrome with Myibidder extension or Firefox with Myibidder add-on, it does show your snipe information on the listing page. Please check.
Windows and Mac are supported.

calee4nyaboy wrote:
But with that said, please, do not act like seeing up-to-date auction information is not important, because it is, if you care about actually winning it.

Maybe it's just a personal preference, but I snipe for some time already and I never felt that I need to constantly watch the current bid and adjust my snipe based on someone else bid.
Most of the time the current bid changes on last minutes so I will not have time to react anyway, and I don't want to react on that.

I want to be in control of my snipes, not someone else.