When does Gixen use the ebay password provided?

[pcstamps]

Hi Mario,

I have not used Gixen yet. I assume that one simply enter his/her ebay id and password and then enter the item # to be sniped and snipe bid amount. Then the ebay id and password are saved in your location. I hope they are encrypted. Then the ebay id and password are deleted within 48 hours of a listing's end time. I'm thinking it may be safer if you require user to register and allow saving snipes without saving the ebay password, user can enter the ebay password later. Basically, I'm suggesting to minimize the duration of passwords stored in your location. Any snipes which have no password will simply not be executed.

If eBay is willing to provide a temporary password for snipping only (even better if temporary password per listing), it will be the best solution. But I don't see any financial reason for eBay to do it.

[mario]

I'm a little confused as to how is your solution fundamentally different. No matter how you look at it, Gixen needs to have your password. And no, unfortunately I can't expect any assistance from ebay, as they don't endorse sniping (so no API).

As for the security, if I were you, I wouldn't worry about it, I'm aware that a security breach would be the end of Gixen, and I know what I'm doing.

[pcstamps]

Hi Mario,

Yes, you definitely need the password in order to submit the bid. Let's say that I want to bid a listing which ends 6 days later and I know I will not able to snipe bid manually. I will set up the snipe in Gixen right away so I don't need to keep track what snipes I need to set up. The current way my password will exist in your location for 6 days. If you allow saving snipe without password, I can provide the password right before I have no access to internet. Of course, if I forget to provide the password, the snipe will not be executed. My point is that I want to minimize the password being stored in your location before the bid is actually submitted.

[mario]

Why don't you schedule snipes then right before you don't have access to the internet? It's a joke, but the point is again, it makes no difference. Besides, other sniping services keep your password forever.

[Gixen]

[pcstamps]

Hi Mario,

The difference is just similar to why you keep the passwords for another 48 hours ONLY after the listings ended.

Anyway, I assume that the password saved in your location will only be used once for submitting the bid. If the password saved in your location does not match with the password in ebay, the snipe will just simply not be submitted.

[mario]

You could be right, but at this point I don't think this subtle difference justifies the effort necessary to change this.

> If the password saved in your location does not match with the password in ebay, the snipe will just simply not be submitted.

Naturally, Gixen won't be able to log in to ebay.