offset

[exitwound570]

just joined mirror. i set the offset for both the main and the mirror at 3 seconds. is this the fastest?

[Ramona]

I think that you can set it to 2 seconds, but it's really not recommended.

The default 6 seconds is probably the optimal setting.

[outjet]

I have been using 4 with success!

[Ramona]

Yes, but using 4 seconds just adds a risk of your bid not being placed (if there are any network or other delays) without adding any real benefit.

You may have been lucky so far, but a 4 second offset is pretty pointless.

[Gixen]

[juangrande]

It is absolutely true that the shorter you set your offset, the more likely it is that your bid may not make it to eBay in time.

However, it is not quite true that "a 4 second offset is pretty pointless." It is quite possible to encounter a situation where a 1-click bidder is sitting in front of their computer as the auction is ending and interacting with bids within the last few seconds. If there are several snipe bids near the end, having a shorter offset could make a difference. I've seen it happen.

Of course, these situations are quite rare, and if one is bidding on readily available items that will come up again via other auctions, I would take Ramona's advice.

For the record, I have my offsets set at 4 seconds Main and 3 seconds Mirror.

See this ancient thread for a debate (altercation?) on this topic. (Note that this thread is so old that the auction number I used for an example has been reused by eBay so that it no longer provides the example I intended.)
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John

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