eBay wants to hear from developers who have ideas for new applications that use its automated bidding technology. A message was placed on the eBay developer blog on Tuesday. The PlaceOffer call allows bidding through the API, which is an interface allowing requests for service from developers' applications. eBay places restrictions on the PlaceOffer call, which has been available on a limited basis for about a year, because there is a lot of complexity around the issue, according to Greg Isaacs, Director of the eBay Developers Program.
Isaacs said the PlaceOffer API call is about bringing the eBay experience to buyers no matter where they are, but in the context of making sure buyers and sellers have a good experience. He said currently BIAP is using the call and Unwired Buyer plans to use the PlaceOffer call in the future. BIAP Systems is the company working with Time Warner Cable to give its cable subscribers in Austin, Texas the ability to access eBay directly from their home televisions (http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y05/m05/i20/s01), and Unwired Buyer allows users to bid on eBay listings with a mobile phone during the last minutes of the bidding process (http://auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y05/m09/i19/s02).
eBay does not allow scheduled bidding through PlaceOffer. Scheduled bidding, commonly called sniping by eBay buyers and sellers, is a technique auction bidders use to try and get lower prices by waiting to bid until the final moments of an auction. Sniping services are provided outside of the eBay API system by third-party companies through a process called "scraping."
http://ebaydeveloper.typepad.com/dev/2006/01/announcing_plac.html
