CigarSniper Beta is open to all this weekend

[Cigahs]

There seems to be some confusion as to our motives and reasoning behind creating a site like CigarSniper.com. Now, we know there are penny auction sites out there whose sole purpose is to separate your hard earned money from your wallet without any other benefit than being somewhat entertained. This is not the case with Cigar Sniper.

We've tried to change the concept behind a penny auction to offer a tangible benefit to any one who decides to participate. I'm sure that the people who purchase from Famous on a regular basis understand that our everyday pricing offers a pretty good value, otherwise we probably wouldn't be in business for over 70 years. On Cigar Sniper we are offering the same pricing to anyone who uses a bid they paid for on any auction.

Let's say you normally go to Famous to buy a particular 5 pack that cost's you $30. It would be worthwhile for you to check and see if there is an auction running on that 5 pack at Sniper. If you spent $30 for 50 bids you have 50 opportunities during the course of that auction to receive that product at a discounted price. Actually, 60 chances because we give you 10 free promo bids with the $30 purchase.

If you use those 50 bids on that auction, you have reached the point where you have already paid for that product. All you need to do is input your shipping info through the Buy Now function and we send it to you. Now you may ask, how come I can't use "Free" bids towards the purchase price? Well they were Free and we'd quickly be under water if we let people purchase something for nothing, now wouldn't we?

Anyway, we created the BUY NOW function on this site so that no matter how many paid bids you use on an auction you still have the opportunity to pay the difference towards our everyday low price (same as Famous) and lose nothing. If you decide to purchase the product we'll also give you all of the free bids you used on that item to continue entertaining yourself on another auction.

Now we know this system isn't perfect. Different people are willing to take different levels of risk depending upon the reward. If you use 5 bids on a $200+ box of Ashton chances are that you won't want to cough up the rest for the box, but as adults we all decide whether or not to take that risk. If you wanted to purchase that box to begin with then you would have over 350 opportunities during the course of the auction to get it at a lower cost than you would have. If you didn't win using those 350 bids then you'd be getting it for what you originally expected to pay.

Everyday, people download video games on their iPhones, go to Disney World, or Vegas and pay to be entertained largely with nothing tangible to show for it. What you lose in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

Now we know this site may not appeal to everyone's tastes, but if you found that your experience was enjoyable then why would you not spend the same amount of money as you would at Famous for that product you wanted and be entertained for free?

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by Cigahs

Now we know this site may not appeal to everyone's tastes, but if you found that your experience was enjoyable then why would you not spend the same amount of money as you would at Famous for that product you wanted and be entertained for free?

What kind of sadist is entertained unsuccessfully bidding on an item? Theoretically speaking, couldn't this same, "entertainment" be had at C-Bid for free?

[T.G]

Originally Posted by Stephen

What kind of sadist is entertained unsuccessfully bidding on an item? Theoretically speaking, couldn't this same, "entertainment" be had at C-Bid for free?

I think the point that Humberto was trying to get across was that if you were going to buy those cigars from Famous, you can buy some bids at cigarsniper instead, use the bids to try and get the cigars for less, maybe having a bit of fun in the process as some people enjoy these type of auctions, and, if you are unsuccessful at winning them in the auction, you can apply the money from all the bids you entered against the purchase price of the cigars, so you aren't out anything really. Basically, if you only bid on what you were going to buy anyway, you're gambling odds are quite good - you might win, and at worst, you'll break even and have a bit of entertainment in the process.

Also CBid is proxy bidding, so you just enter in your max bid and walk away, the software does the rest, from an excitement point of view, it's up there with watching paint dry. CigarSniper is live bidding, so you actually have some level of interaction with the other bidders, sure, it's not quite the same as being in the same room and having an auctioneer call bids, but it's certainly more interactive than the proxy bid system, and some people find this interaction enjoyable.

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by T.G

I think the point that Humberto was trying to get across was that if you were going to buy those cigars from Famous, you can buy some bids at cigarsniper instead, use the bids to try and get the cigars for less, maybe having a bit of fun in the process as some people enjoy these type of auctions, and, if you are unsuccessful at winning them in the auction, you can apply the money from all the bids you entered against the purchase price of the cigars, so you aren't out anything really. Basically, if you only bid on what you were going to buy anyway, you're gambling odds are quite good - you might win, and at worst, you'll break even.

Also CBid is proxy bidding, so you just enter in your max bid and walk away, the software does the rest, from an excitement point of view, it's up there with watching paint dry. CigarSniper is live bidding, so you actually have some level of interaction with the other bidders, sure, it's not quite the same as being in the same room and having an auctioneer call bids, but it's certainly more interactive than the proxy bid system, and some people find this interaction enjoyable.

Say what you will, but at the end of the day, these things are nothing more than human Skinner boxes.

The "buy it now" feature actually "kills" the person's chance who's bidding with their "hard earned bids"! I think that aspect of it really Sucks *youknowwhat*!

There is a certain way to win these auctions, and win big, but its probably not what you think. Based on that realization i'll probably bid somewhere else and
not even bother with this site!

[T.G]

Originally Posted by Stephen

Say what you will, but at the end of the day, these things are nothing more than human Skinner boxes.

Not really seeing that, but lets just say it is for a second, in which case it ultimately depends on the person. If one lacks the self control to limit themselves, then oh well. Hardly Famous's fault for that though.

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by T.G

Not really seeing that, but lets just say it is for a second, in which case it ultimately depends on the person. If one lacks the self control to limit themselves, then oh well. Hardly Famous's fault for that though.

Not blaming them, just calling a spade a spade. The gaming & gambling industry has literally made tens of billions on this concept; if Famous wants their small piece of the pie who am I to argue?

[T.G]

Originally Posted by Cigahs

Anyway, we created the BUY NOW function on this site so that no matter how many paid bids you use on an auction you still have the opportunity to pay the difference towards our everyday low price (same as Famous) and lose nothing. If you decide to purchase the product we'll also give you all of the free bids you used on that item to continue entertaining yourself on another auction.

Now that's a cool feature. Certainly better than what the other penny sites offer, which is, well, nothing.

[Bageland2000]

Originally Posted by Cigahs

There seems to be some confusion as to our motives and reasoning behind creating a site like CigarSniper.com. Now, we know there are penny auction sites out there whose sole purpose is to separate your hard earned money from your wallet without any other benefit than being somewhat entertained. This is not the case with Cigar Sniper.

We've tried to change the concept behind a penny auction to offer a tangible benefit to any one who decides to participate. I'm sure that the people who purchase from Famous on a regular basis understand that our everyday pricing offers a pretty good value, otherwise we probably wouldn't be in business for over 70 years. On Cigar Sniper we are offering the same pricing to anyone who uses a bid they paid for on any auction.

Let's say you normally go to Famous to buy a particular 5 pack that cost's you $30. It would be worthwhile for you to check and see if there is an auction running on that 5 pack at Sniper. If you spent $30 for 50 bids you have 50 opportunities during the course of that auction to receive that product at a discounted price. Actually, 60 chances because we give you 10 free promo bids with the $30 purchase.

If you use those 50 bids on that auction, you have reached the point where you have already paid for that product. All you need to do is input your shipping info through the Buy Now function and we send it to you. Now you may ask, how come I can't use "Free" bids towards the purchase price? Well they were Free and we'd quickly be under water if we let people purchase something for nothing, now wouldn't we?

Anyway, we created the BUY NOW function on this site so that no matter how many paid bids you use on an auction you still have the opportunity to pay the difference towards our everyday low price (same as Famous) and lose nothing. If you decide to purchase the product we'll also give you all of the free bids you used on that item to continue entertaining yourself on another auction.

Now we know this system isn't perfect. Different people are willing to take different levels of risk depending upon the reward. If you use 5 bids on a $200+ box of Ashton chances are that you won't want to cough up the rest for the box, but as adults we all decide whether or not to take that risk. If you wanted to purchase that box to begin with then you would have over 350 opportunities during the course of the auction to get it at a lower cost than you would have. If you didn't win using those 350 bids then you'd be getting it for what you originally expected to pay.

Everyday, people download video games on their iPhones, go to Disney World, or Vegas and pay to be entertained largely with nothing tangible to show for it. What you lose in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

Now we know this site may not appeal to everyone's tastes, but if you found that your experience was enjoyable then why would you not spend the same amount of money as you would at Famous for that product you wanted and be entertained for free?

Your ridiculous rationale trying desperately to explain why your site is somehow different than the other penny auction sites that rip off its customers has completely soured me to famous cigars (and I've purchased from you guys a number of times). Capitalism at its finest is also me never ordering off of famous' site again because of the BS that they tried to sell to the cigar community. Anyone who can't see this for the crap it is can feel free to donate their hard-earned money to Famous Cigars.

Originally Posted by Cigahs

largely with nothing tangible to show for it.

They say it, not me

[ApexAZ]

Originally Posted by Cigahs

There seems to be some confusion as to our motives and reasoning behind creating a site like CigarSniper.com. Now, we know there are penny auction sites out there whose sole purpose is to separate your hard earned money from your wallet without any other benefit than being somewhat entertained. This is not the case with Cigar Sniper.

We've tried to change the concept behind a penny auction to offer a tangible benefit to any one who decides to participate. I'm sure that the people who purchase from Famous on a regular basis understand that our everyday pricing offers a pretty good value, otherwise we probably wouldn't be in business for over 70 years. On Cigar Sniper we are offering the same pricing to anyone who uses a bid they paid for on any auction.

Let's say you normally go to Famous to buy a particular 5 pack that cost's you $30. It would be worthwhile for you to check and see if there is an auction running on that 5 pack at Sniper. If you spent $30 for 50 bids you have 50 opportunities during the course of that auction to receive that product at a discounted price. Actually, 60 chances because we give you 10 free promo bids with the $30 purchase.

If you use those 50 bids on that auction, you have reached the point where you have already paid for that product. All you need to do is input your shipping info through the Buy Now function and we send it to you. Now you may ask, how come I can't use "Free" bids towards the purchase price? Well they were Free and we'd quickly be under water if we let people purchase something for nothing, now wouldn't we?

Anyway, we created the BUY NOW function on this site so that no matter how many paid bids you use on an auction you still have the opportunity to pay the difference towards our everyday low price (same as Famous) and lose nothing. If you decide to purchase the product we'll also give you all of the free bids you used on that item to continue entertaining yourself on another auction.

Now we know this system isn't perfect. Different people are willing to take different levels of risk depending upon the reward. If you use 5 bids on a $200+ box of Ashton chances are that you won't want to cough up the rest for the box, but as adults we all decide whether or not to take that risk. If you wanted to purchase that box to begin with then you would have over 350 opportunities during the course of the auction to get it at a lower cost than you would have. If you didn't win using those 350 bids then you'd be getting it for what you originally expected to pay.

Everyday, people download video games on their iPhones, go to Disney World, or Vegas and pay to be entertained largely with nothing tangible to show for it. What you lose in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

Now we know this site may not appeal to everyone's tastes, but if you found that your experience was enjoyable then why would you not spend the same amount of money as you would at Famous for that product you wanted and be entertained for free?

If you don't use the "Buy Now" feature before the auction ends, do you lose your bids, or can you opt to buy it with the remaining bids needed for the item?

If you choose to "Buy Now" on a single lot item, do the other people who were bidding lose their bids because the lot is no longer available, or is the item taken from another inventory?

[Cigahs]

Originally Posted by ApexAZ

If you don't use the "Buy Now" feature before the auction ends, do you lose your bids, or can you opt to buy it with the remaining bids needed for the item?

If you choose to "Buy Now" on a single lot item, do the other people who were bidding lose their bids because the lot is no longer available, or is the item taken from another inventory?

The 'Buy Now' feature is designed to be used only after the auction is over for losing bidders and only for 'paid bids' used. Free bids cannot be used for a buy now purchase but will be returned to you if you end up buying the item your were bidding on.

In the event you lose a bidding war on something we have no more inventory on, you will be given 'buy now' options for comparable items.

[ApexAZ]

Originally Posted by Cigahs

The 'Buy Now' feature is designed to be used only after the auction is over for losing bidders and only for 'paid bids' used. Free bids cannot be used for a buy now purchase but will be returned to you if you end up buying the item your were bidding on.

In the event you lose a bidding war on something we have no more inventory on, you will be given 'buy now' options for comparable items.

Sounds like not a bad gig to me, so long as people go into it with the intention of possibly paying full price for the item.

Does the buy now price reflect the current price on FSS, or is it always MSRP? I guess what I'm wondering is, could you possibly pay more for an item that's on sale on FSS?

Edit: Also, can the bidding go over the FSS price? Or does it stop?

[Subvet642]

Originally Posted by Cigahs

The 'Buy Now' feature is designed to be used only after the auction is over for losing bidders and only for 'paid bids' used. Free bids cannot be used for a buy now purchase but will be returned to you if you end up buying the item your were bidding on.

In the event you lose a bidding war on something we have no more inventory on, you will be given 'buy now' options for comparable items.

You shouldn't be auctioning items that you don't possess. "Buy Now" options on "comparable" items make it sound like a bait and switch. If you draw someone in with the expectation of a fair shot at winning a particular lot, they commit a sum of money and you don't even possess that lot; what does it sound like to you?

[Cigahs]

Originally Posted by Subvet642

You shouldn't be auctioning items that you don't possess. "Buy Now" options on "comparable" items make it sound like a bait and switch. If you draw someone in with the expectation of a fair shot at winning a particular lot, they commit a sum of money and you don't even possess that lot; what does it sound like to you?

Allow me to rephrase.. All items on the auction block are in our possession. Yet, if there is only one of them, any losing bidders for that lot will be offered something comparable to purchase.

[Subvet642]

Originally Posted by Cigahs

Allow me to rephrase.. All items on the auction block are in our possession. Yet, if there is only one of them, any losing bidders for that lot will be offered something comparable to purchase.

If a losing bidder were able to wait until "their" item is back in stock, a rain-check if you will, I think that would go a long way toward dispelling any appearance of impropriety.

[Cigahs]

Originally Posted by Subvet642

If a losing bidder were able to wait until "their" item is back in stock, a rain-check if you will, I think that would go a long way toward dispelling any appearance of impropriety.

I spoke with the developers. We have not applied that logic to the current version of the site. But it will be considered for future versions. Thanks for the suggestion.

[T.G]

Originally Posted by Cigahs

Allow me to rephrase.. All items on the auction block are in our possession. Yet, if there is only one of them, any losing bidders for that lot will be offered something comparable to purchase.

How is it determined what is comparable? And will multiple comparable items be offered to pick from, or just one? As I hope you realize, what one person thinks is comparable might not be what the next person thinks is comparable.

[Cigahs]

Originally Posted by T.G

How is it determined what is comparable? And will multiple comparable items be offered to pick from, or just one? As I hope you realize, what one person thinks is comparable might not be what the next person thinks is comparable.

Comparisons are offered using several variables. I'm not sure how the algorithms are configured but the models we've used so far are pretty spot on. Currently, there are three options to choose from should the original lot be unavailable for losing bidders. I'm sure users won't be disappointed. If so, I'm just as sure we'll hear about it and repair it in short order.