OK I've got a question about ebay auction end times. Looking at bid histories I sometimes see bids with posting dates after the nominal end of the auction (or maybe it's the end of the listing, although I don't see anyone making that distinction consistently).
During an auction, on the listing page there's the Mickey Mouse countdown timer, which in my experience is 19 seconds slower than
www.nist.time.gov . Meaning it seems to allow an extra 18 or 19 seconds after the auction is supposedly over. So if a listing states it ends at 8PM, the Mickey Mouse timer reaches 0 at 8:19PM. But maybe the Mickey Mouse timer is the most accurate indication from Ebay as to the true estimated wall clock time that the auction will end. That's my question.
Ebay's own description of its auction workings is not worth reading, and the community also seems to be confused about the details.
I would assume it's best to get a bid in before the actual stated wall clock end time. I honestly don't understand the semantics of the Mickey Mouse timer.
Any insightful commentary on the mechanics of the auction ending, would be welcome. I don't need opinions on sniping or exhortations to "just try it". Thanks.
P.S. Ebay official time matches nist.time.gov to the second. Only the Mickey Mouse timer is off.