Quote Originally Posted by DarkDedede View Post
Do people actually have bots managing their prices for them? I've often wondered this.

When I look for opportunities on the market, I sometimes end up selling at a slightly discounted price, but but with a larger stack of goods. All my competition is selling at a lower stack, for a higher price. What boggles my mind is that, sometimes immediately, these folks will lower their price lower than mine. One would think that they wouldn't want to short themselves, when they are still technically the lowest price. The mindless bot explanation does make more sense. I suppose their bots just don't have the most robust design.
I don't think those are bots though.. I've seen people complain on the forums about their suspicion of undercutting bots when they get into an undercutting battle in real time, undercutting one another every 30 seconds.. But you have to realize, if YOU're doing that in real time, the other guy's just doing exactly what you're doing.. How can one say the other person's a bot when the two of them are doing the exact same things.

If there's any pattern to the undercutting, i.e. undercut by the exact same amount, same stack size listing etc.. then maybe.. But in my experience, the instant undercutters usually also mess with stack sizes when the price wars get real. (i.e. when price goes to non-profitable, they start listing smaller, fewer stacks and don't adjust price on every single listing because they have no intention of unloading all of their merchandise at such low price, it's just to force out the other person)