Supposedly a "free" service (one snipe at a time)
Supposedly a "free" service (one snipe at a time), and I have used Bidslammer as such, within that constraint, for several months, and found it reliable within the documented constraints (hence two stars, instead of one star).
But today (the date of this review), Bidslammer simply quit being "available" to me. When I attempt to browse to the site using my customary browser, I get a "Woops, we seem to have hit a snag" error page. Browse from a different system, or simply a different browser on the same system, and lo-and-behold the site is up. Use an online up/down checker, and it is also found to be up.
Try to log in from a different browser/system, and the login process spins forever. Attempt to recover my password from a different browser/system, and the recovery process spins forever. It knows immediately if I enter an invalid login name. Only the correct login name and password (or a password recovery request) generate this locking behavior. "Denial of service" sort of methodology.
So, while it is claimed that the service is "free"... there seems to be an undocumented "feature" or constraint that in reality, the service is "only free for a while". Once you have used it as "free" for long enough, consistent with the documented constraints, Bidslammer appears to blacklist the user. This "feature" of the service (blacklisting "free" use after a period of time) is NOT documented.
Yes, I was using Bidslammer for free, so I doubt a "fraud in the inducement" allegation would stick. Nevertheless, as a matter of personal opinion, I consider this deceptive.
This begs the question: what other undocumented "features" (which could kick in without warning, in a way that could be construed as "denial of service") might this service provider suddenly impose, without warning? What risk is entailed in paying for a service that operates this way?
And if this is indeed due to an error of some kind (as unlikely as that seems), not a blacklisting policy on the part of Bidslammer, I would have to consider Bidslammer unreliable... you may find yourself suddenly/randomly (versus selectively/deliberately) unable to log in, recover your password, or make use of the Bidslammer service in any other way. Again, I would consider this an undue risk for a paying customer.
I cannot recommend Bidslammer. I would recommend seeking a different solution.
5 February 2025
Unprompted review