First-time setup
- Install from the Chrome Web Store: "Zero Hour: eBay Sniper Chrome Extension".
- Pin the Zero Hour icon to your toolbar (puzzle icon, then pin).
- Make sure your web browser is logged into eBay's website.
- Visit any eBay auction. The "Snipe this auction" button appears bottom-right.
Power settings: keeping your computer awake during a snipe
Your computer needs to stay awake at the moment of the snipe. The display can sleep. Only the system needs to stay running so Chrome and the extension can fire the bid.
macOS
- System Settings, then Battery (laptops) or Energy (desktops, including Mac mini).
- Turn on Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off (Mac mini, iMac) or, on a MacBook, set Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off. Display sleep can stay on its normal timer.
- Or, ad-hoc for one auction: open Terminal and run
caffeinate -i(system stays awake, display still sleeps).caffeinate -i -t 14400stays awake for 4 hours then exits.
Windows
- Settings, then System, then Power & battery, then Screen and sleep.
- Set "When plugged in, put my device to sleep after" to Never.
- Optionally, disable hybrid sleep in Advanced power settings under Sleep.
Common issues
"Your eBay session expired"
Cookies have aged out. Open ebay.com/signin, sign in, and try the snipe again. Your active snipes resume automatically.
"Snipe failed: auth required"
Same root cause as above: the cookie was invalid at fire time. Re-sign-in and use the Retry action on the failed snipe (if the auction is still open).
The "Snipe this auction" button isn't appearing on eBay pages
Check chrome://extensions to ensure Zero Hour is enabled. Refresh the eBay tab. If the button still doesn't appear, the content script may have been blocked. Try disabling other content-blocking extensions temporarily. uBlock with default rules is fine; aggressive setups can interfere.
The countdown is off by a few seconds
The first time you open the popup after a long gap, the extension re-syncs the clock against zerohourbid.com/api/time. Open the popup once a day or so to keep it accurate. The drift is typically under 2 seconds and doesn't affect bid timing. The service worker re-syncs at T-30s for every snipe.
Multiple eBay accounts in one browser
Zero Hour uses whichever eBay session your browser is currently using, typically the most recently signed-in.
Pro plan
How to upgrade
Tap the Upgrade button in the extension when you open it. Pick a plan. Stripe Checkout opens in a new tab. After payment, the next time you open the extension popup it picks up your Pro status automatically.
How to cancel
Settings (gear icon, top-right of popup), then Manage subscription. Stripe Customer Portal opens. Cancel from there. You remain Pro until the end of the billing cycle.
"Pending" entitlement after upgrade
Stripe webhook delivery can take 5 to 30 seconds. The popup auto-refreshes entitlement when you re-open it. If it's been more than 5 minutes, email us with your Stripe receipt and we'll fix it manually.
I changed Chrome profiles / reinstalled Chrome / want Pro on another browser
Open Zero Hour on the new install, tap the Upgrade button, choose Already paid? Activate with your email, and type the email you used at Stripe checkout. Pro moves to the new install. Pro is one install at a time, so the previous install drops to free. Cooldown of 7 days between rebinds, with a 24-hour grace window right after purchase. If you're locked out for any reason, email help@skella.com.au with your Stripe receipt and we'll sort it.
Privacy & security questions
What data does Zero Hour have about me?
Free users: just an install UUID linked to plan status. Pro users: the email you used at Stripe checkout, your Stripe customer ID, your plan status, and the install ID currently bound to your Pro. No auction data. No browsing data.
Is the extension's code auditable?
Yes. It ships unminified. See privacy architecture for the guided tour.
Contact
For anything not covered here: help@skella.com.au. We typically reply within 24 hours.