Setup, troubleshooting, and configuration help for Zero Hour. If you're stuck on something not here, email support@zerohourbid.com. We read everything.
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).
- Sign into eBay in any tab (you probably already are).
- Open the Zero Hour popup. It should detect your eBay session automatically.
- Visit any eBay auction. The "Snipe this auction" button appears bottom-right.
Power settings — keeping your computer awake during a snipe
macOS
- System Settings, then Lock Screen.
- Set "Turn display off on power adapter when inactive" to a duration longer than your longest auction (or Never).
- Or open Terminal and run
caffeinate -duntil the auction is done.caffeinate -d -t 14400stays awake for 4 hours.
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. If you use Chrome profiles for multiple accounts, install Zero Hour in each profile separately.
Pro plan
How to upgrade
Tap the FREE chip in the popup's top-right corner. Pick a plan. Stripe Checkout opens. After payment, the extension refreshes entitlement 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
Your install ID lives in chrome.storage.sync, which Chrome syncs across devices if you're signed in. If sync isn't enabled, you may need to reauthorise on a new install. Email us with your Stripe receipt and we'll migrate your entitlement.
Privacy & security questions
What data does Zero Hour have about me?
An anonymous install UUID, and (if you paid) Stripe's customer record. No name, no email. Stripe has them; we don't need them. No auction data. No browsing data.
How do I delete my Zero Hour data?
Uninstalling the extension deletes all local data automatically. To delete your entitlement record (the install ID to plan mapping in our database), email us and we'll wipe it. Though it's not personally identifying.
Is the extension's code auditable?
Yes. It ships unminified. See privacy architecture for the guided tour.
Contact
For anything not covered here: support@zerohourbid.com. We typically reply within 24 hours.