Ok, R U a Sniper on Ebay or Not?

JatMat

JatMat

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I use a sniper program when bidding on the bay, I have heard some pros and con's of such. Just wondering what the general feeling is about its use. I am sure the sellers do not necessarily like it, but how about the buyers? Not interested in knowing your ebay id, just if you think if it is ok to use.

James
 
Let’s see if we can find the right forum …
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I'm not active lately on Ebay, but when I was I did use a sniper program. Who has time to check a listing when the time is running out? Even if you do there's a good chance somebody or several people are sniping you.
 
It's a dog eat dog world, and since anyone can use one, I don't think there's anything wrong with it. Ebay might have an interest in setting up the auctions in such a way that sniping doesn't work, such as extending the auction if there are bids during the last minute. With the sniping programs, it makes ebay less attractive to the novice buyer, because they are at such a huge disadvantage. However, in the absence of that, I don't consider it cheating or anything -- just utilizing the advantages that are available to you to gain a competetive edge.
 
It's a timed auction with a posted beginning and ending time.

A bid placed in the last second is just as legitimate as a bid placed in the first second, the term "sniping" is a fiction created by folks that are mad they lost an auction.
 
The Last Confederate said:
It's a timed auction with a posted beginning and ending time.

A bid placed in the last second is just as legitimate as a bid placed in the first second, the term "sniping" is a fiction created by folks that are made they lost an auction.
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When I first started cruising the bay and actually placing bids, I feel like my bid was shilled up when bidding with the same seller, the same ID came up on several different items pushing my bid closer and closer to the max. I got tired of being shilled. So now, last 4 secs does it for me.
James
 
I would never use a "sniping system/bot", as I believe in a "level playing field"...HOWEVER, I generally do wait 'till the last minute (or two) of the bid ending to place my bid, and since I have a pretty slow dial-up internet connection, I'm still at a disadvantage to most bidders. I've been outbid a few times doing that, but I've also won a few...
 
glockman99 said:
I would never use a "sniping system/bot", as I believe in a "level playing field"...HOWEVER, I generally do wait 'till the last minute (or two) of the bid ending to place my bid, and since I have a pretty slow dial-up internet connection, I'm still at a disadvantage to most bidders. I've been outbid a few times doing that, but I've also won a few...
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That is ok by me, but the "bot" sent in a bid for me just last night, I was at church and the end time was during the service. I came home to a surprise, sometimes I can not be watching when it is ending and if for no other reason, I still like it.

Jim
 
Personally, I don't see the point of sniping. I just use the max bid the way it was intended -- my max bid really is the most I'm willing to pay. If somebody else wants it more, more power to 'em. Whether they outbid me days or seconds before the auction ends just doesn't matter to me.

rmd
 
Seems to me that "sniping" programs just allow everybody to bid whatever their maximum is and whoever wants it the most (is willing to pay the most) wins it. Essentially it turns eBay into a sealed-bid auction in which all the bids are opened at the same time when the auction is over. The main difference between "sniping" and just entering your max bid at any time is that you do not "tip your hand" if you snipe.

If I enter what is truly my max bid in a sniping program, I shouldn't be upset if someone else wins the auction for $5 more than I was willing to bid.

I did have one failure in which the sniping program did not enter my bid (dunno why) and someone else won the auction for a couple hundred $ less than I would have paid. It is still possible that the winning bidder had a max bid higher than mine and would have won the auction even if my bid has been entered, but I will never know.
 
The Last Confederate said:
It's a timed auction with a posted beginning and ending time.

A bid placed in the last second is just as legitimate as a bid placed in the first second, the term "sniping" is a fiction created by folks that are mad they lost an auction.
Click to expand...

Exactly. And if you think eBay is a tough 'neighbourhood', don't ever test the waters at Sotheby's or Christie's or the old Parke-Benet! :eek: Many years ago I entered the bidding on an original Annie Oakley rifle - and I was handed my a** on a platter by the gentility in attendance. A school of piranha in the Amazon have better manners and/or scruples!
 
rmd said:
Personally, I don't see the point of sniping. I just use the max bid the way it was intended -- my max bid really is the most I'm willing to pay. If somebody else wants it more, more power to 'em. Whether they outbid me days or seconds before the auction ends just doesn't matter to me.

rmd
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Same here. The problem I face is the local economy runs at about 85% national average, pay at 79%. So my ability to compete with others, say, from either coast, is already limited compared to their 135% pay.

In other words, ALL you rich people are a problem. You simply have more disposable income - which allows purchasing the nonessentials more easily.

Of course, here I can buy a two story 1500 ft home on an acre for $59k. :D

I bid my max and let it ride. Given time, I'll find it for about the same in a local flea market or rummage sale, which is soon enough. As I get older, I find I need less and less, anyway.
 
tirod3 said:
As I get older, I find I need less and less, anyway.
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I am old too, but I need a fix, just another knife will do.:D:D

James
Ps that is why I snipe, seems to keep my interest hidden until it is too late for others to bump my bid up one increment at a time. If I had exposed my interest and max bid, someone might have tried to bid it at 80%, then driven my max up and then bid 90%, then 95% and then given up. Consequently I would pay more for it, than if he had just not known about me and my bid comes in later, with seconds to go, keeping said person from bidding again.
That is why I snipe, besides keeping the shill bidders unaware and if you are on the bay. They ARE there, either friends or multiple ids.
 
I like the gunbroker.com system with it's 15 minute rule. Only problem there is that there never seems to be much I'm interested in on there.
XJ
 
I just wait till the last minute and then put my full bid in and if i get it at a lower price great.....My Friend used a sniper service and he wins about 80-90 % of the time but he pays $ 6.99 a month to use it....
 
I AM a snipe bot....


:D :p :eek:


:foot:


Seriously, though....I have won auctions with less than 1 second left (I have access to a high-speed connection in several places). I have also won auctions with multipe (3+) bids in the last 5 seconds...ie, I bid, get outbid, I rebid, get outbid by your snipe bot, I rebid, get outbid by your snipe bot again, I rebid and win. ;)

Doesn't happen everytime...I lose probably as many snipe-bot battles as I win...and I gotta want the item pretty bad to even "get in the game"....but I have definitely beat out snipe bots before. There's a trick to it, of course. :D But it's possible.

Sleep on it.



:D
 
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