E bay strategy - Sniping?

[swee'pea99]

So Auction Stealer is a "sniping" programme, and there are others. Correct. I recommend it only because I've used it for ages, it's free, and it's never let me down.

My maximum bid on a sniping programme will be slightly above the next bidder, not thirty or more pounds. You can set your maximum bid at £1000 if you like (tho' I wouldn't recommend it - you never know what others will do!) - the point is, whatever you set your maximum at, ebay will only register the lowest bid necessary to beat the next highest bidder. Your max - £1000; next highest bid - £10; you win - at £10.50.

I think I need to practice setting up a snipe, there are some items ending this week, that I would like. So I can register, and make some mistakes before endangering my Important Bid. Good idea. But do nb that like I say, Auctionstealer gives you three goes a week for free - no more.

Like I say, good luck. Whatever it is...

 

[Crankarm]

So Auction Stealer is a "sniping" programme, and there are others.

My maximum bid on a sniping programme will be slightly above the next bidder, not thirty or more pounds.

As you say, I can calmly decide on my maximum bid, and not get carried away.

I think I need to practice setting up a snipe, there are some items ending this week, that I would like. So I can register, and make some mistakes before endangering my Important Bid.

Please note you will be very disappointed if (?) you find out what it is.

You pay a fee for using the snipe/bid cheat software AFAIK. You can be caught out if another bidder makes an artificially high max bid or who is also using bid cheat software.

 

[swee'pea99]

You pay a fee for using the snipe/bid cheat software AFAIK. You can be caught out if another bidder makes an artificially high max bid or who is also using bid cheat software.

Why 'cheat'? It's not cheating.

You don't pay a fee. As stated above, auctionstealer gives you three snipes a week for free.

I'm not sure what constitutes 'being caught out'. You want it; you decide what it's worth to you; you either get it (at the lowest possible bid) or you don't (you get out-bid).

 

[Crankarm]

A programme I looked at takes a very small percentage of the price the item achieves and guarantees to beat the highest bid everytime to win you the item. I didn't sign up in the end as I didn't feel comfortable with it and not wanting to get banned from Ebay how ever much I hate Ebay.

 

[swee'pea99]

Doesn't sound like a very sensible programme to me. Best avoided.

I don't hate ebay, but in any case there's no chance of being banned since sniping doesn't contravene ebay's rules in any way.

 

[PaulSecteur]

On one a rather nice fast Canon L pro lens I got a highest bid literally in the last second (bid history) only for it to be beaten by £1 by another bidder.

They probably didnt beat your bid by just a pound, the may have bid any ammount more than you, its just that to win it took £1 more than your bid.

I feel your pain though, Canon L glass is special.

 

[bikepete]

I have lost a couple of items, good camera lenses to other bidders using bid cheat software. On one a rather nice fast Canon L pro lens I got a highest bid literally in the last second (bid history) only for it to be beaten by £1 by another bidder. This happened to me on two occasions. I complained to Ebay that I suspected bid cheat sofware had been used. Ebay's response was basically that it was outlawed but that they didn't really give a sh1t as they saw nothing irregular in bidding patterns. Which they wouldn't as the more an item achieves, the greater their commission.

The bid cheat software only seems to come into effect on the highest bid immediately before the auction ends.

No cheating is involved.

If you were outbid at the last minute it was because someone put in a higher bid than you. They probably placed their bid well before you did (maybe even without sniping software), and it was Ebay's automated proxy bidding system which made them the winner again as soon as you'd placed your bid. Ebay automatically ensures that the highest bidder (i.e. the bidder who has placed the highest maximum bid at any time before the auction end) wins at one bid increment (£1 in this case) above the second highest bidder's figure.

Ebay have no incentive to permit sniping if it really were cheating. The whole point of it is to minimise the price buyers pay. Ebay are paid on the selling price so it arguably reduces their revenue.

"The bid cheat software only seems to come into effect on the highest bid immediately before the auction ends."

That's just Ebay's automatic proxy bidding system to ensure that the highest bidder wins, not any sniping software. It will immediately bid on behalf of any other bidder with a maximum higher than your bid you just placed, leaving the winning bid one bid increment above yours.

There's another not bad explanation at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auction_sniping

 

[Panter]

Thank you RT. I will read that through. Can I ask tho' does sniping work like a normal "maximum bid", in that what you pay is just slightly more than what the next nearest bidder offered?

Oh, lots of other people have posted as well thank you.

On this occasion, I can do without the thrill of the chase. The bidding ends at 4 pm next Monday.

Sorry, I haven't read the rest of your thread but all the above advice is good, i.e don't get stuck pushing the price up by bidding early.

You're in luck though, that's a very poor time of day/week to end an auction (for the seller) as most people will either be at work, travelling home from work, or sorting the kids out after school so hopefully you'll land a bargain.
I picked up a Specialized frame for peanuts as it ended at a silly time mid week

Assuming you can get to a pc of course....

EDIT: Or snipe (having now looked through the rest of the thread )

 

[Crankarm]

No cheating is involved.

If you were outbid at the last minute it was because someone put in a higher bid than you. They probably placed their bid well before you did (maybe even without sniping software), and it was Ebay's automated proxy bidding system which made them the winner again as soon as you'd placed your bid. Ebay automatically ensures that the highest bidder (i.e. the bidder who has placed the highest maximum bid at any time before the auction end) wins at one bid increment (£1 in this case) above the second highest bidder's figure.

Ebay have no incentive to permit sniping if it really were cheating. The whole point of it is to minimise the price buyers pay. Ebay are paid on the selling price so it arguably reduces their revenue.

"The bid cheat software only seems to come into effect on the highest bid immediately before the auction ends."

That's just Ebay's automatic proxy bidding system to ensure that the highest bidder wins, not any sniping software. It will immediately bid on behalf of any other bidder with a maximum higher than your bid you just placed, leaving the winning bid one bid increment above yours.

There's another not bad explanation at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auction_sniping

No, I was outbid using bid cheat software. I fully understand Ebay's bidding software. I have won and lost numerous items before but I couldn't understand the bidding pattern on these two particular items. I can only assume as they were very desirable that some one was determined to get them and was prepared to use means most foul. Another friend who bids on similar high value electrical items said that bid cheat software is widely used for very popular or sought after items.

 

[HobbesChoice]

So Auction Stealer is a "sniping" programme, and there are others.

My maximum bid on a sniping programme will be slightly above the next bidder, not thirty or more pounds.

As you say, I can calmly decide on my maximum bid, and not get carried away.

I think I need to practice setting up a snipe, there are some items ending this week, that I would like. So I can register, and make some mistakes before endangering my Important Bid.

Please note you will be very disappointed if (?) you find out what it is.

Hi Speicher,
I think you've missed the point a little on auctionstealer. It doesn't charge you a penny to join and you get 3 free bids a week.

If you put down on auctionstealer that your maximum is £50 then auctionstealer will put that maximum bid in for you exactly as though you've done it yourself 10 seconds before the end. So, if your maximum bid is £50 and the auction is currently at £10 then ebay will put you down for £11.00 knowing that your maximum is £50.

If the bidder before you has it at £10 but has put down their maximum bid of £15 then your bid will be made as £16.00.

AuctionStealer just put the bid in for you, with no differences to how you would have done.

I hope that makes it clearer for you as it really is easy and free. I use it for late night snipes or things that are important to me and have never had any issues at all.

 

[swee'pea99]

"I don't understand therefore it's cheating, waa waa waa!"

 

[marinyork]

No help but I would heed the wise words of Weird Al in his song Ebay .

 

[nigelb]

Time to sharpen your pencil, 75 minutes to go.

You will tell us whether you win or not won't you?

Nige

 

[Speicher]

Thank you Hobbes Choice. I was not sure what would happen. Thanks to advice from people and your clear explanation, I understand the process better.

 

[Speicher]

Time to sharpen your pencil, 75 minutes to go.

You will tell us whether you win or not won't you?

Nige

One week and 75 minutes - it ends next Monday.