alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Got sniped twice yesterday on bone china my wife collects. She's not TOO dis-chuffed as she wouldn't have wanted to pay over what we bid, but.........

How does the sniping actually work? Does it look at whatever MAXIMUM bid you've put on and go over it? In which case, how does it KNOW your maximum?
Or does it just go up to the sniper's pre-agreed maximum for that item?

If it's the latter, surely you can pre-empt it by putting on a silly maximum yourself, always assuming YOU are willing to pay OVER what the sniper will?

And if you did that, and it works as my first suggestion, you could force snipers to pay a LOT of money for stuff.

Any other explanations?

Alcazar

dpb

My mate showed us how to bid in the last 3 seconds - but ive forgotton how it was done now

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

no you have it exactly right. Sniping tools work like this :

You place in the sniping software/website, your ebay item number and the maximum bid you are prepared to pay. then you either leave it, content in the knowledge that you have guessed right and let the sniping tool bid at the last 2-10 secs (quicker than a human bidder can do by refreshing the page)

If during the course of the auction your maximum bid is outbid you have a chance to up your bid just like normal. but in sniping tools, the item is removed from any further increases by yourself when it gets to a certain end time.

so yes, you can outbid the sniping tool by bidding very high, but the sniper will be informed and can increase. The tool simply allows the user to make a bid and then go away and leave everything done for the person, as opposed to manually checking the auction at the very last few minutes.

PaulC72

I have always preferred the final minutes game, but sometimes wished I had used a sniping program when I have been unavailable to bid.

51st state

you got a link to the sniper programme swiss

CrisPDuk

Never seen the point of it myself
My first and only bid is always the maximum I am prepared to pay for something, if someone else is prepared to pay more, so be it

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

true, you need to use the sniping tools with exactly the same principle.
All it does is allow you the luxury of not being around when the auction ends.

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

https://www.goofbay.com/free_ebay_sniper.html

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

No problem, this is the one I use

Powersnipe : eBay sniper software snipe, bid, and win on online eBay auctions.

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

Sniping tools work because the person you are bidding against may not have entered the maximum amount they were prepared to pay. Lots of people still adjust their bids later on in an auction, in some cases they get carried away and bit more than a new item.

If you bid against these people in the conventional manner you will lose, as they will up their bid. If you snipe against them you deny them the opportunity to get carried away and outbid you.

One tool is JBidWatcher. Its Java based and free. The Java it needs is also free. The tool is a little quirky, and not as good as paid for versions.

The last, and most important thing to consider is that a sniping tool must have your ebay username and password in order to work. Yes, that is correct, it must have both your username and password....a scammers delight. Be very sure that the software you are using is legitimate.....

Sonic'

I like CrisPduk only bid what I am prepared to pay for an item

Never used any tools, other than refresh and mouse click

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

Thats fine if you're sat there at the end of the auction. If not and you're entering you max bid early you can force the price higher than you really need to be paying. By sniping in the last few seconds you don't give that potential other bidder a chance to counter offer and can grab a bargain.

Bubba po

If you put your maximum bid in, the ebay software only bids for you in the current increment for the item. If someone else has their maximum bid in, then ebay will bid for both of you almost instantaneously until one of you has reached the top of their maximum bid.

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

I use auction sniper

Mark A

iTrader: (1)

Ezsniper.com

Is the one I've used too great effect

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

Another vote for the only put in what you want to pay fr it. What difference does it make if you watch the end of the auction or not? The only reason fr watching woukd be to increase your bid over your maximum!

5t.

negri

it can stop yo upaying more fo ran item


some people bid up in increments till they are the top bidder and dont put any more in until they are outbid .

if you use the sniper it stops anyone outbidding you because the auction is over .


if you bid a tenner with three days to go it gives people time to up the bid till they are above you . if you bid a tenner with the sniper then if you have the highest bid you have won

scoobynutta555

I bid during the last 5 seconds with the maximum I'm prepered to buy for. You could open 2 Ebay pages with bids ready to go on one and refresh on the other.

[Davey]

I snipe.. I decide the maximum im willing to spend then wait until the auction has 2 seconds left before bidding, if i dont win then I couldnt afford it

Geezer

Sniping stops you having to show your interest early, a major contributor to prices rising because people like to be in the lead.

Snipe and you may get it for less than normal bidding without the hassle of having t be there and refreshing and all that. If you don't well, you won't have been dragged into a bidding war and pay ove the odds like loads of idiots do on eBay.

I use Hammersnipe. Works very well.

Geezer

DanTheMan

***** to sniping, I find that if I put in the highest bid I ALWAYS win, regardless of when or how you put the bid on

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

Yes, thats the way eBay works. Exactly my point, by which time you've pushed the price up needlessly. If you are still outbidding the other person they get notification and a chance to outbid you again, pushing the price up again. Obviously if someone has bid a higher amount you need a higher price to successfully snipe them, but you eradicate the possibility of giving them another chance to outbid you.