Ebay sniping

[Silver R/T]

So it happened a few times before. I was bidding on vacuum canister tonight and literally in the last 2 seconds someone outbid me. How do they do that, special software or what? And it's usually like a few cents more than what I've bid, something that I could've won!

[motorcitydak]

Its all about patients and good timing. I buy stuff on ebay all the time and I never bid before the last 20 seconds. Some times you win and others some other guy puts up a higher bid at the last moment. It is the best way to win an auction for the least amount of money. Just make sure you are signed in and ready to go at the last 5 minutes and be give it a shot. Ive heard that there are web companies that will bid on stuff for you like that but I dunno of any software that does it

[69bronzeT5]

I've got sniped on a few things. 1 being a mint set of '69 taillights that went for cheap and brand new Charger script sail panel emblems. I hate getting sniped

[elacruze]

I've got sniped on a few things. 1 being a mint set of '69 taillights that went for cheap and brand new Charger script sail panel emblems. I hate getting sniped

I'll get you every time. 

I long ago gave up sniping on items that I want badly, I just pony up my maximum a day or so before auction's end, so the twiddlers have weeded themselves out if they're bored. I'll snipe an auction occasionally even if it's rare, because it does sometimes come out cheaper. The trick to winning is paying, and paying enough. It doesn't matter that you bid in the last 3 seconds if the other guy bid a higher limit 5 minutes before. If you're like me and buy stuff on ebay that you 'want' but don't really 'need', sniping is good fun and saves money on stuff you could do without-but I won't give up my secrets because learning the system is fun as well as productive. I will say that I've never been beat on my snipe unless I was simply out-bid, and the other party wanted it at a higher price than I was willing to pay. I don't use software or web services either. 
You *must* have a reliable non-dialup connection to bid within the last 10  seconds successfully.

Simply put, Snipe big and snipe late.

Eric

[1969chargerrtse]

Bada bing!

"The trick to winning is paying, and paying enough. It doesn't matter that you bid in the last 3 seconds if the other guy bid a higher limit 5 minutes before. "

If it's important to me, I make sure I have a high bid in, it's that simple.

[BrianShaughnessy]

It's all part of the game.   Win some... lose some.    I had a free pass to some sniper program from a friend that I used successfully a few times before.
I keep losing out on carbs, and used slot cars lately.   

I did manage to buy some stuff off ebay after one attempted snipe where the connection was kinda slow and timed out on me.   I sent a note to the seller afterwards and we worked a deal for a set of MP alu-452s.   I would have been the only bidder even though there were about 25 watchers.   

[hemigeno]

I've used Auction Sentry Deluxe (a software based sniping program) for about four or maybe five years now.  Even using a sniping program, your chances of success are directly related to how your maximum bid relates to the other potential bidders.  To me, the "value" of a sniping program is when you're bidding against non-savvy bidders who do not put what their true maximum price is - and by bidding late, you don't get into a bidding war against them.  Otherwise, using a sniping program turns eBay's format into a de facto sealed bid sale, with the highest bid winning the auction.  I would rather take my chances that way.

A lot of eBay vendors have gone away from auctions and towards the Buy-It-Now format.  Guess they got tired of having little or no bidding activity on an item and then having us vultures pick up some primo parts for a fraction of what they may otherwise be worth.  Seen that happen a bunch...

[chargerboy69]

How do they do that, special software or what?

Yes, that is exactly what it is.  I have been a member of E-Bay since 1998, and I have been using E-Snipe for the last six years or so.  It works great.  It will bid automatically on your behalf with 2, 4 or 6 seconds left in the auction.  You set it up how you would like.

[elacruze]

used slot cars  

(threadjacking)

I have a set of 1:24 (I think) Dodge Charger slot cars, firstgen style which was a Christmas present as a kid...looking for a home. PM me.

<edit>

Same as this one-
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ELDON-1-32-1967-DODGE-CHARGER-SLOT-CAR-SET-MOPAR-HEMI-6_W0QQitemZ170415594101QQcmdZViewItemQQptZSlot_Cars?hash=item27ad8f9a75

[Silver R/T]

Bada bing!

"The trick to winning is paying, and paying enough. It doesn't matter that you bid in the last 3 seconds if the other guy bid a higher limit 5 minutes before. "

If it's important to me, I make sure I have a high bid in, it's that simple.

Not really. Say you bid $100 on tail lights. It goes to another guy for $100.25.....that just gets me.

[Aero426]

Bada bing!

"The trick to winning is paying, and paying enough. It doesn't matter that you bid in the last 3 seconds if the other guy bid a higher limit 5 minutes before. "

If it's important to me, I make sure I have a high bid in, it's that simple.

Not really. Say you bid $100 on tail lights. It goes to another guy for $100.25.....that just gets me.

Yes, but his proxy bid could be $200.   You don't know what his "real" bid was.   Once you are the high bidder, the Ebay system just bumps to whatever the next bid would be, up to your max.    You might think you "only lost by 25 cents", but the reality is the other guys bid could have been high enough to blow you out of the water.  

Your bid may have been high, but it wasn't high enough.

[defiance]

It's a bunch of crap.  A much better system would be one that had a set time "since last bid" before close.  So, a person bids 1 sec before auction close, that timer (maybe a day, maybe an hour, something) kicks in and the auction continues, giving others the opportunity to respond.  That would eliminate the frustration of being sniped and benefit sellers as well. 

[ITSA426]

Now I usually just bid once, and bid what I'm willing to pay for an item.  If I get it for less good for me. If it goes for more than I wish to pay, good for the seller and buyer that was willing to pay more. 

I've been in a couple bidding wars, and once bought a car with only a dollar left from my maximum bid.  Too much stress for the thrill of a bargain.

[Aero426]

It's a bunch of crap.  A much better system would be one that had a set time "since last bid" before close.  So, a person bids 1 sec before auction close, that timer (maybe a day, maybe an hour, something) kicks in and the auction continues, giving others the opportunity to respond.  That would eliminate the frustration of being sniped and benefit sellers as well. 

I know of a high end automobilia auction site that does it this way.

[Old Moparz]

It's sort of sniping, but I am always amused by the nimrods who decide that they MUST HAVE whatever item it is they are bidding on, throw a huge number at it to guarantee that they win, then complain that they spent 15 times more than what it's worth. 

[Nacho-RT74]

Its all about patients and good timing.

I have won couple of auctions in last 5-3 seconds. Is just take the timming on your connection and PC to know about the refreshment. For example I know I have to beging the bid procedure when around 10 seconds left as max.

In 5 seconds nobody will outbid unless sometime began the bid procedure just couple of second before me ( lefting 8 seconds or so ) and is bidding more than me of course

Lot of adrenaline in that moment beacuse a key mistake will screw up the bid and will loose

[Nacho-RT74]

Now I usually just bid once, and bid what I'm willing to pay for an item.  If I get it for less good for me. If it goes for more than I wish to pay, good for the seller and buyer that was willing to pay more.

yes that should it be the concept, but on bidding war, you are fighting for cheapest as posible, as many does. If you begin the bid too early, you are not more than increasing the final price

I think I have been on 60-65 auctions, and just loost around 5. Maybe 2 of them I simply let them go because I started too earlier and suddenly some bidder came in from everywhere, then the rest 3 or 4 was very frustrating lost in last 3 seconds.

the viewers counter uses to be very usefull in some auctions althought not the MOST important, because just one bidder can go for it no matter what and if you are tight of funds, you are simply out of the game from begining ( without know it of course )

[Cooter]

It's really very simple...Ever since that commercial came out with the two guys wanting that Football jersey or whatever, and one guys "Snipes" it at the last second...

That told everybody out there to "try" that very thing and guess what?? IT WORKS!

This is why I Don't buy ANYTHING off Epay unless it's a "Buy it now"..

Too many people out there that bid parts up on purpose cause their buddy is selling the part and they think it's going too cheap, too many people bidding on stuff that have NO BUSINESS bidding at all, too many snipers, too many people with too much time and money on their hands playing on Epay..
It's simple, if you want something, go pay for it in person...I've NEVER been sniped with cash in hand, IN PERSON....You go on Evil Bay, your gonna get sniped..period...

[TylerCharger69]

what you do is have two windows open....one window showing the time remaining...etc....the other window of placing your bid....a lot depends on your refresh rate too!!!

[BrianShaughnessy]

used slot cars  

(threadjacking)

I have a set of 1:24 (I think) Dodge Charger slot cars, firstgen style which was a Christmas present as a kid...looking for a home. PM me.

<edit>

Same as this one-
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ELDON-1-32-1967-DODGE-CHARGER-SLOT-CAR-SET-MOPAR-HEMI-6_W0QQitemZ170415594101QQcmdZViewItemQQptZSlot_Cars?hash=item27ad8f9a75

Well... you can pm me with what you're asking but those 1st gen cars in that set are really weird.     Wasn't really looking for any. 

[Smokey Bear]

eBay is intentionally set up to be an auction to get the highest bid by a specific deadline. If you don't like it, go to Craigslist or another source.
There is no reason to poke around with eBay and be a sore loser if you don't like the system. Pretty simple.

[Silver R/T]

Bada bing!

"The trick to winning is paying, and paying enough. It doesn't matter that you bid in the last 3 seconds if the other guy bid a higher limit 5 minutes before. "

If it's important to me, I make sure I have a high bid in, it's that simple.

Not really. Say you bid $100 on tail lights. It goes to another guy for $100.25.....that just gets me.

Yes, but his proxy bid could be $200.   You don't know what his "real" bid was.   Once you are the high bidder, the Ebay system just bumps to whatever the next bid would be, up to your max.    You might think you "only lost by 25 cents", but the reality is the other guys bid could have been high enough to blow you out of the water.  

Your bid may have been high, but it wasn't high enough.

Items show for how much they end up selling for. So sometimes it's .05c and sometimes it's hundreds of dollars, which items I just let go.

[defiance]

eBay is intentionally set up to be an auction to get the highest bid by a specific deadline. If you don't like it, go to Craigslist or another source.
There is no reason to poke around with eBay and be a sore loser if you don't like the system. Pretty simple.

Oh, gee, you're right.  If there is any aspect of a thing that I feel could be improved, I should certainly cease to use that system. 

[b5blue]

It's a battle of the bucks for certain.....not to be played while drinking as I've seen some crazy prices on stuff! It's not how bad you want it but how much money someone else will pay. 

[TUFCAT]

It's a battle of the bucks for certain.....not to be played while drinking as I've seen some crazy prices on stuff! It's not how bad you want it but how much money someone else will pay. 

I think you nailed it - -  No drinking and bidding! Its just like the casino! \

I've paid to much a few times, but mostly I've stolen stuff. For me, it's always a battle of goodtiming, and "how-bad-do-I-want it" 

[plumbeeper]

I've used www.bidnip.com for years and it never fails. Very cheap and you only get charged when you win, not when you bid. You can adjust when it will automatically bid for you from 1 second to 30 seconds before it ends.

Dave

[derailed]

Bada bing!

"The trick to winning is paying, and paying enough. It doesn't matter that you bid in the last 3 seconds if the other guy bid a higher limit 5 minutes before. "

If it's important to me, I make sure I have a high bid in, it's that simple.

I agree, thats pretty much the name of the game. Last month i got beat out by 3 seconds waiting until the end of the auction Just to find out the winning bidder was tied with my bid but he got his in first. It was a great deal on a brand new LS3 takeout from a local dealer.

[ChgrSteve67]

This is what I use and its free.

http://www.jbidwatcher.com/

I use this tool because I'm prone to forgetting to bid and I don't like bidding early and having people poke at my bids running the price up.

[jaak]

When bidding, I decide on what Im willing to pay, I have DSL so I wait until there are a few seconds left, if I win I win, if I don't I don't. I just like waiting until the last seconds, that way if I do become high bidder, I don't leave enough time for someone else to get there bid in. There isn't really as many 'deals' as there use to be on eBay, I mainly use the buy it now option on most repo parts.

Jason

[farmerjon]

What I hate is when someone lists a car or parts and then ends the auction early because they sold the car local.  Some ads state they might do this  others like the one we were watching to bid on (we like to bid late also) just ended  didn't use the buy it now just gone.  I emailed the guy and he said he sold it local.  Make up your mind  either post local and if it doesn't sell put it on ebay or just do e bay.

[Smokey Bear]

Oh, gee, you're right.  

Agreed. Now, could you have a chat with my wife?

If there is any aspect of a thing that I feel could be improved, I should certainly cease to use that system.  

I apologize if the strength of my logic caused you to interpret my statements as instructing you what to do  



eBay is pretty and easy to use, and lots of people go to it first because of that despite any other detractions it may have for them. Those detractions may include the fees, excessive shipping and handling costs, misrepresentation, fraud, or in as in the subject of this thread, bid sniping. What I'm saying is: There are other options. For the people who can't stomach the competitive environment of eBay, take a Pepto and try one of those options: The nationwide Craigslist search engine. It's always my first choice before eBay (for buying) and I have had very good results. I think others might appreciate it too once they give it a try. Here's the link:

http://www.craiglook.com/

It's not as pretty as eBay and you actually have to deal with human beings to close a deal (gasp!), but it can be well worth the effort. A lot of these sellers have other junk stashed away when you start communicating with them.

On eBay there are only two type of bidders: Savvy bidders, and those who are unsatisfied because they are not. That's the way it works, but eBay isnt the best or only game in town.  

[defiance]

Oh, I'm very happy with ebay, and use it all the time.  And I can play the system.  But that just doesn't blind me to its easily visible failings, one of which is ebay's refusal to plug the gap that allows sniping.

[b5blue]

I watch till late but not really snipe, early on I was "kinda snipe'n" and got stuck with a slow loading page.................and missed the whole thing! I just wait long enough to see if it's going too high for me to afford.

[Nacho-RT74]

I didn't know about sniping softwares existantce , and I'm agree with defiance on that: Ebay should get some firewall about those softwares, the deal has to be personally made ( as I do )

[chargergirl]

Nobody grumbles when they are the snipee...only the sniped...it's the name of the game and it sucks to get sniped...just like it rocks to be the winner! at the right price! NEVER get caught up in the hype!

[dkn1997]

Nobody grumbles when they are the snipee...only the sniped...it's the name of the game and it sucks to get sniped...just like it rocks to be the winner! at the right price! NEVER get caught up in the hype!

isn't it snipER?     

[Rolling_Thunder]

Screw people who snipe...        I have lost so much cool crap because of people like that....     but then again I have won a couple things lately on Egay that I shouldn't complain...      I'll post up pics soon and you guys will know what I'm talking about     

[elacruze]

Screw people who snipe...        I have lost so much cool crap because of people like that....     but then again I have won a couple things lately on Egay that I shouldn't complain...      I'll post up pics soon and you guys will know what I'm talking about     

You didn't lose anything, you never had it.

[b5blue]

Right, don't hate the player! I don't win often because I'm so CHEAP! 

[Cooter]

What's funny is A part is offered here for sale No takers....Soon as someone gets sniped out of it on Evil-bay, they bi*ch about getting sniped out of cool stuff....This is why I ALWAYS offer something to the members of a Club BEFORE it goes to EPay...You want it, quit bi)chin' and buy it straight up...No snipin', no BS, just a plain transaction...

[elacruze]

Right, don't hate the player! I don't win often because I'm so CHEAP! 

Got that right...I lost a 4 speed floor hump last night that way...half price, now I'll pay more to have the old one repaired or $150 for a AMD repop.
I get wishy-washy sometimes...

[b5blue]

Sounds like we think alike, By looking long and bidding low I manged to get some nice stuff very reasonable. New (not re-man.) 2 sp. wiper motor 32.00 shipped wiper and headlight switches new 35.00 each + 6.00 shipping and my correct 70 only racing mirror (painted type primed nicely and ready to go) was 32.00 delivered (I didn't know they were scarce) I'm not above contacting the seller with questions, or asking for a break on shipping also. None really "sniped" but many bid in the last hour just because I wait to see if they are getting out of my range. 

[defiance]

Those who defend sniping with the whole "bid what you'll pay!" argument are oversimplifying.  When was the last time you looked at a part and thought, "I'll be willing to pay $237.94 for that, but by god, $237.95 is just too much!"  There is a 'grey' area around a part price, where you know you'll pay $220, and you know you won't pay $250, but between there it's a judgement call that you might go back and forth on.  

Sniping destroys the opportunity for multiple bidders to really hash out who wants it more, it turns it into a game, then has no penalty for cheating by having machines play for you.

I snipe all the time.  As long as it remains the only reasonable way to work within the ebay system, I'll continue to do so.  But it needs to be stopped systematically.

Further, those who say you can't tell what someone's bid was, that's often completely untrue.  For example, ebay scales your bid options.  Most of the time you must bid $1 or $5 or something like that, and when the bid goes up, it goes up by that scaled amount until it hits your max bid.  ONLY when your max bid is a portion of that scale does it not up the bid by that maximum.

Therefore, when you bid $230 on an item and the winning bid is $230.05, you know - without any doubt whatsoever - that the sniper figured out your bid and max outbid it by $0.05.

[chargergirl]

Amen!

[Smokey Bear]

When was the last time you looked at a part and thought, "I'll be willing to pay $237.94 for that

I guess I'll never get the gist of this rationale from a buyers perspective. It's an AUCTION, not a sale. The whole purpose is to get the highest price for the seller buyer with incremental, competitive offers - not create an environment for negotiating with buyers.

I have much more interest in sniping as a seller than a buyer for the exact reasons you state - in that it might contribute to an environment that reduces the chance of an old fashioned, drawn out bidding war that brings the best price to the seller.

[defiance]

I'm 90% buyer, 10% seller.  But as a seller, of course I want the best price, but I don't think that's the point here.  As a buyer, if I want an item, I want the option to bid for it until someone goes beyond what I'm willing to pay or I win it - not someone beats me at some arbitrary stupid game (or I beat them) by using some P.O.S. software to bid at a specific time.
Again, this isn't sour grapes - I'm good at sniping.  It's simply recognition of a flaw in the system that, for the real benefit of buyers AND sellers, should be plugged.......

But I also recognize that a lot of buyers enjoy the game, so it is not likely to be fixed.  so I'm forced to continue to play or abandon the system.

[69charger440]

Look what I sniped!! Pretty killer deal!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280451013723&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_1182