Auction Sniping?

[nunzia]

After losing a couple auctions I really wanted to win by obvious use of snipers, I am wondering what anyone's experiences have been with these services and if anyone can suggest one over the other?

 

[seashoreCM]

Why not just put in a bid as high as you eventually wanted to go?

If someone else wants to snipe and doesn't go high enough then you still win.

If someone else snipes higher than your maximum then you never wanted to be that high.

Too many times I wait until close to the end of the auction and then forget to bid at all.

 

[secretpantssam]

Why not just put in a bid as high as you eventually wanted to go?

If someone else wants to snipe and doesn't go high enough then you still win.

If someone else snipes higher than your maximum then you never wanted to be that high.

Too many times I wait until close to the end of the auction and then forget to bid at all.

Yeah this is what I have been doing recently. I just set my max bid at what I'm willing to pay for the item. If someone snipes me, they're just going to pay more than I should have so I don't feel too bad.

 

[timmac]

This might not be the answer you want to hear, but I would say don't bother with auction sniping services. Instead, get in a habit of deciding what an item is really worth to you, how much you'd be willing to pay, and place that as your bid. eBay's proxy bidding system does all the work for you.

If you're getting sniped, it means your bid was fairly low... that you're bummed about it means obviously you would have been willing to pay more. If your proxy bid is higher, than getting sniped won't be an issue, since it won't top your previously input max bid. If it does, then so be it, and be happy you didn't win on what was no longer a good deal.

 

[lisabarr]

I have used hammersnipe and am almost always successful!

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

ezsnipe

 

[feezle]

I use hammersnipe as well.

What everyone is saying about a proxybid is true........however.... If you wait to put in your bid, there is less of a chance of being outbid because your competitors may not have put their maximum price in as a proxy bid. So yes, in theory, putting in your highest bid right away should satisfy you that you did everything you were willing to do to win the item. In practice however, you are better off waiting and not possibly sparking a bidding war.

 

[Purseval]

I used to drive the price up to the limit just to see if it was worth bidding on. So if you bid early and high it was going to cost you. I always snipe my final bid no matter what but by waiting until the last second I have a better chance of avoiding someone like myself who pushes the bids up and getting a deal.

 

[timmac]

I use hammersnipe as well.

What everyone is saying about a proxybid is true........however.... If you wait to put in your bid, there is less of a chance of being outbid because your competitors may not have put their maximum price in as a proxy bid. So yes, in theory, putting in your highest bid right away should satisfy you that you did everything you were willing to do to win the item. In practice however, you are better off waiting and not possibly sparking a bidding war.

This is a fair point too... you can sometimes get a better deal by not bidding until near the end. A happy medium might be a reasonable approach. Don't place your bid until reasonably close to the end of the auction; but even still, bid the max you're willing to pay.

 

[scrapquitler]

Why not just put in a bid as high as you eventually wanted to go?

If someone else wants to snipe and doesn't go high enough then you still win.

If someone else snipes higher than your maximum then you never wanted to be that high.

Too many times I wait until close to the end of the auction and then forget to bid at all.

I always put my maximum bid in and wait. It keeps me from overspending. The excitement of the last minute bids can be a very bad thing for the budget.

 

[feezle]

I always put my maximum bid in and wait. It keeps me from overspending. The excitement of the last minute bids can be a very bad thing for the budget.

In a sense I do this too.....but I don't put my bid in on ebay. I put it in on hammersnipe.

Also, another good thing about sniping instead of bidding high early on.....if you find the same item cheaper before that auction is over, you can cancel your snipe on hammersnipe and buy the other one. That way you don't have to hope you get outbid.

 

[Chia9876]

I have been using Auction Sentry standard for years and I love it. It runs on your desktop and snips right before the end. I just set the max that I'm willing to pay and just wait it out. The only time I have lost is when someone outbids me using the ebay automatic bidding.

http://www.auctionsentry.com/

 

[sissy_ib]

Ok I have to ask. What is sniping?

 

[Faithful Raider]

Ok I have to ask. What is sniping?

Its a last second bid. If a person has not done what above posters suggest (ie putting the highest amount the person is willing to pay) its a good way to get an item without causing a bidding war.

Example:

You've bid $5.00 for a Mickey Mouse pin, and you are the current highest bidder, and your bid was for $5.00 (you did not put a higher amount you are willing to pay). Lets say it stays that way and the auction is about to end. You eagerly sit there watching your computer screen, hoping to win. I come along, bid $5.50 in the last 15-20 seconds, and before you can manually enter a higher bid, you've lost the auction.

Sniping is pretty much common practice. There are lots of ways to try to minimize getting sniped, most of which are already covered above. Good luck and happy bidding!!

 

[SandrA9810]

Smiping is last second so you can't get out bidded by another person unless their Max bid is higher than yours. Early bidding can cause a war at the end, which is what excites people to use eBay, the thrill of an auction. Its less likely to happen if there is no bid on the item till the last few minutes.

 

[wtrmlnlabs]

In a sense I do this too.....but I don't put my bid in on ebay. I put it in on hammersnipe.

Also, another good thing about sniping instead of bidding high early on.....if you find the same item cheaper before that auction is over, you can cancel your snipe on hammersnipe and buy the other one. That way you don't have to hope you get outbid.

Good points!! I only used a sniping service a couple of times as free trials and just LOVED it. I'm usually home to "snipe" the auctions myself so I don't find it worth spending $$ on. I do not put my max bid in early in the auction simply because that can make you pay more for the item. If I put in a max bid and others continue to bid it up, I'm either out or paying more. I have noticed with a max bid in place people will slowly bid it up and up where putting it in the end they don't have that time. (not sure that's making sense in writing but it does in my head )

 

[SookieStackhouse]

A lot of items, you almost HAVE to wait til the very very end to try to get it. If you max out early somebody will almost always beat you on that type item.

Just the other day I got an iPhone (finally), I watched a lot of auctions go by where they were battling up to the last few seconds and the prices got insanely high. I just happened upon one (probably because it was pretty late) was within the window of what I wanted to pay and made my move with about 3 seconds left and won. It was the cheapest price I had seen one go for since I had been in the market too. And yes, I have it, and it works great

Some items you can throw a bid out there and not have to worry about, but if you are serious about something you better be stalking it within that last minute or somebody might come along and grab it.

I know I am also bad about forgetting to bid on stuff.

I have never tried to use any sniping software or websites or however that is done.

 

[duffy]

I bid ONCE.

I bid as LATE AS I CAN.

I bid my ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM. This one is key. I either leave the auction happy because I won, or happy because I lost, because it went for too much for me.

 

[feezle]

Most sniping services will give you some free snipes. I know hammersnipe gives you three per month.

 

[nunzia]

This might not be the answer you want to hear, but I would say don't bother with auction sniping services. Instead, get in a habit of deciding what an item is really worth to you, how much you'd be willing to pay, and place that as your bid. eBay's proxy bidding system does all the work for you.

If you're getting sniped, it means your bid was fairly low... that you're bummed about it means obviously you would have been willing to pay more. If your proxy bid is higher, than getting sniped won't be an issue, since it won't top your previously input max bid. If it does, then so be it, and be happy you didn't win on what was no longer a good deal.

I used to think this way also..but...if you really wanted something and set your max bid at $50.00 and then in the last 5 seconds it went to $51 and you lost it, then yes, I would have been willing to go that $51..the beauty of auctions for seller...just a LITTLE more .