ebay bid sniping

[4fordisney]

I've been trying to buy clothes for our trip...figured it was a good way to save money. I keep getting sniped. I am starting to think I am not going to get any deals unless I do the same.

Has anyone here ever used a sniping program? Is it really ethical? How do you feel about them? I think I might feel guilty using one, but it might be the only way I am going to get anything.

I'm looking at justsnipe.com, but I am a little leary of giving my ebay password even if I decided I wanted to use a sniping program.

 

[eeyore45]

Bidsniper, but ebay changed its bid sniping program and ebay now charges you per bid, so if you dont win, you are still charged!! (quote unquote by dh, who used this service extensively, just asked him, and he told me the above, and I was wondering why he doesnt bid so much on ebay!)

 

[maggiew]

I've been trying to buy clothes for our trip...figured it was a good way to save money. I keep getting sniped. I am starting to think I am not going to get any deals unless I do the same.

Has anyone here ever used a sniping program? Is it really ethical? How do you feel about them? I think I might feel guilty using one, but it might be the only way I am going to get anything.

I'm looking at justsnipe.com, but I am a little leary of giving my ebay password even if I decided I wanted to use a sniping program.

Hmmm. I've never been sniped out of winning a clothes auction! Usually the stuff I buy I'm the only bidder. What kind of things are you trying to buy? Maybe I just have bad taste and want things no one else wants.

Maggie

 

[epcotfan]

I just wanted to clarify that Ebay does NOT charge users to bid. If you are using a sniping program they might charge to snipe for you whether you win or not.

 

[eeyore45]

I want to clarify that ebay is not part of the bid sniping program my dh was a part of, but if he won, he was charged extra for each bid his bid sniping program... and he tried to explain it to me, but it ****swooshed**** went over my head as I was multi tasking... so I thought he said he was billed for each bid the bid sniper placed, and he did blame ebay, but he was using an independent bid sniping program, not attatched to ebay, but then again I was multi tasking and proabably have no idea what I'm talking about!!!

 

[4fordisney]

I'm bidding on plus sized women's clothing and men's jean shorts....both must be in high demand.

 

[wendyinoc]

I find the only way to win is to bid last minute. I am now using EBAY on my Sprint PCS cell phone so I don't have to wait at home. The service is great on the cell phone. Very easy to use!

 

[Southern4sure]

I dont use any sniping programs. But if I really want something bad, I open two pages in my browser...each set to ebay each on the same item. In one, I put my max bid (sometimes more) but do not hit the place bid button yet. In the other, I keep refreshing and watching the time tick away. When it gets down to 1 minute, I hit the place bid button in the other window...sometimes it does not work...but most of the time it does.

Southern4sure

 

[4fordisney]

The last one I was determined to win...I sat there with my maximum bid being well over the current bid with one minute to go....then BAM! someone sniped the outfit I really wanted!

 

[Gator Kate]

I've just started using ebay and wondered if you could explain what bid sniping is?

 

[simpilotswife]

I used to feel that using software was cheating but have since changed my mind. It's not cheating for someone to want to pay more for something than I am willing to pay. With sniping software, the reason people win is that they are willing to pay mroe than you are. If you are willing to pay more then you should be bidding accordingly.

 

[Mandy_in_NC]

I have never heard of a sniping program. What is it?

 

[4fordisney]

A sniping program is software that you can program to bid higher than the other bidders at the last second in order to win the auction.

What happens when more than one person uses sniping programs?

 

[alisonbestford]

I use auction sniper - it's available in the UK but I'd imagine elsewhere too.
Mine is set to 5 seconds before the auction closes.
Guess if there's more than one sniper programme the softwear battles it out
Not only has it won me several auctions but it's stopped me placing silly bids, in the heat of the moment, that are far over what the item's worth
Alison

 

[starwood]

Auction sniper will give you 3 free snipes. You have to win the snipe for it to count. I think they charge .25 per snipe after that up to a certain amount.

 

[Gator Kate]

As I said I'm a total newbie to ebay (3 wins) but doesn't ebay's "bid for you" system do the same thing as this software?

 

[seashoreCM]

I think that sniping (last second bidding) just gives artificial good feelings to those who do it and just gives artificial bad feelings to the victims.

If you simply bid the highest amount you are willing to pay, eBay will automatically bid for you, and anybody who snipes could just as well have overbid you earlier.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[Az Pirates]

As I said I'm a total newbie to ebay (3 wins) but doesn't ebay's "bid for you" system do the same thing as this software?

Sure does. If you put in a high enough proxy bid you'll still win even if someone does try to snipe (come in and win at the last minute)
The only thing I don't like about putting in a high proxy bid too early is that people can nibble away at it. I always wonder if I could have gotten the item for less by sniping rather than having my high bid out there for too long and people bidding it up.
Bottom line is it's an auction - whoever is willing to pay the most will win. It doesn't matter if they bid early or late in the process.

 

[Princess Glenda]

On eBay boards the discussion on SNIPING is comparable to discussions here on refillable mugs and pool hopping! LOL. YES, I am a sniper but have never used any of the sniper software. Even with sniping at the last few seconds I still sometimes get sniped by someone else. I very seldon win items were I just leave my maximum bid and play the wait and see game.

 

[4fordisney]

Yeah, you're right....I bid the highest I wanted to go and it went over....no need to get a sniping program, I guess. It just hurts when you have 1 minute to go and you think you've won it and you hit refresh at the last second and it's gone!