Sniping ebay auctions

[mscher]

I can never seem to win auctions as sometime many bids come at the very last seconds.

Apparently, many bidders are using programs to place last second bids automatically. These programs are either desktop or web based, which charge a small fee for each "snipe".

Anybody use snipe programs, that can comment on the best ones.

I would prefer a desktop program.

Thanks

 

[roscoe]

Re: Sniping ebay auctions

I usually don't use one, unless I will be away from home when the auction ends.
If I am home, I can click the mouse with 8 seconds to go, and get my bid in with 5 seconds to spare.

I have only used esnipe.
No complaints.
You buy credits from them, so they get your money first, and you use the credits when you want.

This is done so they are selling a service.
If they simply held your money, they would be a bank, and fall under all the banking regulations.

The advantage of a web based snipe, is that their servers are sync'd with ebay's. And, the bid will go in, even if you lose your internet connection or have computer problems at your end.

All you need to do is buy a few credits, and know the ebay item number.
You only pay if you win the auction.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Sniping ebay auctions

I can never seem to win auctions as sometime many bids come at the very last seconds.

Apparently, many bidders are using programs to place last second bids automatically. These programs are either desktop or web based, which charge a small fee for each "snipe".

Anybody use snipe programs, that can comment on the best ones.

I would prefer a desktop program.

Thanks

I really think what you are mostly dealing with, is not sniping, but proxy bids.

You place your bid in the last 15-30 seconds but are outbid. All that means is that the bid amount showing was not the highest that bidder was willing to go so your bid just kicked his bid up above yours.

Lets say there is $5.00 showing from bidder B. But his actual maximum bid was $10. You come in and bid $7.50. The bid increment is 50 cents. So he is still shown as the winner at $8.00. Now you are out of time to try again.

Guaranteed this is how you lose most of them. You can go in and look at the bidders, their amounts and the time the bid was placed. Often times you will see that the winning bid was placed before yours was.

If this was the case, you will never see the winners maximum bid. You will only see the winning amout that will be one bid increment above yours.

 

[rwise]

Re: Sniping ebay auctions

Myself I never considered using one of those programs, I bid what I am willing to pay and look to see if I won when its over. Someone wants it worse than I do, they will pay more than I would have!

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Sniping ebay auctions

AuctionSniper.com - lost one, won two. I did about as good using a timer and manually bidding within the last few seconds.

 

[bjcsc]

Re: Sniping ebay auctions

Sniping doesn't have anything to do with winning auctions. It is very misunderstood. The reason you (mscher) don't win the auctions is simply because someone is willing to pay more than you are. When your bid is placed has no relevance. The reason for last second bidding, or sniping, is so the price does not get driven up and any possible opponents have no time to react to your bid. However, if someone is willing to pay more than you are, and bids, you will still lose the auction.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Sniping ebay auctions

Ayuh,........ I Manually Snipe every auction I bid on,......

I search the auctions,+ save to watch the 1s I Think I want,.....
Then I snipe them in the last 15/20seconds, with the Highest Amount I'm willing to spend.....
Either I Win,.... Or get Overbid.........

The Reason I Snipe everything is for the reasons stated by bjcsc,... Bidding Early just drives the bids Up, by people who Think they know what they're doing......

Kinda like Poker,........ Why tip your hand, til it's Necessary................

 

[i386]

Re: Sniping ebay auctions

Exactly, it keeps from driving the price up. The last significant thing I sniped was a powerhead for my '69 evinrude. I got it for $40. I doubt I would have got it for that if I'd bid early.

I never use any automated means though.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Sniping ebay auctions

I use esnipe for every auction. Makes sure that if I outbid someone who put in a proxy bid to rethink his bid.

A feature that I really like is bid groups. Lets say you want an item that is in 10 seperate auctions. With proxy bidding, you tend to just bid on one of the auctions since you don't want to win more than one. With esnipe, you set all 10 auctions into a group and when you win an auction, it cancels all the remaining esnipe bids.

Also, if you tend to bid on certain types of items, no one can search to see what you are currently bidding on to get in on the action.

For awhile, I was bidding on Levi jeans of a certain size. Instead of doing al the searching myself for the right size, I found someone else who seemed to be bidding on identical jeans. I just did a search on what he was bidding on and set up esnipe on the same auctions.

 

[JB]

Re: Sniping ebay auctions

I always bid the top amount I am willing to pay and let the eBay proxy system enter bids up to that amount.

I have never lost an item that went for less than I was willing to pay and I have won many for less than I was willing to pay.

Sniping tries to make a win-lose strategy game out of a straightforward auction. It doesn't work that way. An item should always go for more than losers are willing to pay.

Of course, to make my system work I must know how much I am willing to pay.

On any item in any auction, if you don't know how much you are willing to pay, don't bid at all.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Sniping ebay auctions

Esnipe works the same way.
You enter in your maximum bid, and esnipe holds your bid until the last few seconds of the auction.
If the bidding is already above your maximum bid, your bid is ignored.

All you are doing is entering a proxy bid, with 8 seconds left in the auction.
It doesn't automatically put a winning bid in.

 

[jimlad]

Re: Sniping ebay auctions

8) never used one allways put bid in last few seconds and come out of nowere

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Sniping ebay auctions

BayGenie has a free version. That's what I use. The purchased version has more bells and whistles. Your computer clock has to be in sync. There are free downloads for that too. You can designate how many seconds remaining to place the bid. Your computer and connection determine this, but it's trial and error to get the fewest seconds left. In my case 4 is the limit and I've missed a few at that setting. 9 seconds seems to be safe for me, but there are always snipers more precisely fine-tuned.

 

[12Footer]

Re: Sniping ebay auctions

I don't use ebay at all anymore because of the all last minute bidding. It has gotten way outta control.
I used to do what JB does, letting the proxy bid feature bid FOR me to my preset high bid.
But since the snipers have taken over, it's no longer an auction, and I just purchase somewhere else.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Sniping ebay auctions

I don't use ebay at all anymore because of the all last minute bidding. It has gotten way outta control.
I used to do what JB does, letting the proxy bid feature bid FOR me to my preset high bid.
But since the snipers have taken over, it's no longer an auction, and I just purchase somewhere else.

It is true, as ebay has gained such wide noteriety, there is just simply more competition for a lot of items.

However 12, I think you are shortchanging yourself. I keep picking off good items at prices that are a fraction of new, and they are also items that you would be hard pressed to find used anywhere else. Sometimes I have to try several auctions before I get one at my price.

Case in point. I needed an OEM SBF factory carb spacer. I could buy one new for $90 + shipping. They were commonly appearing on ebay but going between $40 and $70. I just bided my time and picked off two of them for $30 each. One to replace an aftermarket spacer on my GulfStream and one for the 4bbl conversion on my BeachCraft.

 

[mscher]

Re: Sniping ebay auctions

I don't use ebay at all anymore because of the all last minute bidding. It has gotten way outta control.
I used to do what JB does, letting the proxy bid feature bid FOR me to my preset high bid.
But since the snipers have taken over, it's no longer an auction, and I just purchase somewhere else.

It is true, as ebay has gained such wide noteriety, there is just simply more competition for a lot of items.

However 12, I think you are shortchanging yourself. I keep picking off good items at prices that are a fraction of new, and they are also items that you would be hard pressed to find used anywhere else. Sometimes I have to try several auctions before I get one at my price.

Case in point. I needed an OEM SBF factory carb spacer. I could buy one new for $90 + shipping. They were commonly appearing on ebay but going between $40 and $70. I just bided my time and picked off two of them for $30 each. One to replace an aftermarket spacer on my GulfStream and one for the 4bbl conversion on my BeachCraft.

I agree. through ebay, I've just had a wireless network card, purchased at auction and shipped to my house for $18 new. The same cards sells for $64 at Best Buy.

Since a lot of these cards sell on ebay, I did not even get "sniped" this time.

 

[dolluper]

Re: Sniping ebay auctions

I agree sometimes lucky sometimes not,I've picked up some rare parts dirt cheap and yes at local sites some also,local ones are easier just call make your deal and pick up>>>> no gambling on a price,no shipping cost,no frustration with super fast satisfaction,sometimes a drive 2000 miles {hehe] errr a plane

 

[RCSConstruction]

Re: Sniping ebay auctions

I use Moxie proxy's Prospector.
I paid 30.00 for a lifetime service agreement.
Their server's are always online and I have never lost a snipe due to an error.
The main reason I use it is because it keeps your interest in the item hidden.
Alot of times someone will bid low just to get in the bid and they never up their max because nobody is bidding against them. I think it also makes them think it's not worth the money if nobody's bidding against them.
I have came away with some really good deals and if in the end it really doesn't help me it always adds a little more excitement to the equation.
Take care

 

[Solittle]

Re: Sniping ebay auctions

From time to time I will see an item with multiple bids in succession from the same bidder. Why would anyone bid against themselves?

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Sniping ebay auctions

One reason is that they're fishing to find the reserve price, or they're fishing to find the max bid of a competing bidder.