Curse you eBay snipers!!!

[Galactica]

I snipe if it's ending when I'm not around to see it, or if I can't decide which lot I want more... my program has 'groups' so if you win the first auction, it can cancel all other snipes in that group... or if you lose, it goes onto the next one, etc, etc, so you don't overspend, as you do with lots sometimes!

That is interesting!   I use one of those free snipe programs- so it only lets me have 3 a week, and enters the bid like 15 seconds before it ends.

I use that because it limits the auctions that I bid on on ebay- also I don't have the time to be constantly checking back.


It would be interesting if ebay ever changed the rules to keep an auction open if there are bids in the last five minutes- like a real auction- maybe every time there is a bid keep the auction open an additional five minutes?  Could make the auction last forever I suppose- but would definitely make snipe programs useless and sellers would make more presumably.

[Yurusumaji]

I decide how much I'm willing to pay, make that my max bid and don't pay attention further.

I don't even use eBay anymore because it just plain old sucks, but this is what I did while I was using it. I put in a max bid and then I forgot about the auction until it was over. I never checked my auctions, I just let it run its course and then I look at it after the timer has run out. If I won, I paid right then. If I lost, I shrugged my shoulders and moved on. I tried sniping a couple times years ago and it never panned out in my favor for some reason. I just couldn't get the timing right.

If people want to snipe, fine. If they snipe for a higher amount than what I put in, good for them. They wanted it more than me and they deserve to have it. I'll find another someday.

[Nienna]

Alright, I'm much too invested in this I know, I'm sorry I keep posting 

But I want to say about the programmes- they're available to anyone. And I'm not staying up until 4 if I have to work the next morning and neither am I about to miss an item I really want because some people feel it's not fair... I prefer to bid manually but sometimes it's awesome. I fail to see how something that is available to anyone and totally allowed is disrespectful to other buyers or unfair...

[NovelNerd]

I think sometimes people just get a little heated about this particular topic. In the end it comes down to the person willing to pay the most for an item. When I bid in an auction I always try to bid the absolute most I'm willing to pay for an item. That way if I lose there are no regrets. If I bid 50.00 and someone wins with 50.25 I never really look at the idea "They bid just a few cents more than me I could have won!"...No they just happened to have a higher amount placed than I did and someone else did not bid against them.  I don't mind sniper programs or people snipping. I've had plenty of auctions snipped at the last second, but I had put in my HB and won anyway or sometimes I lose. That's the nature of an auction.

[Galactica]

Agree with the above-

In fact, one of the reasons I like to use the snipe program is that it forces me to enter in the highest I'd be willing to pay-  and then I am not tempted to add just a few dollars more, every time I get outbid. 

[Cherry_Sunset]

I can't say much, I always snipe my auctions. I only used a program once because I needed this very rare piece of Sonic the hedgehog merchandise. I always enter a weird cent amount, that seems to help I just feel that you shouldn't have to pay asinine prices for something if you don't have to, and it can be super stressful. Also, I know this sounds mean, but it'll make the other person pay more if you don't win, and they may not have the money to get something else you want. Believe me, I've gotten sniped on things I really want, you win some, you lose some. I figure that you will be able to find the item again!

[RAMChYLD]

Well, I've gotten sniped so often at eBay that I tend to prefer buy-it-now auctions now, even if it's a little bit more expensive.

[Skeen]

I snipe.  I get sniped.  Everything always comes back up for auction again eventually.  That's the great circle of life. 

[shabbychicdee]

YES, shakes fist at the person, i know its all fare in bidding auctions but just plan rude,
just the other day i had a auto bid on a Steamer complete with all his accessories and cos i hate watching
auctions just in case i end up in a bidding war and spend to much a walked away and came back to see someone snipped me a second before the auction ended, its a slap in the face really Grrrrrrrrrr

i also put auto bids on cos im on the other side of the world and alot of auctions end in the middle of the night.
and because some people over charge on the honest shipping cost i can't go up that high when i do put a auto bid on

Post Merge: November 02, 2012, 05:12:36 PM

Well, I've gotten sniped so often at eBay that I tend to prefer buy-it-now auctions now, even if it's a little bit more expensive.

me too and best price offer

[FantasticFirefly]

I snipe.... the few times I didn't (in the days before auto programs) I'd usually come home to see that my bid was bumped up by $1, $1, $1 over and over and over. 

and over.... It was like the other bidder didn't even want the item, but was more curious to see how high the other (my) bid truly was. Or, maybe it was shilling.... I figure if I snipe in the last second, the less then honest sellers don't have a chance to get a friend to bump the price on me, or I won't pay more then I have to because of other curious bidders. I cut it pretty close, with my connection sometimes it bites me and the auction ends a split second before my bid. Oops. They all come again though.

[Pinkie21]

I *rarely* ever do auctions (I much prefer BINs, as auctions make me a bit anxious).  However, when I do bid, I'm a shameless sniper. 

[Stormness_1]

That is interesting!   I use one of those free snipe programs- so it only lets me have 3 a week, and enters the bid like 15 seconds before it ends.

I use that because it limits the auctions that I bid on on ebay- also I don't have the time to be constantly checking back.

My program - well it's a website, actually, is free too. Unlimited item numbers, but you use groups to limit your spending, or to make sure you only win one of a certain item if more than one comes up at around the same time. I work odd hours and I'm on call too, so if it weren't for gixen I probably wouldn't ever win anything on ebay.

I'm always tempted to up my max bid if I get outbid, too... so by sniping I don't have time to up it if I get outbid, and that helps keep my spending in check, so it's actually BETTER for other bidders - I can be pretty darned determined! And as for winning by 50 cents or something similar... of course you could have gone up that much again... but whose to say that was their max bid? it could be lots more, where do you draw the line? You bid as much as you're willing, and so did everyone else. It's fair for everyone, regardless of how you bid if you put in your maximum max bid amount.

[Spike]

There's now autobidsnipers on eBay now. So it's VERY HARD to win bids. I usually have to use the buy it now feature :/

[moonflower]

I have been known to snipe, but I've never used a program I do it myself. If I don't but a high enough bid in a lose it obviously but it makes it impossible to go over my limit.

Anyone can do it so I think it is a fair game, although I do love this idea...

I wish if somebody bid with less than 5 minutes left, it would reset to "5 minutes remaining", real auctions aren't ruled by a deadline necessarily. Ebay could make a lot more money that way but what do I know...

[partypony566]

At the end of the day whether you are sniped or not it all basically means the other person is willing to pay more