Bish-OP goes eBay crazy!

Marbles · 27 May, 2007, 01:01:39 PM

If you want to try sniping, this is what I use, you get 3 free snipes a week. Always works for me :)

Link: http://www.auctionstealer.co.uk/home.cfm" target="_blank">AuctionStealer

Rex Banner · 27 May, 2007, 01:20:01 PM

I won an auction recently by sniping. Within two minutes the underbidder had sent me a less than complimentary email.

Peter Wolf · 27 May, 2007, 01:22:08 PM

I only snipe when i am sitting here otherwise i always lose. Sometimes i forget to bid and that is annoying. Sometimes i have won something so cheap that i feel like i am stealing from them so i send them a bit more cash on top if i have it. You get good feedback if you do that.

I am on my second account now as i got banned from ebay as i let someone else use my account .That was very stupid indeed. They were getting carried away and winning and not paying for items. You learn in the end.

Richmond Clements · 28 May, 2007, 10:57:13 AM

The bastard who sniped us on Saturday night deserves to die.

Obviously, any time I successfully do it, it is a totally different thing...

Mike Carroll · 28 May, 2007, 11:38:53 AM

I never, ever snipe! I HATE it when it happens to me, so I wouldn't do it to someone else.

I actually wrote to the eBay people about five years ago suggesting that items that already have more than one bid should be closed to new bidders for the final hour of the auction. That'd scupper the snipers. Unfortunately they never wrote back.

Still think it's a good idea, though!

-- Mike

I, Cosh · 28 May, 2007, 12:02:22 PM

I take it "sniping" means waiting until the last possible moment before bidding for an item?

If so, I assumed that's what everyone does as the only auctions I've missed out on have been ones where I couldn't be at the PC when it was closing and I really can't see what the problem is. Everyone knows what they're willing to pay and when the auction ends.

Floyd-the-k · 28 May, 2007, 12:24:16 PM

wouldn't the snipers just set the software to snipe at the one hour mark?

yours snipeably with only one bidder going for 'Juicing for Health'

Floyd

VampiraJen · 28 May, 2007, 12:34:53 PM

I won an auction recently by sniping. Within two minutes the underbidder had sent me a less than complimentary email.

he called you fat and ugly?

the bastard!

Peter Wolf · 28 May, 2007, 12:40:26 PM

That is a good idea. I always snipe at the last minute and enter a much higher maximum bid that the others havent so they have no chance of catching up as there is no time left to do so . This is incredibly annoying for others and not really in the spirit of things.These days i give them about 5 to 10 minutes to act as that is plenty of time to catch up. This is when there are a few bidders.If there is only one or two and it is still cheap then i dont worry at all about sniping. Its only when the item is being bidded on by lots of others that i try to be fair and not snipe. It depends how badly you want it

I, Cosh · 28 May, 2007, 01:59:32 PM

wouldn't the snipers just set the software to snipe at the one hour mark?

Or simply enter a ridiculously low bid in the first instance.

Buttonman · 28 May, 2007, 03:08:34 PM

Anyone who moans about snipers hasn't really grasped the idea of 'highest bid wins'. It's not against ebay policy and I don't even regard it as a dubious tactic. Bid what you are prepared to pay and if someone offers more by another bid, sniped or otherwise, you have no complaints.

One of the joys of ebays selling is seeing the last five minutes of your auction in constantly refreshed pages as punters squabble over your tat.

Max Kon · 28 May, 2007, 11:08:28 PM

A different way to prevent sniping would be to extend auctions, so if someone bids say 14 minutes before the close the auction is extended by one minute, if they bid one minute before the end then it's extended by 14 minutes. This would carry on indefinately, so the amount your item sells for could actually be far higher, as at the end you'd have people battling to try and secure the auction until the close

JOE SOAP · 29 May, 2007, 01:58:37 AM

that's a nonsensical idea for an auction.

Floyd-the-k · 29 May, 2007, 03:54:04 AM

pigeonholing sniping for one moment, there are only hours for you to put in bids for Juicing FOr Health. Not only can you enjoy a lifetime of healthy juicing, you can have the comfort of knowing you've helped me afford the two Bish-OP items I've bid for.

yours juicily

Floyd

IndigoPrime · 29 May, 2007, 09:16:57 AM

:: Anyone who moans about snipers hasn't really grasped the idea of 'highest bid wins'.

Exactly. A simple tactic is to simply decide what you're willing to pay, put on a bid when there are a few hours to go, and then just walk away. If a 'sniper' wins, it's over the amount you were willing to pay anyway.