Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt
To add to the discussion, one of the options we're looking into is software the has an "anti-sniping" feature, which means that if a bid comes in during the last X minutes (say 10) then the auction gets extended X minutes from that point. Would that be preferred to sniping or at least a viable alternative?
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I don't understand the anti-sniping stance. If you auction an item and it is supposed to end at 10:00 p.m. on Saturday night, what difference does it make if I put my bid in 3 days, 1 day, or 6 seconds before the auction ends? As long as the bid is in before the ending time, there is no "moral" issue. If someone outsnipes me, so be it. I don't like putting in an early bid and having someone bump me up slowly in $10, $20, $50 increments (whether genuine or shilled). I'd rather put in my max bid and let it ride. If someone outsnipes me, then they either wanted it more or had more financial resources. I can live with that.
As a seller, I can see the downside. But it could also be positive if 2 or more bidders leave high snipes at the end. I see it happen all the time on e-bay.
You can't have it both ways, as a buyer I only snipe, as a seller I'd go with the attitude that I put an auction up and it will bring whatever the market will bear, whether it's through early bidding or last-second sniping.
Mike