eBay trying to remove sniping

[Schlesinj]

Read this online, but eBay is beta testing a new platform that extends their auctions for sports cards when a bid is placed during the last 2 minutes. IMG_8026.jpg

I suspect some folks may have some opinions on the matter. I guess it could lead to higher prices for sellers, but would also remove the annoyance of losing at last second by a bot.

[Balticfox]

The extended bidding should only be available to whoever bid at least thirty minutes before the previous close. So therefore a last second sniper wouldn't be able to submit more bids.

[luciobar1980]

I dont see why not. Seems more fair and potentially higher prices for sellers too

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

This is ridiculous. If eBay wants to be like the auction houses, then they should simply start up that type of auction house, separate from the proven success model which has made them trillions of dollars over the last 30 years. Frankly, I'm amazed they haven't done so a long time ago.

I love sniping. I can just "set it and forget it" and get on with everything else I have to do. Not interested in having to deal with auctions at all hours of the day, every moment of my life. As a seller, it's great as well. Auctions are exhausting. It's enough to have to go through every auction house's barrage of neverending listings, then eBay, then other sales platforms. If anything, they need to create a system that is less draining on their customers, not more so.

[Rhotchkiss]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

This is ridiculous. If eBay wants to be like the auction houses, then they should simply start up that type of auction house, separate from the proven success model which has made them trillions of dollars over the last 30 years. Frankly, I'm amazed they haven't done so a long time ago.

eBay owns Goldin

[Lorewalker]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

This is ridiculous. If eBay wants to be like the auction houses, then they should simply start up that type of auction house, separate from the proven success model which has made them trillions of dollars over the last 30 years. Frankly, I'm amazed they haven't done so a long time ago.

Ummm...they own Goldin.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Forgive me for failing to recall that. That is one of the few auction houses I purposely avoid having anything to do with, so don't keep up with the happenings.

[Lucas00]

Terrible news in my opinion. I don't see 2 min bid reset timers ever getting a higher price than what I've seen (and been a part of) sniping auctions with max bids.

The amount of times I've seen an auction jump from $50-$500, $10-$200, no bids at all once to $750 in the last few seconds is insane. These jumps will never happen again. It will just be a few people stuck at the screen bidding a few dollars hoping the other people get bored/busy and leave. Those same crazy last second snipes will instead sell for a fraction of what they should because two people bid a dollar for an hour straight, waiting 1.58 minutes to press $1 bid. Because what would be the point in sniping at all/setting a Max bid early when you could just do the same thing.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by Lucas00

Terrible news in my opinion. I don't see 2 min bid reset timers ever getting a higher price than what I've seen (and been a part of) sniping auctions with max bids.

The amount of times I've seen an auction jump from $50-$500, $10-$200, no bids at all once to $750 in the last few seconds is insane. These jumps will never happen again. It will just be a few people stuck at the screen bidding a few dollars hoping the other people get bored/busy and leave. Those same crazy last second snipes will instead sell for a fraction of what they should because two people bid a dollar for an hour straight, waiting 1.58 minutes to press $1 bid. Because what would be the point in sniping at all/setting a Max bid early when you could just do the same thing.

I am with you, I think it will result in lower sales prices without the need for large max bids because people understand the sniping and thus place the largest bid they are willing to pay.

It will also damage sales as the average buyer on eBay does not use or participate in traditional auctions. They will get confused and frustrated leading to avoidance of auction formats. A dumb move like this is only going to rush the already strong movement towards fixed pricing on eBay. This is likely the nail in the coffin for the full switch to BIN. It is fantastic news for LCS and Card shows.

[scotgreb]

I completely disagree that this will be good for sellers. The liquidity that flippers / dealers provide will be greatly diminished imo. My aggregate bidding will likely go to near $0 - from a fairly high annual amount. -Scott

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[raulus]

2 minutes!!!???

People seem to complain about 15 minutes being waaaaaaay too zippy. I guess the only benefit of eBay's platform is that you might not be bidding on 100 different items that end all at the same time, so maybe you can just concentrate on a single item and go to town with a 2-min shot clock.

[nwobhm]

I think we will see many large bids and buyers walk away if they don’t like the final price. They will put a card on file that has an available balance of only a few dollars and ebay gets zip.

Rinse and repeat.

What’s ebay going to do….ban them?

[bnorth]

I guess they will do it because that is what eBay does, makes stuff worse with every change.

I believe it will cause lower overall selling prices. It will force people to be on eBay at specific times for an unspecific amount of time. Horrible idea at best.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Originally Posted by bnorth

It will force people to be on eBay at specific times for an unspecific amount of time. Horrible idea at best.

Exactly. I am not understanding those who think this is a positive change for anybody.

I make my living in this industry, but I'll be damned if I am going to let this new format dictate how I plan out my life and sleep schedule in an effort to secure more inventory. I don't care if it's a 99 cent item or something valuable. Should eBay go full-on with this harebrained idea beyond a trial phase, they will soon learn the error of their ways.

The vast majority of what is sold on eBay is low-end stuff. In their totality, these crumbs bring in a pile of money for eBay in addition to the incredible material. In a way, this chaff, if you will, is the foundation of it all. Is anybody staying up until 3:00 a.m. to make sure they win that VG 1961 Topps Rip Repulski? Well, I suppose not, and that type of item will simply end as it would normally have.

The bottom line is that sniping allows customers more freedom in their lives. This new setup will severely constrict that freedom. No, thanks. It's just cardboard.

[jayshum]

Originally Posted by bnorth

I guess they will do it because that is what eBay does, makes stuff worse with every change.

I believe it will cause lower overall selling prices. It will force people to be on eBay at specific times for an unspecific amount of time. Horrible idea at best.

I would think that you could still place a max bid without having to be on eBay until the item ends.

[OhioLawyerF5]

They've got to give the shill bids from their biggest sellers plenty of time to find the max bids of legitimate buyers.

[Fred]

Don't you wonder why they didn't institute this type of bidding long ago?

It works for AHs.

I don't care either way because I typically know what I'll spend on something and if it goes way past what I'm bidding, then it just wasn't meant to be.

[dariushou]

I too think this will lower prices. I don't have time to bid auction format for every item I snipe on ebay. I already spend enough time on regular big name auctionhouses. I will do buy it now/ offer or snipe under current format or simply won't bid. So they'll lose me and i'm sure many others.

[Ray Van]

My initial reaction was very negative towards eBay for making such a move. I use a snipe service for >80% of my bids so initially I thought it would really impact my chances of success. But the reality is, by using a snipe service you are setting your max bid and you are still taking your chances based on whoever else is bidding against you regardless of when they place their bids.

It doesn't really matter if the auction ends at 10:00 or 10:02 or 10:30, if my max (snipe) bid goes in 5 seconds before the initial auction deadline, then I win if nobody outbids my max and I lose if someone outbids my max - just that simple. Sure, it allows someone to continue to bid the item up and maybe eventually win it from me, but then again they are winning the item for more than I was willing to pay.

I might revise my strategy and up my snipe bid amounts to give me a little more buffer, and I don't like that I won't be able to win so many auctions on the cheap, but c'est la vie.

[Exhibitman]

I think the idea stinks in no small part because eBay has not concerned itself in the slightest with shill bidding. I snipe everything because of the potential for shill bidding given eBay's total lack of enforcement and safeguards.

[OhioLawyerF5]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

I think the idea stinks in no small part because eBay has not concerned itself in the slightest with shill bidding. I snipe everything because of the potential for shill bidding given eBay's total lack of enforcement and safeguards.

100%

All the other discussions are noise. Buyers should be concerned about shill bidding, and ebay is doing this to facilitate it. They have proven over and over again, unless they want you gone because you are a competitor, they have no problem with shill bidding.

[RayBShotz]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

I think the idea stinks in no small part because eBay has not concerned itself in the slightest with shill bidding. I snipe everything because of the potential for shill bidding given eBay's total lack of enforcement and safeguards.

Adam is spot on here.
RayB

[dariushou]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

I think the idea stinks in no small part because eBay has not concerned itself in the slightest with shill bidding. I snipe everything because of the potential for shill bidding given eBay's total lack of enforcement and safeguards.

I couldn't agree more