Why the last second bid....................

[David W]

If it's something I really want that is going to be more than $30 or so, I just snipe at the end, saves me being run up or losing the auction for $30.05.

If it's something I don't care if I win or lose, I'll just throw a bid on there for about half what I think it's worth, and I usually win about 25% or so of those items, usually cheaper items.

[D. Bergin]

As a long-time Ebay seller I'd like to think most of these accusations of shilling are just buyer paranoia. I'm sure it does go on here and there, but as someone who has run thousands of auctions over the years, I would hope I'm not in the minority in thinking my reputation is more important then running up an item a few extra dollars with a fake account.

What sniping has done is drive the price down in many areas, because not nearly as many bidding wars go on as used to. I remember the good old days of Ebay selling, before bidding ID's became private, in watching two bidding competitors who you know didn't like each other, drive up the price of an item throughout the course of the week.

As a seller, I would love for Ebay to make bidders identities public again. Would end all these constant accusations of every seller on Ebay shilling up their auctions, and might bring back a little competitive spirit between bidding rivals. Not as much as before because of sniping software, but enough to get the juices flowing, I think.

[Mrc32]

Had a snipe set for $30 on a card this past weekend. Snipe went off. I ended up winning it for $19.

Had I bid $30 a day or two before the end of the auction, I'm sure the other people who were bidding would have tried to outbid me.

Pretty much common sense.

[mintacular]

I use GIXEN, no problems and cheap $6 year, as long as you aren't snipping on hundreds of lots, I think you can have 10-20 snipes set at any given time.

http://www.gixen.com

[Robextend]

Agree with Jeff and Adam completely. I was very active on Ebay for a couple years before I started to use a sniping service and I know that I have saved myself some money. If I win great, because I will get the item for what I want to pay or less...if I lose no big deal because the item will have went for more than I was willing to pay.

I also use Gavelsnipe, never really had a problem with it.

[DixieBaseball]

I never put a top bid in and let it sit there for 7-10 days so the seller or even an overactive competitive bidder will run it up to beat me out or take the bid to my high bid, so I can pay more... Perfect example was last week, I bid on a card that I was a bit indifferent on for sale on ebay, so I put a bid in on day 1 of $222 and let it set for 7 days, and wouldn't you know it, on the last day of bidding a bidder with 0 feedback outbids me at $223, then within 12 hours of the auction ending, the seller sends me a 2nd chance offer to buy the item. I reported the seller to Ebay, and didn't buy the card for $222, which was my original high bid. I rarely bid like this, but occassionally will put a soft bid in to track a card or see what happens, and I feel that about 1/3 ro 1/2 the time I put a top bid in early, it is inevitable my bid gets beat or run up to the top. I rarely lose out when I put a last second bid in, and I generally get the card for way less than expected. I have bought thousands of items on ebay, and to me there is only one way to bid on ebay to make sure you don't overpay. That is to bid in the final seconds whether it be sniping or just popping a bid in...

[Jewish-collector]

OK, so what a good, free, easy to use sniping program ?

[Robextend]

Originally Posted by Jewish-collector

OK, so what a good, free, easy to use sniping program ?

I recommend Gavelsnipe.

[novakjr]

Originally Posted by NashvilleBaseball

I never put a top bid in and let it sit there for 7-10 days so the seller or even an overactive competitive bidder will run it up to beat me out or take the bid to my high bid, so I can pay more... Perfect example was last week, I bid on a card that I was a bit indifferent on for sale on ebay, so I put a bid in on day 1 of $222 and let it set for 7 days, and wouldn't you know it, on the last day of bidding a bidder with 0 feedback outbids me at $223, then within 12 hours of the auction ending, the seller sends me a 2nd chance offer to buy the item. I reported the seller to Ebay, and didn't buy the card for $222, which was my original high bid. I rarely bid like this, but occassionally will put a soft bid in to track a card or see what happens, and I feel that about 1/3 ro 1/2 the time I put a top bid in early, it is inevitable my bid gets beat or run up to the top. I rarely lose out when I put a last second bid in, and I generally get the card for way less than expected. I have bought thousands of items on ebay, and to me there is only one way to bid on ebay to make sure you don't overpay. That is to bid in the final seconds whether it be sniping or just popping a bid in...

Anyone else think that when it comes to second chance offers, that ebay should automatically assess the second chance to reflect as if the high bid never happened? Basically, if you had the high bid at $20(despite what your max was), and a shill(or bidder who doesn't want the item for some reason) runs you past your max(say up to $40), that a second chance offer should automatically pretend that bid never happened, and return back to that original $20?

Sure, it's not the best for the seller and would decrease the number of second chance offers given, BUT it would eliminate the need for this type of shill bidding.

I got a second chance offer once for my high bid, but I messaged the seller and told him that I'd only pay what the high would've been without that bidder. He bit, and I saved something like $12. Sure, not a big deal, but it's $12 that I shouldn't have had to spend because of the illegitimate bidder.

[deadballera]

I use AuctionStealer or Gavelsnipe.


Some items I just place a max bid early and some items I use the sniping services.

[novakjr]

Now as far as the last second bidding goes. It's all about knowing the mindset of the other bidders. Many people don't give a high bid, and once they get outbid will bid again, last second bids often keep your price lower by not giving the other bidder that chance to counter. Sure, I've lost a few items, by coming up short and having to scramble with not enough time left to get in another bid in. BUT, I feel like I've saved alot of money on the items that I have won..

However, if an item is something that I MUST HAVE, it ALWAYS get's my max bid. Need vs. Want is the difference in whether an item brings in a good price or not.