Ebay question

[slugdub]

So I'm sure many of you are good at it and use the technique.

My question is this, I just tried to sniper something and hit my last (and first) two bids on the item with 30 seconds and 8 seconds left. Some people bid 5 and 8 seconds before the end.

Are they probably using software to do this? Is that the only way to really win?

[inm]

Well, my brother and my cousin do that, and don't use software.

I'm not saying other people don't use some time of script, but it is possible to do it legit.

[actafool4187]

i doubt it is scripted. they are probably sitting there hitting refresh trying to win it last second, but who knows

[Dr. Johnson]

If you use firefox us this it works awesome and it takes the emotional bidding out of the equation.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/5571

[Colin - STAPUFT]

I have never gotten the whole sniping thing. eBay automatically raises your bid for you. If starting price on something is $20 and you bid first for $100, the price doesn't go to $100- it is $20. And likewise, if someone comes in afterward and bids $25, you are still the winner at $26.

I don't have the time or care to watch every auction like that. I decide before I place my very first bid- the very Most I will pay for something. Then I place that bid and walk away. Pretty much like a silent auction. If I get it for cheaper, the that's really great. If I don't win it, then it cost too much. I work my finances on auctions as if I were to win every auction. That is all- I do it like it is a single bid silent auction and it works for me.

[slugdub]

I have never gotten the whole sniping thing. eBay automatically raises your bid for you. If starting price on something is $20 and you bid first for $100, the price doesn't go to $100- it is $20. And likewise, if someone comes in afterward and bids $25, you are still the winner at $26.

I don't have the time or care to watch every auction like that. I decide before I place my very first bid- the very Most I will pay for something.

So, basically, you are always committing to pay the most you would pay for something? I mean, let's be honest here. This sort of defeats the purpose of ebay because you are never getting a true bargain unless the auction just goes unnoticed or it's buy-it-now or something.

I've got a few friends in the Middle East who would love you man haha. I see what you are saying though, but the point of sniping is to catch people who are less serious than you. I don't know, I can't think right now I had a horrible night.

[Doylerules826]

So, basically, you are always committing to pay the most you would pay for something? I mean, let's be honest here. This sort of defeats the purpose of ebay because you are never getting a true bargain unless the auction just goes unnoticed or it's buy-it-now or something.

I've got a few friends in the Middle East who would love you man haha. I see what you are saying though, but the point of sniping is to catch people who are less serious than you. I don't know, I can't think right now I had a horrible night.

hes saying if an item is worth $150 bucks, hell pay say $100 hell put in 100 as his bid and if he wins he wins, if he doesnt then it wasnt a good enough of a deal.

[slugdub]

hes saying if an item is worth $150 bucks, hell pay say $100 hell put in 100 as his bid and if he wins he wins, if he doesnt then it wasnt a good enough of a deal.

I say bullshit. Even $100 isn't good enough of a deal.

Good enough of a deal is puttting in $70 and nobody knowing you did so via fraudulent software. This is the way to win, when an auction goes unnoticed due to low bidding activity.

[00_XJ]

I say bullshit. Even $100 isn't good enough of a deal.

Good enough of a deal is puttting in $70 and nobody knowing you did so via fraudulent software. This is the way to win, when an auction goes unnoticed due to low bidding activity.

I think you're misunderstanding the way it works. I'll try to break it down farther for you.

Lets say you're looking at an item that you want.

You know that the item is worth 200 bucks but you don't want to spend more than 125.

The current bid is at 25.00, when you place your bid it asks you for your maximum bid.

Since you don't want to spend more that 125, you put down 125.

When you go back to the page it will show that you are the winner so far with a bid of 26.00 (not 125.00).

If someone tries to snipe you at the last minute and they enter 100 bucks. You still win the item at 101.00 because your maximum bid was higher than their bid.

But lets say they try to snipe you at the last minute and enter 150 bucks. Thats cool because you didn't want to spend that much anyways.

Ebay does all of this for you, you don't need a program if you know how to work it.

I believe thats what collin was trying to say, hope that helps.

I have bought and sold hundreds of things on ebay and I've only bid on a few items. I usually just click the "buy it now" button so I don't have to deal with it lol.

Edited December 12, 2009 by JGod

[slugdub]

I think you're misunderstanding the way it works. I'll try to break it down farther for you.

Lets say you're looking at an item that you want.

You know that the item is worth 200 bucks but you don't want to spend more than 125.

The current bid is at 25.00, when you place your bid it asks you for your maximum bid.

Since you don't want to spend more that 125, you put down 125.

When you go back to the page it will show that you are the winner so far with a bid of 26.00 (not 125.00).

If someone tries to snipe you at the last minute and they enter 100 bucks. You still win the item at 101.00 because your maximum bid was higher than their bid.

But lets say they try to snipe you at the last minute and enter 150 bucks. Thats cool because you didn't want to spend that much anyways.

Ebay does all of this for you, you don't need a program if you know how to work it.

I believe thats what collin was trying to say, hope that helps.

I have bought and sold hundreds of things on ebay and I've only bid on a few items. I usually just click the "buy it now" button so I don't have to deal with it lol.

Ok, but typically, in my experience, I am the one bidding against you. Only, you don't exist because nobody puts a bid in for $100 over the current one because that is not smart.

I don't want to announce myself to anyone. I want to remain an unknown-variable, in algebraic terms. I want to not bid until the very last minute, and THEN maybe put in $126.

Because, up until then, your moves were all known. All your cards where on the table and my limit was there for the asking for anyone who cares enough to probe you out. This even includes the seller themselves using dummy accounts.

Edited December 12, 2009 by slugdub