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Sniping Tools
Options
kirkie_2
Posts: 448 Forumite
I am getting annoyed with these now as I constantly lose out to people who have them... Due to this I have now thought that if I can't beat them I may as well join them, so can anyone recommend a good safe one please?
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Auction Sentry. A lot of guys where I work use it - me too! The standard version is US$15.
Updates are free and automatic too - if Ebay change the way something works then the update will be ready the same day, in my experience.
You can choose whether you want to bid immediately, or have a timed bid and specify how many seconds before the end to bid.
Always worth testing on the test auctions to ensure your timing is sufficient for your internet connection.
If you also sell, then you can add your auction listings and the profit will be reported and notify you of any bid changes.
Their site is http://www.auction-sentry.com
Rik.0 -
Is it a one of payment or do you have to pay it every year?0
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its a one-off fee for auction sentry (unless you go for the deluxe $25 one where it's $10 per year as well)0
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I'm obviously missing something here, but why not use maximum bid and make an offer that reflects the top price you're willing to pay? If I think an item is worth £10 tops, it may go for less than my max bid and I'd get it, but if it goes for more, then I wasn't willing to pay that price anyway. Anyone who snipes with 10 seconds to go will lose out if it is under my max and if above, that price was too high for me anyway.0
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many reasons...
you might want to read this thread from down the page for starters
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=40022
also... http://uk.auctionsniper.com/Products.aspx0 -
I've been using this
AUCTIONSNIPER for ages with some success and no probs. You can try it for free and after that somehow you always seem to have one free 'snipe' left - I've never had to pay for it yet?! 
♥♥♥ Genius - 1% inspiration and 99% doing what your mother told you. ♥♥♥0 -
I use https://www.auctionstealer.co.uk
I use it mainly if I'm not going to be around a PC when the auction closes, and certainly beats putting your maximum bid in a long time before the auction closes, which just gives people more opportunity to outbid you.0 -
Thanks for the links, I had a quick look but I remain unconvinced, sniping tools only work if you are willing to pay MORE than your evaluation of the item, otherwise your maximum bid will either win it or not, and when it doesn't it will only be because the price exceeds the price you are willing to pay.stavros wrote:many reasons...
you might want to read this thread from down the page for starters
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=40022
also... http://uk.auctionsniper.com/Products.aspx0 -
backflip wrote:Thanks for the links, I had a quick look but I remain unconvinced, sniping tools only work if you are willing to pay MORE than your evaluation of the item, otherwise your maximum bid will either win it or not, and when it doesn't it will only be because the price exceeds the price you are willing to pay.
I would have to disagree. Take the following example:
Item starts at £5
Your value of the item is £20
Option a) place a bid now using ebay's proxy bidding system at £20
Item is now yours at £5
Someone comes along who values the item at £25. They put in small increments until they outbid you.
Item is now at say £21 (for example, it doesn't matter what the increments on ebay are) and you won't go any higher.
Option b) tell a sniper to place a bid with 5 seconds to go at £20
Person comes along who values the item at £25. They use the same method as before.
Item is now theirs at £5.
5 seconds before the auction finishes your bid at £20 goes in and you win the auction at £6 (or whatever) because there's not enough time for enyone else to bid.
This is obviously a contrived example to demonstrate the point. The only way this doesn't work is if the other person puts in their max bid straight away, but then you wouldn't win it either way so it doesn't matter, and it is obvious that not all users do this.
I hope this makes it more clear as to why sniping is a useful tool
EDIT: you may also argue that if both you and another buyer have the same value for an item then it will go to the one who places their bid first. In this case I suggest you snipe with an amount that it is unlikely someone else will choose (e.g. £20.03)0 -
stavros wrote:I would have to disagree. Take the following example:
Item starts at £5
Your value of the item is £20
Option a) place a bid now using ebay's proxy bidding system at £20
Item is now yours at £5
Someone comes along who values the item at £25. They put in small increments until they outbid you.
Item is now at say £21 (for example, it doesn't matter what the increments on ebay are) and you won't go any higher.
Option b) tell a sniper to place a bid with 5 seconds to go at £20
Person comes along who values the item at £25. They use the same method as before.
Item is now theirs at £5.
5 seconds before the auction finishes your bid at £20 goes in and you win the auction at £6 (or whatever) because there's not enough time for enyone else to bid.
This is obviously a contrived example to demonstrate the point. The only way this doesn't work is if the other person puts in their max bid straight away, but then you wouldn't win it either way so it doesn't matter, and it is obvious that not all users do this.
I hope this makes it more clear as to why sniping is a useful tool
EDIT: you may also argue that if both you and another buyer have the same value for an item then it will go to the one who places their bid first. In this case I suggest you snipe with an amount that it is unlikely someone else will choose (e.g. £20.03)
Thanks again Stavros, but I remain unconvinced. In example b) above if the person who valued the item at £25 and was sniped with seconds to go had a maximum (proxy) bid in of £25 he would have won it, despite the snipe. The sniper would need to bid £25+ to win, and that would be higher than the loser was willing to bid.0
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