Sneaky last second bidders

superscotsman

It is not often that I am outbid - if I really want an item. Here is what I do.
Unless I have no other choice I am always online when the hammer comes down.
Phingers, your obvious mistake is to bid £12.99 or £13. Look instead for an weird figure a couple of quid above what you would have bid - something like £14.76. Make your bid at the last moment; if you can time it to just within the last minute so much the better, although be careful that the hammer doesn't fall before your bid goes in.
If there is an item THAT YOU MUST HAVE, do as above, only this time put in a ridiculous maximum bid, something far above what you think it will fetch. If you do it that way you will probably get an excellent price, and - best of all - you will get the item.

nightswimmer

superscotsman wrote:

If there is an item THAT YOU MUST HAVE, do as above, only this time put in a ridiculous maximum bid, something far above what you think it will fetch.

I think we should encourage all eBayers to bid like this!

chrisw

I've got one of these radio-controlled clocks next to my computer and it always agrees with e-bay's time. I type in my max bid with about 1 min to go and then hit 'confirm bid' with a couple of seconds to go. The only times I've lost are when people have bid more than I was prepared to pay which doesn't bother me.

*Louise*

*Holds hands up*

Yes...I am guilty of this as well. Got some stuff the other day by 'sniping', I confirmed the bd at 3 seconds before the end of the auction (with fingers crossed that the screen didnt freeze!) and won. :j

Hate it when other people do it though.....

Tojo_Ralph

superscotsman wrote:

If there is an item THAT YOU MUST HAVE, do as above, only this time put in a ridiculous maximum bid, something far above what you think it will fetch. If you do it that way you will probably get an excellent price, and - best of all - you will get the item.

I would love to hear the logic behind that statement?

tomos42

I got Cambridge Soundworks DTT220 surround sound system for my pc for about £22 + P&P thanks to some last minute bidding and a 10% PayPal discount code. (Sorry if I outbid someone here)
I don't usually do it though - I normally put in my maximum bid about a day before the item ends. If win it then great, if not then it was too expensive. I'm very good at sticking to my maximum bid.

I'd only ever consider doing it with a reliable broadband connection though. Anything else is too risky.

Tom

meadowcat

I snipe. Less chance of shilling.

AuctionMan_2

Sniping is a pretty much standard action now on the auction sites, I know I use it and can also see it in the auctions that I run.

magentadreamer

I never ever bid till the last minute and then it's always one of those odd amounts. My best mate makes me bid on stuff for her as she end's up in front of her computer 10 mins to in a bidding war! She can't work out how I can calmly sit there till 10 seconds to go and bid.

*Louise*

magentadreamer wrote:

I never ever bid till the last minute and then it's always one of those odd amounts. My best mate makes me bid on stuff for her as she end's up in front of her computer 10 mins to in a bidding war! She can't work out how I can calmly sit there till 10 seconds to go and bid.

...that's the reason my family all get me to bid for them :rotfl: