Sniping - has anyone lost out?

Sofa_Sogood

I can't be sure (maybe someone will enlighten me?), but I think I managed to outbid a sniper last week. We both seem to go for the same items, and in the dying seconds, her bid always outbid mine. Apart from once last week.

I got so fed up of this sniping, that now I bid my absolute maximum and no more. If she outbids me by 6p, 50p, or £1 or more, I just think she's welcome to the stuff now

But snipers are not my favourite type of buyers. Does it show?

Tojo_Ralph

Sofa_Sogood wrote:

I can't be sure (maybe someone will enlighten me?), but I think I managed to outbid a sniper last week.

Well, if the snipers bid is less than your proxy bid, it will simply ramp up your proxy bid. All of this will be evident in the bid history.

Sofa_Sogood

Tojo_Ralph wrote:

Well, if the snipers bid is less than your proxy bid, it will simply ramp up your proxy bid. All of this will be evident in the bid history.

Not sure how it happened, I'll have a look, but I think she left it 20 seconds instead of her usual 10 or less :mad: lol

Or maybe I just got quicker on the draw?

Tojo_Ralph

Sofa_Sogood wrote:

Not sure how it happened, I'll have a look, but I think she left it 20 seconds instead of her usual 10 or less :mad: lol

Or maybe I just got quicker on the draw?

You won for one reason, and one reason only, you bid more than anyone else.

Regardless of who bids first (identical bids aside), the highest bidder wins.

Sofa_Sogood

Tojo_Ralph wrote:

You won for one reason, and one reason only, you bid more than anyone else.

Regardless of who bids first (identical bids aside), the highest bidder wins.

This is very true

And she's now a cheapskate

Tojo_Ralph

Sofa_Sogood wrote:

We both seem to go for the same items, and in the dying seconds, her bid always outbid mine.

A good reason for having more than one buying ID..... Keep the opposition guessing.

Collectors will use brand new ID's to bid on stuff, simply to hide their "true" ID from other collectors. (This being a very good reason for accepting bids from zero rated ID's)

Sofa_Sogood

Tojo_Ralph wrote:

A good reason for having more than one buying ID..... Keep the opposition guessing.

Collectors will use brand new ID's to bid on stuff, simply to hide their "true" ID from other collectors. (This being a very good reason for accepting bids from zero rated ID's)

It takes me all my time to manage the one I've got But it is unnerving when the same name outbids you all the time. It's enough to make someone paranoid lol, but even when I get used to it more, I'll never use a sniping prog.

There's no fun in it for starters!

vultura

I always thought sniping software was against the rules of eBay.

I lose count of the number of items that I have not won, as someone magically bids with 3 or 4 seconds to go. I have sometimes checked the bid/purchasing history of said bidder and have found identical timings on other lots.

stavros_2

vultura wrote:

I always thought sniping software was against the rules of eBay.

I lose count of the number of items that I have not won, as someone magically bids with 3 or 4 seconds to go. I have sometimes checked the bid/purchasing history of said bidder and have found identical timings on other lots.

on the contrary, ebay has no problems with sniping at all... I'm sure someone can post the link to their official stance on the matter as I can't remember where it is

Sofa_Sogood

stavros wrote:

on the contrary, ebay has no problems with sniping at all... I'm sure someone can post the link to their official stance on the matter as I can't remember where it is

But wouldn't that compromise their own proxy bidding?