Stop Sniping!

[chris.nall25]

I just recently started my eBay business and along with all the research I've been doing about buyer trends etc... I've noticed this idea of sniping and sniping services essentially nulling the point of an auction. Can we suggest eBay institute a system change if so where do we do that? My suggestion would be any bid placed within the last minute automatically extends the auction by 1 minute. This would allow the person willing to pay the most actually won the auction. Can you imagine going to a live auction where the auctioneer held a stop watch and whoever blurted out the loudest in the last 2 seconds won? No of course not, why should eBay be any different. eBay and sellers would make more money, The buyer who wants it the most gets it. Seems like a win win to me. What are your thoughts?

[komokwa]

Hey bigballs.........lighten up !!!

Physical violence is never the answer to having your feelings hurt.

[old_man_arthur]

Y'know, I've got a better spot for your guitar, and I'd love the opportunity to put it there.

Mind your manners, hippie, and take a shower.

Then don't say stoopid sheyit, and you won't get your feelings hurt.

[hondamedic]

http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&_trksid=p4340.l2565&rt=nc&item=390429595808

Note all 4 bids are in the last 8 seconds of the auction.

PS, I lost.:^O

[leogexx]

I am a sniper . I love the thrill of the last second bid to get the item I want .It's exciting to see how close you can get to the last second and win an auction.

        If you really want to win  auctions and get a good deal  on ebay sniping  is a good skill to learn .I have been at the end of an auction and seen the price triple because 3 different buyers were sniping . As a seller I have seen one of my  $10 items go for $70 because 2 people really wanted an item and tried to out snipe each other .(Of course that was prior to ebays policies making me not want to sell on ebay )

[skeemirsky]

I agree absolutely that sniping makes bidding on an auction meaningless, in fact detrimental to anyone who actually chooses to bid early.  In fact, I started a topic about this on the forums here but it was mysteriously removed, maybe because there were no responses after a while, or maybe because I suggested that eBay might start losing part of its market share to other sites.

I also suggested, like Chris Nall above, the idea of extending an auction when a bid is made, but it was pointed out to me that this would allow dishonest sellers more power to "shill bid"-- ie to have an associate keep bumping up the price if they think the other bidder(s) will keep taking the bait.  So it seems there must be a deadline.

A good alternative is to have the bidding be hidden, ie, you have the 6 days to decide on your final bid, an amount that is the most you will pay, and at the end of the auction the winner pays 1 increment more that the bid below theirs.  Just as it is now, but with no bidding wars before the auction's end, just a final decision.  There could be other alternatives as well, perhaps a limited number of bids per person; perhaps some kind of bonus given to early bidders, etc.  It would be fun to have some kind of back and forth bidding, though I know eBay is not really about "fun" for many here.

In the forum topic I started (now removed) many people tried to explain why there are reasons to bid as opposed to snipe, but I think the logic is absolutely clear-- all the advantage goes to the snipers when it comes to getting a good price, and bidding early does nothing but make you pay more.  I'm sorry, but there is no good argument against this. Here is one obvious example: a person bids on an item for $5.  I put in a bid for $20, which puts my amount at $5.50.  The other person, being outbid, feels an urge to compete with me, and puts in a bid for $15.  Now I will pay a minimum of $15.50, unless the other bidder still feels inspired to outbid me.  If I had simply put in a snipe for $20, I might have just won the item for $5.50 with no chance for counterbids.  Furthermore, all the bidding tends to draw attention to the item, thus more potential bidders.

I don't know if the eBay populace will eventually figure this out; maybe at that point a more sensible system will be put in place.  Or another site will take advantage of this opportunity to create a more reasonable, and less aggravating, bidding system.

- skeemirsky

[Anonymous]

My opinion is that if the bidder wants an item bad enough they are willing to piut the highest amount that they are willing to pay for it. If another person comes along and wants the same item and the auction is almost over then that person will put in their highest amount. If bidder 2 beats bidder 1 then so be it. It doesn't matter if the auction just started or is almost done. The highest bidder wins and the seller is happy when that bidder pays and doesn't complain.

I did have a person ask me about an item because he was out bid in the last few seconds. My thought was that if he would have wanted the item bad enough he would have put an amount higher than the opening bid. I had no remorse that he didn't win even when he did ask if I had a second one or could possibly find another one.

Like I said that is just my opinion and yes I do like snippers since it means my auction is worth more. Plus if you watch shows like storage wars they snipe people and try to get other bidders to pay more alomost all of the time. So snipping is just a part of auctions.

[leogexx]

Someones digging a lot of old posts lately .

Re sniping ,,,,,

I would have to raise my hand at a snipers anonymous meeting .I love to snipe and I am pretty decent at it (I think,lol) .I don't use any other services and just sit there and count down and then attack in the last 10- 15 seconds .

A half dozen years ago 3 of us were trying to snipe an item in the last 10 seconds of an auction , item was at $50 with 20 seconds to go ,everyone was doing  $2-$5 increments and I bid $100 as I really wanted the item . When the dust settled I got the item for $76 and I am sure the seller was happy to see his item go up by $26 in less then 20 seconds .That auction was the most exciting auction I have ever been a part of an until you learn to snipe and get into a sniping war you will not know the rush that ebay can offer. Sniping raises sellers final sales  figures in some case and in other cases makes more items sell .Either learn to snipe or get used to missing out on items.

[swampbuck1962]

the only time sniping bothers me is when I'm the buyer/bidder and someone swoops in and steals my potential purchase..lol

[hondamedic]

I agree absolutely that sniping makes bidding on an auction meaningless, in fact detrimental to anyone who actually chooses to bid early.  In fact, I started a topic about this on the forums here but it was mysteriously removed, maybe because there were no responses after a while, or maybe because I suggested that eBay might start losing part of its market share to other sites.

I also suggested, like Chris Nall above, the idea of extending an auction when a bid is made, but it was pointed out to me that this would allow dishonest sellers more power to "shill bid"-- ie to have an associate keep bumping up the price if they think the other bidder(s) will keep taking the bait.  So it seems there must be a deadline.

A good alternative is to have the bidding be hidden, ie, you have the 6 days to decide on your final bid, an amount that is the most you will pay, and at the end of the auction the winner pays 1 increment more that the bid below theirs.  Just as it is now, but with no bidding wars before the auction's end, just a final decision.  There could be other alternatives as well, perhaps a limited number of bids per person; perhaps some kind of bonus given to early bidders, etc.  It would be fun to have some kind of back and forth bidding, though I know eBay is not really about "fun" for many here.

In the forum topic I started (now removed) many people tried to explain why there are reasons to bid as opposed to snipe, but I think the logic is absolutely clear-- all the advantage goes to the snipers when it comes to getting a good price, and bidding early does nothing but make you pay more.  I'm sorry, but there is no good argument against this. Here is one obvious example: a person bids on an item for $5.  I put in a bid for $20, which puts my amount at $5.50.  The other person, being outbid, feels an urge to compete with me, and puts in a bid for $15.  Now I will pay a minimum of $15.50, unless the other bidder still feels inspired to outbid me.  If I had simply put in a snipe for $20, I might have just won the item for $5.50 with no chance for counterbids.  Furthermore, all the bidding tends to draw attention to the item, thus more potential bidders.

I don't know if the eBay populace will eventually figure this out; maybe at that point a more sensible system will be put in place.  Or another site will take advantage of this opportunity to create a more reasonable, and less aggravating, bidding system.

- skeemirsky

...I agree, there is no good argument against sniping.

I use GIXEN......And it's free.;-)

[kali-the-pup]

Stop Sniveling!  

...

[Anonymous]

2m2m I definitly agree with what you are saying especially that 2nd to the last paragraph. I can't understand when people complain if they lose because they only bid what E-Bay said opening bid (or whatever the next bid) is showing. I always bid what I feel I can afford to pay for the Packers ticket (or whatever I'm bidding on) and just hope no one outbids me. If they do then I look elsewhere for my item and start over.

[taadaa58]

I don't understand all the controversy about snipping or last sec bids.A bid is a bid.If it's the highest bid what difference does it matter when it goes in? Highest bidders wins because they were willing to pay the most for the item which is the main goal no matter when a bid it placed.

[kali-the-pup]

It's simple taadaa. There are bidders, like skeemirsky and the OP,

who believe that the first bid that they place should be the last

bid allowed on an item. They equate their bid to a dog marking a tree...

that tree belongs to them and nobody else. That's not how it works.

[leogexx]

Most of us that snipe learned the hard way by losing auctions to snipers . When in rome ,,,,,,yada yada yada  , instead of stop sniping how about stop snivelling and learn to snipe,lol,it will help you more then posting your disatisfaction here.

[skeemirsky]

In reply to 2minutes2midnight and others,

your suggestion that I "stop sniveling" is rude and uncalled for, and just shows your own ignorance.  In fact, I am not upset about any auctions I have lost, in fact I *only* use a sniping service to place bids, and I have gotten some things ridiculously cheap that way (good for those sellers do you think?).  Like I said, it's the most logical course, so there is no choice in the matter, unless I feel like throwing away money, or bidding to show off how rich I am, which would be nice...

I am a buyer and a seller, soon to be much more of a seller, but that is besides the point.  I don't know whether a new system would benefit buyers or sellers; I do know that the current one is completely illogical, and if you or anyone else fails to grasp why bidding early is ridiculous, you just haven't thought about it very carefully.  I don't really care that much about this issue; I just don't like seeing meaningless and inefficient systems, and I'm sharing my opinions on it.  Funny how people think I am posting my dissatisfaction here, then they have to post their dissatisfaction about my post... sheeesh.