How to fix sniping, revolutionize bidding, increase sale values, and make buyers and sellers happier

[imac7065]

One of the biggest gripes from both buyers and sellers is the ebay bidding system... Buyers hate snipers, Sellers hate that someone bidding $500 on an item only shows their bid 25 cents to a dollar higher than the next highest bidder....

Here's how we solve both.... CHANGE HOW AUCTIONS END.....

Instead of ending an auction with a finite / definitive ending.... have a system in place that all bids placed within the last 30 seconds of listing increase the auction duration (10 seconds or 30 seconds would be my recommendation). With each bid the clock resets and the winner is crowned once the clock expires.

What this accomplishes: 

1) No item could ever be sniped again, as attempting to snipe would result in massively overpaying for any item 

2) Buyers will be able to keep bidding and not lose a "bidding war" at the last moment. Mad the item sold just before you click bid? Solved. Upset your were the highest bidder until the screen refreshed and said a sniper bought it? Solved. Really want that item but someone keeps outbidding you over and over? Solved

3) Sellers will have increased sales due to FOMO and increased bidding opportunities

4) Ebay will collect more fee's due to higher bids and bidding activity.

Win-Win-Win-Win

what says the community?

[buyselljack2016]

Post #148,683 suggesting such.

Not how eBay works.

Not how eBay is ever going to work.

I want my auction to end when I want it to end. 

Bidders want auctions to end when they are scheduled to end.

[jameshen1]

Been proposed over and over and eBay is not buying it.  Especially since the number of auctions is a fraction of the total listings now.

[pickapaper]

Agree with @buyselljack2016 

[nobody*s_perfect]

As noted in the other posts, a soft close is a non-starter for eBay.  

Everyone has the same amount of time in which to place their true maximum bid.  If you would have bid higher, then it's your own fault for not bidding your true maximum before the time ran out. The sore losers are very vocal, but obviously there are plenty of bidders who understand and advocate sniping.  Here's eBay's official take on sniping:

https://www.ebay.com/help/buying/bidding/bid-sniping?id=4224

P.S. if the high bid showing is $500, then the minimum bid increment is $10.00.

[bashort]

The sport bidders would love it, they could keep a auction going for hours after it would of closed.

[marnotom!]

As has been suggested in an earlier post, bidders tend to lose to snipers because of a misunderstanding of eBay's auction format.  The last bidder isn't the one who wins the auction.  It's the one with the highest proxy bid.

I've beaten snipers even though my bid was hours before theirs simply by being aware of how proxy bidding and bid increments work, bidding at strategic times, and bidding no more than I was prepared to pay.  If a sniper is prepared to pay more than I am for the same item, then in my opinion they've paid too much.

[fashunu4eeuh]

Can’t the same thing be accomplished by everyone simply bidding their true maximum amount and then let the chips fall where they may? Everyone has an equal opportunity. Or to solve losing to a sniper, one may need to up their game and snipe as well. It is up to the bidder and how much they want the item.

[janet9988]

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@imac7065 wrote:

One of the biggest gripes from both buyers and sellers is the ebay bidding system... Buyers hate snipers, Sellers hate that someone bidding $500 on an item only shows their bid 25 cents to a dollar higher than the next highest bidder....

Here's how we solve both.... CHANGE HOW AUCTIONS END.....

Instead of ending an auction with a finite / definitive ending.... have a system in place that all bids placed within the last 30 seconds of listing increase the auction duration (10 seconds or 30 seconds would be my recommendation). With each bid the clock resets and the winner is crowned once the clock expires.

What this accomplishes: 

1) No item could ever be sniped again, as attempting to snipe would result in massively overpaying for any item 

2) Buyers will be able to keep bidding and not lose a "bidding war" at the last moment. Mad the item sold just before you click bid? Solved. Upset your were the highest bidder until the screen refreshed and said a sniper bought it? Solved. Really want that item but someone keeps outbidding you over and over? Solved

3) Sellers will have increased sales due to FOMO and increased bidding opportunities

4) Ebay will collect more fee's due to higher bids and bidding activity.

Win-Win-Win-Win

what says the community?

---

Instead of this...... why not just have all bidders place  1 bid during the active listing.

LET'S ILLIMINATE NIBBLE BIDDING.

[jlseagull2]

I don't find sniping to be a problem with ebay, as a seller or buyer.  However, the "True auctions" of say $1,  have probably suffered, and instead, most of my sales, are of the "best offer" variety on Buy it Now.   I would like to have more options, and return to more auction items, but I now tend to save it for specific items, I'm unsure how to value, or ones that help sell my other items.  Perhaps have a week of "free" Reserve auctions?   Just to test those a bit more?   That could be interesting.

[albertabrightalberta]

In all my years on ebay (starting before there were FP listings), I have never heard from a winning bidder saying they don't like auctions that end at a certain time.

If an item I want is an auction listing, I ALWAYS snipe. And in most cases, I win because I bid the most I'm willing to spend in the last few seconds. There have been losses but I don't begrudge the higher bidder who was willing to spend more than I was willing to spend. 

[oryanstar]

I would have to disagree, if you cant be on to watch the bid and be an active bidder you should lose the item. If someone else bids on it and you dont respond in time thats on you. Dont bid on auctions you know you wont be able to watch. 

Its why I check the end times on auctions I'm looking at and make sure I'm not at work when it ends.

From what I've experienced, anti sniping measures usually kill auction sites. Obviously it wont kill Ebay, however imo it will negatively affect the auction side of Ebay.

[toysaver]

 "Buyers hate snipers"

I disagree.  Buyers do the sniping.  They love it.  

[monroe67]

"Instead of ending an auction with a finite / definitive ending.... have a system in place that all bids placed within the last 30 seconds of listing increase the auction duration (10 seconds or 30 seconds would be my recommendation). With each bid the clock resets and the winner is crowned once the clock expires."

But, but -- isn't the winner of an auction already  "crowned once the clock expires" ???

Extending the auction duration by 10-30 seconds sounds torturous.  

[selsa84]

Thank goodness thats not how eBay does it. Horrible idea that's been repeatedly suggested. I could see that running off many of buyers.