Snipping a bid

[Draikar]

Some say its ok, is it ?

 

I snip when there are bidding wars, I look at my competition and when they won items in the past, some of them snip so I wait until they bid it up with others and place a "quick bid" Some try to snip me but my secret is snip with a high bid so if they try with a $1.00 snip im still the winner. At times I wait to long and it ends but with my cable modem its kinda easy, I placed one bid with 2 seconds, the last one I did was with 3 seconds left. (All items I won were what they go for on ebay or more since I always pay more fore items so the seller never got ripped off and when I want a item I pay what ever for it and its always more But im always happy). Is Snipping ok ? Some one on ebay years ago said it was wrong ?

[Vernoman]

Okay, first of all, it's not "snipping", it's "sniping" as in snipe.

 

Second, anyone can snipe, so I personally think it's fine. It's not cheating, because you are placing a legitimate (timely) bid.

 

Anyone who buys on eBay has learned about sniping the hard way. That doesn't make it wrong. That also doesn't mean you have to like it. Just cuz someone doesn't like it, doesn't make it wrong.

 

Get it?

 

Kewl.

 

Disclaimer: These views reflect the opinion of the author only and are in no way meant to convey the opinion of the vast majority or even the miniscule minority.

[Ralph3]

The only bad thing I see about sniping is if the seller ends early to sell to the "current" highest bidder. Which could've been you if you put your bid in earlier. Happened to me a few times.

[NE146]

I don't like the term Sniping. It's just a "bid".

 

It's a bid at the last second sure.. but still, it's a BID and any higher bid will beat it.

[Mindfield]

Yeah, but it's a bid placed within a very narrow window intended to (hopefully) prevent anyone being able to counter your bid before time runs out, which is pretty analagous to the conventional definition of sniping.

 

I'm fine with sniping. Heck, for any seasoned eBayer it's pretty well the only way to have a fighting chance at getting what you want -- other than placing rediculously high proxies, which will also probably get you what you want, but you'll also likely end up spending more than you might want to. That's the real value of sniping. Putting a high proxy just lets everyone else drop by and chip away at it, slowly driving the price up until either no one wants to bid any higher, or your proxy is beaten. Since most eBayers want stuff cheap, they usually put token proxies in that are at or just a little higher than the start bid, but not what they are actually willing to pay. That keeps the overall price low, which in turn allows a sniper to pop in at the last few seconds and pick off the high bidder and hopefully snag the auction for a good price.

 

There's nothing wrong with it. As far as I'm concerned, the advent and increasing popularity of auction sniping simply means bidders must either adapt or drop out of the race.

[NE146]

Yeah, but it's a bid placed within a very narrow window intended to (hopefully) prevent anyone being able to counter your bid before time runs out, which is pretty analagous to the conventional definition of sniping.

 

Right.. but what if a bid placed earlier is still higher than your "snipe". Basically you cut yourself off from any time frame of being able to counter or raise your own snipe.

 

Granted it's rare... but not unheard of at all .. heck it happens to me all the time!

 

I'm fine with sniping.  Heck, for any seasoned eBayer it's pretty well the only way to have a fighting chance at getting what you want -- other than placing rediculously high proxies, which will also probably get you what you want, but you'll also likely end up spending more than you might want to.  That's the real value of sniping.  Putting a high proxy just lets everyone else drop by and chip away at it, slowly driving the price up until either no one wants to bid any higher, or your proxy is beaten.  Since most eBayers want stuff cheap, they usually put token proxies in that are at or just a little higher than the start bid, but not what they are actually willing to pay.  That keeps the overall price low, which in turn allows a sniper to pop in at the last few seconds and pick off the high bidder and hopefully snag the auction for a good price.

 

Again.. there's no difference from putting in a proxy and putting in a snipe. They're just both bids. One is just at the last second

 

Don't get me wrong.. every single ebay auction I've won over the past 5 years or so.. was with a bid I put in w/ 3 seconds to go. I "snipe" only. I just don't like the term. It's just a bid.

[Rick Weis]

The only bad thing I see about sniping is if the seller ends early to sell to the "current" highest bidder. Which could've been you if you put your bid in earlier.

 

they say anything is fair in love and war! well, ebay is a war! and YES! "side deals" is a counter strike against sniping. if a person only "snipes" then it's his own fault he lost, you need to work all opitions to win.

 

personally i wish ebay would put a end to sellers ending auctions early! once it's listed there's no turning back! would be fine by me! also wish they added if there is a "snipe" the auction will go for atlest 5-10 more minutes. but ebay has their head so far up their butt that all they see is shit. they don't care about sellers and buyers. i sometims wonder who's calling the shots over there because most of them really do stink!

 

BTW i think the term "snipe" fits it perfectly! only because as a seller and buyer i HATE sniping!

 

i hope i spelled everthing correctly, i see the spelling police are active.

 

Happy Holidays!

 

Rick

[atari2600foreever]

Sniping is the only way I bid, 99% of the stuf on Ebay I bid on is for resale. Sniping reduces the threat of getting shilled. Since I do resell alot of what Ibuy I have attracted a couple of bid stalkers, they only bid on items that I am bidding on.

[Mindfield]

Right.. but what if a bid placed earlier is still higher than your "snipe". Basically you cut yourself off from any time frame of being able to counter or raise your own snipe.

 

Granted it's rare... but not unheard of at all .. heck it happens to me all the time!

 

Yeah, me too. But then that's just an unsuccessful snipe - akin to a conventional sniper's target unexpectedly having dressed himself in kevlar. :-)

 

Again.. there's no difference from putting in a proxy and putting in a snipe. They're just both bids. One is just at the last second

 

Don't get me wrong.. every single ebay auction I've won over the past 5 years or so.. was with a bid I put in w/ 3 seconds to go. I "snipe" only. I just don't like the term. It's just a bid.

 

Of course they're both bids, but extending the analagous metaphor, it's the difference between pulling the gun, aiming carefully, and taking a pot shot with the target (and yourself) in plain view, and instead perching atop some lofty, hidden mount, lining the target up in your scope, and picking them off covertly, and quite by the target's surprise.

 

Sure, you lose any possible reaction time if you miss, but then if you succeed, others lose their reaction time, too, and you have a good chance of grabbing it cheap.

 

Snipe or bid ... frankly, it's just semantics. A snipe is just a particular kind of bid.

[Vernoman]

"snipe" - "make a sly, critical attack"

 

courtesy of The Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus.

 

Might be why the word has such a negative connotation.

 

I still think it's great!

[gospeedde]

I don't snipe, but I don't mind snipers. I usually just place a bid that I'm comfortable with as soon as I see the auction and then let it ride. I win more than half of the time that way. If it's an item that I really want and I am fairly sure it's going to be sniped, I watch the end of the auction and try to hand snipe the sniper if their snipe beats my bid. Bidding this way is better for me than sniping because I win more often than I lose, I don't have to spend much time on ebay, and I never spend more than I really wanted to. Sniping is not a crime, but it doesn't guarantee you the auction either.

[Draikar]

Someone in a ebay chat said sniping is wrong and will be a violation in ebay rules someday. This was a few years ago and I guess the person that made that post was mad but everyone agreed with him or her. To think about it now he or she was full of it...

 

Vernoman, It seems to me the correct way to spell sniping is "snipping", then again I suck at spelling. But now I know now its spelled sniping. Or maybe it should be snipe as Rick Weis said...

[SS]

I rarely place a bid that isn't a snipe.

[Mindfield]

Someone in a ebay chat said sniping is wrong and will be a violation in ebay rules someday. This was a few years ago and I guess the person that made that post was mad but everyone agreed with him or her. To think about it now he or she was full of it...

 

Vernoman, It seems to me the correct way to spell sniping is "snipping", then again I suck at spelling. But now I know now its spelled sniping. Or maybe it should be snipe as Rick Weis said...

 

It won't be against any rules. It doesn't violate anyone's constitutional right not to be outbid in the last few seconds of an auction. Sniping's a staple part of eBay. Just like keyword spamming, feedback-for-hire, and "rare!" :-)

 

Incidentally, "snipping" would be pronounced with a short "I" (i.e. "SNIP-ing") and would mean "the act of severing with short, quick strokes," it being the present participle form of "snip." With the English language, and with few exceptions, verbs that end "e" (such as "snipe," "gore," "bare") drop the "e" and add "ing" when being used in the present participle (such as "sniping," "goring," and "baring")

 

Now memorize chapters 6 & 7 for tomorrow's quiz.

[Vernoman]

 

Vernoman, It seems to me the correct way to spell sniping is "snipping", then again I suck at spelling. But now I know now its spelled sniping. Or maybe it should be snipe as Rick Weis said...

 

Actually, I'm a good speller, and "snipping" would be something you would perform with a pair of scissors.

[Rick Weis]

Now memorize chapters 6 & 7 for tomorrow's quiz.

 

i'm still working on chapter 1

 

Rick

[Mindfield]

i'm still working on chapter 1    

 

Rick

 

How are Dick & Jane doing these days, anyway?

[Philflound]

The only bad thing I see about sniping is if the seller ends early to sell to the "current" highest bidder. Which could've been you if you put your bid in earlier. Happened to me a few times.

 

Well, that's the seller's loss. If you're a smart seller, you don't end an auction early from offers. If someone is offering you money to end an auction early, then they probably know something you don't.

 

Phil

[Philflound]

Sniping will never be illegal because placing a bid on an item is not illegal. If Ebay wants to rid itself of sniping, then it'll do what someone has mentioned here. They will add time to a bid placed. 5 minute increments are perfect. Anything placed in the last 5 minutes should automatically reset the countdown to 5 minutes. It would get rid of alot of the sniping software.

 

2 things to win an auction:

 

1. place your highest bid you are willing to pay and stick with it. If you get outbid, oh, well. Don't fret.

 

2. if you want to snipe, open 2 sniping windows. Say high bid is $15. Put snipe window one at $18, and 2nd snipe window bid at $21. If $18 gets outbid immediately with a few seconds left, you just click on $21 and click the confirm bid and you are either in or outbid a 2nd time and just let it go.

 

I agree, snipping is something you do with scissors.

 

Phil

[sku_u]

2. if you want to snipe, open 2 sniping windows. Say high bid is $15. Put snipe window one at $18, and 2nd snipe window bid at $21. If  $18 gets outbid immediately with a few seconds left, you just click on $21 and click the confirm bid and you are either in or outbid a 2nd time and just let it go.

 

I agree, snipping is something you do with scissors.

 

Phil

 

Why not just put in $21 the first time around if that's what you're willing to pay? I have 2 windows open when I bid. One to hit refresh to keep an eye on the time and another to place the bid at the last second. I usually will enter it at the 5 second refresh so I don't get locked out. If I already see a bid higher than my snipe, so be it; my snipe price is almost always set at the highest I'm willing to spend.

[Christophero Sly]

I have 2 windows open when I bid.  One to hit refresh to keep an eye on the time and another to place the bid at the last second.  I usually will enter it at the 5 second refresh so I don't get locked out.  If I already see a bid higher than my snipe, so be it; my snipe price is almost always set at the highest I'm willing to spend.

Exactly what I do. Except, my slow DSL won't let me cut it anywhere near that close.

[davepesc]

I rarely snipe for the simple reason that I am not usually in front of my computer when things go off.

 

I usually wait until there is less than 24 hours, then bit what I am willing to pay. I have lost countless auctions by $1 because of this, but it doesn't bother me. Someone was just willing to pay $1 more than I was. The concept of the maximum bid means just that, the MOST I am willing to pay. Since I bid my max, there is no wishing I could counter a higher bid. It doesn't matter if that higher bid came at the last second or 4 days before the auction ended.

 

That's just me.