annoying ebay

[sparkymarky]

has anyone else noticed when trying to snipe items on ebay that if you are watching the "live" place bid section once you have entered the bid on the item page it will then count down the time and keep a live price update, i put a bid in at 5 seconds left on a stanley 45 plane only to find that the auction had ended and the bid went for under what i had bid for it at :evil: i know some view sniping as a not done thing but as someone who buys and sells i cannot understand why ebayers put bids in 2 days before the auction ends if they are really serious about buying the items, they then won`t drive up the price.

does any one know what causes this, could it be my laptop / internet connection?

is there any reliable programs that anyone uses to snipe auctions?

cheers, mark.

 

[tisdai]

Hi Mark

I have had it happen at least 3 time's upto now, the last 1 I waited for 7 seconds just to see if it worked only for it to end with a bid less than mine again :evil: Do not know what is doing it, but I have used a laptop and a tower pc, makes no difference.

Cheers

Dave

 

[DaveyP]

A reliable and free sniper is http://www.goofbay.com/

Its on their server and not relying on your pc / internet connection, also has other useful tools

 

[RogerP]

If you're sniping manually I can only suggest that it's not a fast enough connection. I'd suggest using either Goofbay or just enter the maximum you're prepared to pay well before the auction ends and leave it at that..

 

[Mcluma]

I can bid up to 3 sec prior to end of auction

So i gues you must have some connection difficulties

 

[9fingers]

I always use a sniper for auctions. I am convinced over many years that not showing your hand until the last minute brings results.
I use a paid for service that costs very little and only once did it go wrong.

Bob

 

[RogerP]

I always use a sniper for auctions. I am convinced over many years that not showing your hand until the last minute brings results.
I use a paid for service that costs very little and only once did it go wrong.

Bob

Sometimes the unexpected result! A couple of weeks ago an item of mine had attracted only one bid until the very last few seconds when there was a sniper fight. I think a couple of them must have put silly maximums as the item sold for well over what it could be bought for new.

 

[9fingers]

I always use a sniper for auctions. I am convinced over many years that not showing your hand until the last minute brings results.
I use a paid for service that costs very little and only once did it go wrong.

Bob

Sometimes the unexpected result! A couple of weeks ago an item of mine had attracted only one bid until the very last few seconds when there was a sniper fight. I think a couple of them must have put silly maximums as the item sold for well over what it could be bought for new.

Snipers only do what you tell them so if bid limits were set high then this can happen.

Bob

 

[studders]

just enter the maximum you're prepared to pay well before the auction ends and leave it at that..

I'd partly agree with that, I often have success by putting my maximum bid in with about 10 seconds to go. That way the price does not get repeatedly jacked up at an early stage. Worked again today when I pipped someone by just 50p with no time for them to react. Of course, had they done the same as me with a higher maximum they would have got it, but I won't pay more than I decide it's worth to me. I usually win more than I lose though.

 

[brianhabby]

I would agree that it sounds like a connection issue.

Try this next time.

A few minutes before the item ends and when you're watching it, refresh the page and note how long it takes. If you do this a few times before entering your bid you will get a feel for how long it will take. As we all know, internet speeds can vary considerably even on the same connection.

Hope that helps

regards

Brian

 

[studders]

Spot on Brian, that's how I arrived at my figure for how long I could leave my bid.

 

[doorframe]

Brian has that exactly right. Always do a few 'dummy runs' to check the response time. It will be different from day to day. You may not win the auction but at least your bid will be just in time. Sniping is definately the way to go. Early bidding will (as others have said) simply push up the price. If there's been plenty of early bidding on an item I'm watching I'll generally steer clear as there may well have been something shilly going on.

Roy

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

I do this also and manually. I do it on other auctions as well. It does seem to keep the price down too its very bottom by not driving it high early. Although while on eBay I tend to browse only buy it nows if its a common item.

 

[Lons]

I always bid manually and with 5 minutes or so to go, I open 2 windows and size them side by side. On one I watch the item page and on the other I pre bid the amount I'm prepared to pay but don't press the "confirm" button until 6 or 7 seconds to go. The bid is usually in time though of course I don't win if a higher bid is in place.

There is one quirk in that the 2 windows don't have exactly the same countdown time as one lags slightly behind the other so I always use the shorter one :?

Bob

 

[Silverbirch]

the item sold for well over what it could be bought for new.

It never ceases to amaze me that people will pay as much, or almost as much ,for a used item,as the same item bought new, which would come with a guarantee and possibly free postage.
Must be auction fever!

 

[Lons]

the item sold for well over what it could be bought for new.

It never ceases to amaze me that people will pay as much, or almost as much ,for a used item,as the same item bought new, which would come with a guarantee and possibly free postage.
Must be auction fever!

Beats the hell out of me as well :?

The other strange thing is that buyers don't seem to check out the sellers other items as many times I've seen bidding higher than a buy it now price on identical item from the same seller.

I've never been to a real auction but bidding fever must be even worse.

Bob

 

[9fingers]

Beats the hell out of me as well :?

I've never been to a real auction but bidding fever must be even worse.

Bob

Believe me it is much worse at a public auction. I used to go to a lot of machinery sales and quite often the lots were padded out by new Chaiwanese machines and small tools such as bench vices and pillar drills.
It was staggering to see the bidding go over the retail prices with VAT and buyers premium to be added on top.

Bob

 

[Benchwayze]

Tomorrow I will try to get into the shop to photograph the Record 5-1/2 I 'sniped' last week.

I have had failures, but only because my bid wasn't high enough. (Or the item I won, didn't quite match up to the photographs and/or description.) I usually watch the bidding, and make a decision to either leave my snipe or cancel it altogether, if I think it's going under!

However, the timing has to be right. I wouldn't risk a 5 second lead using a sniping site. Five seconds is too short; certainly too late for my connection speed if I was posting a bid manually.


HTH

John

PS. I just noticed that someone mentioned sniping by putting in a silly bid. I thought that was the way to win snipes. If you bid say £50.00 for a plane worth £20.00 and the next highest bid is £22.00 you would win the auction. But you wouldn't have to pay the amount you bid. You only pay a pound over the under-bidder. That's where eBay differs from live auctions.

So snipe if you really want the item. I am watching a nice, Edwardian oak office chair at the moment. Looks in good restorable nick, and I am sick of buying these leather swivellers from Viking!

John

 

[Mark A]

PS. I just noticed that someone mentioned sniping by putting in a silly bid. I thought that was the way to win snipes. If you bid say £50.00 for a plane worth £20.00 and the next highest bid is £22.00 you would win the auction. But you wouldn't have to pay the amount you bid. You only pay a pound over the under-bidder. That's where eBay differs from live auctions.

John

I'd be careful about doing that though John - what if the current highest bidder had set their maximum bid at £45, for example? You would then have to pay £46/£47 for the plane.

Mark 8)

 

[Benchwayze]

That's true Mark, and it's why I watch the bidding, so I can withdraw if it gets crazy. Usually my silly bids, are not on the stupid scale, and are what I would be prepared to pay anyhow. The problem has only presented itself once and at that it wasn't too bad.

I'll go and sort out that pic I mentioned...
John