I just had an experience, err well two, on ebay that make me think things are wrong on there in a big way. I was bidding on an oscilloscope and was outbid in the last 3 seconds. I was a little perturbed but I forged on and bid on another model from a different seller. Again this time in the last 3 seconds I was outbid. It seems very fishy that two times in the space of an hour that I could be outbid on an item in the last 3 seconds. The really bad part is that the bids were rather low for the items in question, less than $50 for similar items I have seen sell for over $150 in the last week or so. Makes you wonder if the power sellers (dealers and stores) have inside data we do not get to see and can save a low bid on an item by automatically having a shill account grab the item back.
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Last edited by sparkeyjames; 12-08-2009, 05:02 PM. -
I usually don't bid on stuff until the last 3 or 4 seconds anymore myself. There's some automated sites and programs that can do it too.
I'll have my highest bid ready to confirm in one window and the auction counting down in another. Click at 3 sec to goErik -
That's really not that uncommon at all. It's called "sniping" and a lot of people use various programs or web sites to do it. There are sites like HammerSnipe give you three free snipes a week with bids placed somewhere in the last 20 seconds; for a small fee you can drill that down to the last 3 seconds. Just give it the listing number, set the max you're willing to pay, confirm and forget about it until the auction's over to see if you won.
It may sound like an unfair practice but I really don't think so. After all, if you place a regular bid with a higher max than a snipe bid at the last second, you'll still win.
The only advantage the snipe bidder has is that he doesn't tip his hand about being in on the bidding, or about how much his max bid might be as other last-minute bids creep up the price.
But regardless of how last-second any bid is placed, the risk is still there that someone else placed a higher max bid beforehand and the sniping effort was wasted.
I use HammerSnipe's free service from time to time, not so much because I'm looking to snag anything from anyone but because I usually place my bids in the last 15 seconds anyway and if I get distracted with something else and forget about the auction, I've still got a fair chance. Believe me, though, it hasn't guaranteed winning, not by a long shot.TheChief
"You emptied the dust collector? Dude... some of my best work was in there!"Comment
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It's called "Sniping".
Done it myself when I wanted some thing. Works rather well.Comment
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Done it many times. Found that do unto other before they do it to you works on Ebay.
TomComment
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I'm a longtime sniper... Bidding early just drives up the price. I just load in my best price and hit the button a couple seconds early. If another sniper outdraws me, oh well...Comment
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I could also see how this type of thing could be abused by sellers who don't get the price they feel they should get but want to have no reserve auctions to draw a crowd. Set up a shill account have it snipe in what they feel they should get and if it goes higher they are happy. If not they put it back up in a month or so and no one would be the wiser.Comment
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It is possible that other sellers pick off low bid items for resale. Both of the winning bidders on the items I was bidding on had over 1000 transactions.
Don't forget that power sellers and stores probably get huge volume discounts on listing fee's. Plus most stores host their pictures remotely so there are no ebay fee's involved with that. All I can say is that I think the eBay system as they now have it set up is so ripe for any sort of abuse that it's not even funny.Last edited by sparkeyjames; 12-09-2009, 03:26 AM.Comment
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There used to be an auction site that dealt solely with beer steins. If anyone bid in the last 60 seconds another minute was added to the end time. This stopped sniping. I don't understand why eBay has not instituted this.
RichardRichardComment
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That doesn't really seem fair either though. If you are bidding in good faith on an auction that ends in 30 seconds, then they extend that time, it seems as if you are screwed in that process.You don't need a parachute to skydive, you only need a parachute to skydive twice.Comment
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In any live auction bidding does not end until someone gives up..William's Law--
There is no mechanical problem so difficult that it
cannot be solved by brute strength and ignorance.Comment
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Ebay used to do that, but stopped - people complained.
As a seller, I would not support sniping - I want to get the maximum price for my item, and sniping discourages that.
As a buyer, I like sniping - I get to buy below market price. However, it's still essentially preying on the ignorance of other buyers, IMHO.--------------------------------------------------
Electrical Engineer by day, Woodworker by nightComment
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As a buyer, I like it too.
I picked up a Stanley/Bailey Number 8c last night for $51.25 in the last couple seconds. If the other person with the next highest bid had time they probably would have upped theirs, but they should have put in a higher amount to begin with. I'm glad I decided to add the extra quarter to my amount.
Sniping in the last couple seconds is easier with a fast internet connection. It was pretty tough years ago on dialup.ErikComment
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