'Sniper' bids

[abstibus]

Has anyone any suggestions as to how to frustrate these on e-bay?
(I tried to post a question earlier and it disappeared).
Thanks

[hc4361]

How do you mean, frustrate them?
I use them all the time.

[China Doll]

Yes, bid more.

They are just the same as someone who bids in the last few seconds and bids more than you. I use them when I'm no going to be around for the end of an item I want. Otherwise I bid in the last 5 seconds. I only lose when people are prepared to pay more than me. Same as every other person I think.

[abstibus]

What I am curious about is how the sniper knows the highest bid, as this is not shown in the bidding record.
It seems that regardless of what this is, the sniper can beat it.

[squarebear]

He doesn't. He is merely willing to bid a larger amount.

[boxtops]

I can't see the point of sniping - I use eBay a lot, and I just bid upfront the highest amount which I'm prepared to pay for the item. That way there is no disadvantage to me in needing to bid at the last minute - my maximum bid is already in the frame.

[squarebear]

Yes but if you could get it for a tenner instead of twenty quid, surely that would appeal to you?

[China Doll]

You don't. You decide what amount you wish to put in and how soon before bidding ends. If someone else bids more you will lose. If someone bids more before it gets to the end then you either have to put in another amount for your snipe or forget it (I do the latter as I have already decided what I am prepared to pay for it). There is no hidden trick. It is still all about who is willing to pay more. I use goofbay, why don't you go and look at that and how it works as it will probaby answer your questions.

[China Doll]

When I'm bidding myself I will never place my bid until the last few seconds as i don't want to push the price up unnecessarily by getting in to a bidding war.

[hc4361]

Sniping software means my bids are made automatically in the last seconds without me being in front of the pc.
It also means I'm not going to pay more than I intended to, by bidding 'just a pound more' than my limit.

[AlBags]

Bidding later on is less likely to encourage 'rival' bidding (or encourage the price up)

Sniping is just last second bidding .. and will win like any other bid .. IF the price is high enough.

[boxtops]

Yes, of course, squarebear - but if my max bid is twenty quid, it doesn't mean that I would pay that, that's my ceiling - if the one below me is £10.20, I'd end up paying £10.50.

[hc4361]

But boxtops, someone will know they are outbid at £10.50, and bid more.

If you don't put your bid in until the last second, you may have got the item for £10.20

[abstibus]

I'm fairly new to e-bay. Box, you say he's willing to bid a higher amount - the sniper bid comes in too late to allow any bidder to counter it.
I still do not understand this:
let's say I bid £100 and there is another bidder who has already placed an automatic bid of £105. I will be notified immediately that have been outbid.
This gives me the option of raising my bid.
The sniper bid, however, does not give any option. It comes in literally seconds before the close of the auction.
I would still like to know how the sniper knows the highest (hidden) bid - or does he/she bid a totally unrealistic sum?

[boxtops]

True - but if my max bid is £20 upfront, I'd still win, the competitors' bids will still be under my ceiling. The max bid never shows on the item from page, only the current bid which the item will set at.

[boxtops]

^ sell at.

[boxtops]

Surely the sniper too sets a ceiling on the automatic bid? Otherwise you could find yourself paying £500 for something because someone else is sniping against you?

[hc4361]

I know I'd rather not get in a bidding war and pay the minimum possible, rather than pay the most I'm prepared to pay.

[boxtops]

^^ and sniping's automatic by computer, isn't it? There is no person there "knowing" the bids, it's electronic?

[boxtops]

...but I don't, hc, I rarely pay my ceiling bid.

[squarebear]

"I would still like to know how the sniper knows the highest (hidden) bid - or does he/she bid a totally unrealistic sum? "

It doesn't. It just bids up to whatever the sniper has set as a limit.