Talk to me about auction sniping: how do I do it on eBay?

[orchidsonabudget]

I am sick of getting sniped. Can't beat them should I join them?

My tried and tested method is to click the bid confirmation button when the countdown reaches 8 seconds - but you still have to place the highest bid.

The only thing you can do is bud as high as you would be willing to pay??

Yes, I agree with the above - if you put on the absolute maximum you'd be prepared to pay, it doesn't make any difference if you are outbid. If you're bidding £20 ask yourself if you'd be gutted if it went for £21 ... and repeat until you reach a point where you wouldn't be prepared to go higher.

I bid at 4 seconds, so go to review bid at 30 seconds then dont press confirm bid until 4 seconds & at the highest Im prepared to go.

There are bid sniping apps/websites. Do you mean how can you get a better app? If you’re not already using one and you keep getting beaten, it’s probably because they’re using one and you’re not.

If Ebay think you are using a sniping tool they can suspend your account.

I used to use auction sniper - it's a website.

@Thelnebriati

If Ebay think you are using a sniping tool they can suspend your account.

Really?

I wait until 5 seconds to confirm the bid

@Thelnebriati

If Ebay think you are using a sniping tool they can suspend your account.

Since when? I've done it loads for things I've really wanted and most of the time, I win.

I saw it recently in the T&Cs but can't find the link.

You'll only win if the bid you place is higher than the existing bidder's highest bid, so it doesn't matter whether you do it yourself or use a sniping tool, surely?

I can't find anything about automated tools being banned. I only find old new articles about eBay banning it in the past but then reversing it. Wiki says "While some people disapprove of auction sniping, it is not forbidden by the rules of many auction sites. For example, it is permitted by eBay. eBay Germany banned automated sniping services in 2002, but the ban was declared illegal by Berlin's County Court, and revoked."

So which sniper do people recommend?
I tried one but didn't work, I was most disappointed.

I've been using Gixen for several years after seeing it recommended on Money Saving Expert website (I think it's still there). It has become a paid service over that time but I think it's just several £ per year so worth it for me personally as I buy a lot of my books, clothes and household items on ebay. Worth reading their guidance on bid increments etc. to choose your maximum bid in a more effective way

@lljkk

So which sniper do people recommend? I tried one but didn't work, I was most disappointed.

A sniping tool doesn’t guarantee you’ll win the item. It just avoids showing your hand until the last minute, and reduces the opportunity for others to react to your bid and increase their bid. However if someone else has already entered a higher bid than your max bid, they will still win it.

I use Gixen too. It does give you a certain number of free uses per month before you have to pay. Think it may be 4 or 5? In any case , more than enough for my purposes.

@bamboocat

You'll only win if the bid you place is higher than the existing bidder's highest bid, so it doesn't matter whether you do it yourself or use a sniping tool, surely?

Correct, makes no difference whether you do it manually or use a sniping tool. However the advantage of a sniping tool is that you can set up the snipe and then forget about it. No having to make sure you remember exactly when the auction ends, and sitting on E bay at whatever time of the day or night that may be.

I've been using a sniping tool for years (myibidder). It's the only way I bid on auctions. I've won many products for a reasonable price and I'm never tempted to go over.

I hate sniping. I mostly stick to buy it now.

I use e-snipe. Been using it on Ebay for years. I also use several different IDs for sniping. Ebay allows this so long as the various IDs dont interact with one another. I reckon to win 97% of auctions i bid on.

I have only just found out about sniping on eBay. I just thought that all these other bidders were more savvy and quicker than me, then I googled how to win an eBay auction and it came up with all these sniper sites, it's a real eye opener, but which one is the best?

I wasn't losing auctions because I wouldn't bid higher, I was always getting outbid at the last few seconds when there wasn't any time left to respond with a higher bid.

I know a dealer should uses an auction sniping tool. Bit mean but that's how to do it if you're keen.

I think that's what has been happening to me and it's happened a lot. It does seem a bit mean, but if everyone is doing this to win how can anyone not sniping ever win an auction, unless they bid is the highest to begin with.

if you were willing to pay more then you should have bid more in the first place. E bay uses a proxy biddding system, where you are supposed to enter the absolute maximum amount you are willing to pay for an item. E bay then bids on your behalf up to that amount.

If you are coming back and constantly increasing your bid when you are outbid, then you are not using E bay in the way it was designed to be used.